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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6975ORDINANCE NO. 6975 AN ORDINANCE CREATING THE DEPARTTdENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, AUTHORIZING A PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION, POWERS AND DUTIES OF SAME, ESTABLISHING A RECREATION AND PARK PROGRAM IN GENERAL, DECLARING AN EMERGENCY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. The creation of Parks and Recreation Commission is hereby authorized; SECTION 2. The Parks and Recreation Commission herein before authorized shall consist of five (5) members, who shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the City Council. One member shall be an Alderman representing the City Council; one member shall be a member of the Board of Directors of the Special School District of Little Rock; three members shall be appointed from the citizens at large. They shall serve without compensation. Each member shall be a qualified elector of the City of Little Rock at the time of his appointment, and during his incumbency; and the term of office shall be five (5) years and /or until his successor shall be appointed and qualified; provided, however, and at the first meeting of the Commission after the appointment of its members under the provisions of this ordinance, such members shall so classify themselves by lot that one (1) of them shall go out of office at the end of one (1) year, one (1) member shall go out of office at the end of two (2) years, one (1) member shall go out of office at the end of three (3) years, one member shall go out of office at the and of four (4) years, and one member shall go out of office at the end of five (5) years, from the date of their appoint- ment. Should a vacancy occur in the Commission, for any reason, such vacancy shall be filled for such unexpired term by an appointment by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the City Council. If the Alderman member ceases to be a member of the City Council, he is automatically retired from the Parks and Recreation Commission. His unexpired term should be filled by another member of the City Council upon appointment by the Mayor and confirma- tion by the Council. The same procedure shall be followed when the Parks and Recreation Commissioner holding a position on the Board of Directors of the Special School District of Little Rock ceases to be a member of that board. Any member of the Commission may be removed by the City Council for cause. SECTION 3. Within ten (10) days after their appointment, the Mayor shall call the members of the Commission to meet in regular session and the Commission shall organize by electing from their members a President and Vice - President, and a Treasurer, who shall hold office for one (1) year. Thereafter such Commission shall meet in regular session at 1; ast once a month, at a time and place selected by vote of its members. It shall adopt its own -2- rules of procedure. Three members shall constitute a quorum, but a less number may adjourn from time to time to ay ertain. Absence from three consecutive regular meetings without the formal consent of the Commission shall be deemed to constitute a retirement of such member, and the vacancy thus created shall be filled by the Mayor, by an appointment of a successor to fill the unexpired term of office, subject to con- firmation by the City Council. SECTION 4. It shall be the duty of the President to preside over all meetings of the Commission; in his absence, the Vice - President shall serve. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to be the custodian of the funds of the Commission, which shall be deposited in a bank or banks in the name of the Commission and disbursed upon the written order or check signed by any two members of the Commission who, by proper resolution of the Commission, have been duly authorized to sign on behalf of the Commission. The Treasurer and such other members of the Commission who are authorized to sign checks or orders for the payment of funds on behalf of the Commission and employees of the Commission accountable for funds of the Commission shall be bonded in such amounts as the Commission may deem proper and as approved by the Mayor, the premium on such bonds to be paid from the funds of the Commission. SECTION 5. The Department of Parks and Recreation is hereby created which shall be under the jurisdiction of the Parks and Recreation Commission as created in Section 1 of this ordinance. Said Department shall have jurisdiction over the Cityts parks and all the City's recreational facilities and activities including MacArthur Park, Alsopp Park, Boyle Park, Gillam Park and Fair Park, the Municipal Golf Course, the Municipal Swimming Pool and the Municipal Zoo. The title of Director of Recreation is hereby changed to Superintendent of Parks and Recreation. The Superintendent of Parks and Recreation shall serve as Secretary to the Parks and Recreation Commission without power of vote. It will be his duty to keep a record of all proceedings of the Commission and to transmit its recommendations to the Council. The employees heretofore assigned to the above parks, facilities and activities including the Aftl A% Secretary to the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation are hereby transferred to the *ecreation Department, and are made answerable to the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation. When funds are available for their employment, such other persons as in the judgement of the Parks and Recreation Commission are necessary when authorized by the City Council, may be employed by the Commission from time to time to carry out its functions who through the Superintendent shall be accountable to the Commission for the proper performance of their duties. -3- SECTION 6. The general powers and duties of the Commission shall be as follows; (a) To plan and.recommend by regular reports to the City Council such action as may be necessary to create and develop an adequate and complete system of parks, playgrounds, swimming and other recreation facilities. (b) To have control,.of, manage and supervise all of the public parks, parkways, recreation centers and playgrounds, now or hereafter publicly owned, and the municipally owned facilities now or hereafter established in them including houses, buildings, zoos, museums, golf courses, archery ranges, swimming pools, playfields, amusement rides, and devices, carnival concessions, refreshment stands, picnic shelters and facilities etc. (c) To supervise and provide for community sports,of all kinds, including without being limited to, organized games, contests, recreation centers, pageants, celebrations, events, exhibitions, musicals, community sings, theatricals and similar facilites; to cooperate with individuals, firms and organizations interested in recreation, amusement . and cultural activities as will employ the leisure time of the people in a constructive manner. (d) To mane and collect reasonable fees or charges for the use of or admittance to the facilities in the public parks and to operate and to rent or lease in the name of the city, amusement, entertainment, and refreshment facilities therein, upon terms acceptable to the Commission. (e) When available and with the consent and cooperation of the proper persons, to conduct public playgrounds and public indoor recreation upon the grounds and in the build- ings of the Federal Government, State, County and City, the public and parochial schools, churches and other organizations, and upon the grounds and in the buildings of corporations, companies and individuals. (f) To create, establish, maintain, have control of, manage and supervise public gardens, aborets, greenhouses, etcetera for the growing and exhibition of flowers, shrubs, plants, vines, trees, etcetera, and to plant, set out, place, and protect and care for flowers, vines, shrubs, plants and trees to adorn the public parks, grounds, playgrounds, the public strip of ground between the roadways and private property lines along the streets, boulevards, drives, avenues, and roadways and other public spaces within the City; to encourage the growing of flowers, plants and trees on private property by the general public; to cooperate with the City Planning Commission, Board of Water Works Commissioners, Garden Clubs, and other organizations and individuals in a general beautification program for the city. -4- (g) To establish reasonable rules and regulations for the protection of rights and property vested in the City, under the Control of the Commission, for the uses, care, maintenance, and management of all parks and public grounds, recreation centers, including the furnishings, equipment, and paraphernalia on or in them operated, main- tained or conducted by the Commission. (h) Through the Mayor, to call upon any other Department of the City Government for assistance in the performance of its duties. (i) To recommend to the City Council the ihstitution of condemnation proceedings whenever, in its judgment, private property should be taken in the name of the City for the purposes of the Commission. (j) To receive appropriation, gifts, or bequests of money or other personal or real property, or any donation to be applied, principal or income, for either temporary or permanent use for playgrounds or other recreational work. (k) To, and it shall collect, receive and account for any funds now on hand, or now or hereafter due the city, arising from the operation, rental, hire or lease of any ground, buildings, facilities, playfields, amusement devices, rides, concessions,�,re- freshment stands, golf courses, tennis courts, museums, zoos, skating rinks, swimming pools, etc., or from any event, exhibition, or activity within the public parks and playgrounds of the City or elsewhere operated or supervised by the Commission, subject to the terms of existing contracts and leases. Said annual accounting shall be filed with the City Council not later than January 31 of the Year following the year for which the accounting is made. (1) The Commission shall pay the entire costs of the operations of the Golf Course and Swimming Pool. (m) To equip, furnish, operate, maintain and repair the buildings, facilities and grounds; to construct such additional buildings, equipment and facilities as from time to time may be needed; and to maintain, repair the sidewalks, streets, boulevards, avenues and driveways, and to construct such additional ones as from time to time may be needed; to repair and maintain the lighting facilities and provide such additional facilities as from time to time may be needed, in the public parks and playgrounds of the City. (n) To perform such other duties as may be necessary for the proper administration of the affairs of the Commission. (o) To expend any monies that may come to the Commission for the accomplishment of the above purposes. (p) To appoint sub - committees, to assist the Commission in the performance of its duties, and to delegate to such Committees specific powers and duties with authority to represent the Commission within the limitations the Commission may prescribe. SECTION 7. The Commission shall file with the City Clerk each month a statement of receipts and disbursements of the department, covering the transactions for the sixty days previous month. 1fiithin/wrAKm=tXd[AX3M after December 31st of each year, the Commission shall make a written report to the City Council, relative to the work of the Department and the condition of the property in its charge. The report shall be certified by the Commission, and disposed of in such manner as the Council may direct. The commission shall also make such other reports as the Council may from time to time require. SECTION 8. The Commission shall not later than November 15, of each year, prepare and submit to the City Council a budget covering its estimate of the funds which it recommends be appropriated by the Council for the next fiscal year, for operating and maintaining the Parks and Recreation Department and carrying out the activities of the Commission. SECTION 9. Ordinance No. 4597 is hereby repealed. Sections 1, 2, and 4 of Ordinance Number 6870 are hereby repealed. SECTION 10. The terms of this ordinance are subject to all the provisions of Ordinance No. 6894 regarding lease of a portion of Fair Park and to the terms authorizing lease to the Little Rook Baseball Company. SECTION 11. Because at the present time the City of Little Rock is not offering an adequate recreation program, and is failing to provide adequate facilities for the physical and cultural developments for citizens in their leisure time, and because the lack of an adequate recreation program is hampering the development of the City of Little Rock and the citizens thereof, and because the foregoing ordinance will correct this situation, and because this program should be instituted at once, an emergency is hereby found to exist. PASSED: April 8th, 1946 ATTEST ITY 'RK APPROVED: MAYOR