2008 Annual Report - Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture (PARC) Committee

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2008 Annual Report of the PARC Committee December 4, 2008 Page 2 • East Bank Village Master Plan -Phase I Although action was not taken at a PARC Committee meeting, I made the motion to delete the proposed Century Center budget from the original ordinance so that the Council Members could receive more information. The Century Center's budget will now be heard separately in Bill No. 77-08. That Bill is scheduled for public hearing on Monday, December 8, 2008. Attendance at Parks & Recreation Board of Commissioners Meetings: As the PARC Committee Chairperson, I believe that it is extremely important to have open and ongoing discussions about all park and recreational programs. I have therefore attempted to attend all of the monthly Parks & Recreation Board of Commissioners meetings. These meetings are held on the 3`a Monday of each month at 4 p.m. at the O'Brien Center Board Room, located at 312 East Walter Street, in the 5th Councilmanic District of South Bend. This has resulted in more inter-action and improved communications. If I am the PARC Committee Chairperson in 2009, I would continue to attend and participate in these meetings. 2009 Priorities: As everyone is keenly aware, communities across Indiana are grappling with the potential fiscal shortfalls, as a result of the passage of HEA 1001, commonly referred to as the "Circuit Breaker Law". As a former teacher of the South Bend Community School Corporation, and as an elected public official, I am interested in seeking excellence throughout our community. Too often, cultural and recreational programs are proposed as the first items on the chopping block during tough financial times. If this happens in South Bend, I fear that we will never be a "21St Century City". I will continue to work hard to make sure that that does not happen in the City of South Bend. Our parks, recreation, arts and cultural programs contribute to the rich vibrancy of our city. In an age where technology is so apparent, the active and passive park and recreation offer diverse cultural & recreational enrichment, which must continue. Soon the 20th Anniversary of "Downtown for the Holidays" will begin. Some other park, recreational, art and cultural opportunities include: East Race Waterway Century Center College Football Hall of Fame Studebaker National Museum Howard Park Senior Citizen Center Belleville Sports Complex Potawatomi Zoo Coveleski Regional Stadium Morris Performing Arts Center, South Bend Regional Museum of Art Rum Village Park & Nature Center Daddy/Daughter Dances Greenhouses Leeper Park Tennis O'Brien Fitness Center Golf courses Water playgrounds Mommy/Son Dances Our park, recreational, arts and cultural programs are offerred at • Fifty-six (56) local parks consisting of 1,300 acres • Sixteen (16) block parks • Eleven (11) neighborhood parks • Twenty-two (22) community parks • Seven (7} special parks [East Race, 3 golf courses, Coveleski Stadium, Potawatomi Zoo]