City audit finds hazards at rec centers

A 3-foot-deep hole in concrete 10 yards from a play area, electrical cords stretched across a pool of water, and sharp metal protrusions sticking out of the ground were among the numerous hazards and maintenance issues at Philadelphia's recreation centers, according to an audit released yesterday by the City Controller's Office.

The audit, which looked at 75 of the city's 170 recreation facilities in July and August, also found blocked fire exits, missing or broken playground equipment, and extensive water damage.

Most of the blame was attributed to poor management, understaffing and inadequate funding.

"The Recreation Department clearly is underfunded right now to take care of their core mission," City Controller Alan Butkovitz said.

A 2004 report had uncovered similar problems, and audit administrator Michael Egan said overall conditions remained "about the same."

But staffing has gotten worse.

The department's maintenance division had 15 percent fewer positions at the end of fiscal 2007 than it did after fiscal 2003. Thirty-two unfilled positions are listed for fiscal 2009.

Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson, who has been on the job for only two weeks, said she recognized that the audit was "a necessary report."

"I'm coming in at the tail end, so I just have to get some things in order," she said, adding that many problems raised in the audit were already being addressed.

Some of the maintenance issues were baffling. At one center, a basketball court was unusable because of weeds. At others, walls had holes so large that children could climb into them.

The audit put forth 12 recommendations for improving maintenance and safety, including filling vacant positions, establishing standard times for routine maintenance, developing a safety checklist for all facilities, and closing centers that are too small or too debilitated.

Mayor Nutter said an additional $1 million allotted for the department's budget would help turn conditions around.

"We know what the challenges are, we have some dollars to attack them right here at the moment, and we'll continue to work on it," he said.