District of Columbia Appropriations for 1972

quest to acquire a beautiful campsite for thousands of underprivileged boys and girls who need to be taken out of the hot city for an exciting and an enjoyable camp-life experience. We urgently need to design and develop this campsite to its full potential.

Our mentally retarded, whom we have been able to give some recreation services, are housed for the most part in dilapidated and overcrowded recreation facilities. This capital outlay budget, if approved, will give us ability to enrich the lives of our mentally retarded youth and adults.

Increased recreation opportunities are urgently needed for our senior citizens who have become very alert and knowledgeable about the value of recreation for themselves, many of whom are retired but. in good health.

We have a large number of inadequate and obsolete recreation facilities that are in great need of permanent repair and rehabilitation. Some of our centers and swimming pools date back to 1916 and the early 1920's. Our 1972 capital outlay justifications focus on the city's and Department's need to fund the projects as requested herein. Should our projects be approved, Mr. Chairman, all of us assembled here today can proudly and realistically say we have provided our citizenry with an opportunity to enrich the lives of many of our citizens who appeal to us for help. With approval of our capital outlay requests, Mr. Chairman, we can also show in a positive way our combined efforts to improve the quality of our environment, especially in areas of greatest need.

Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee, in the administration and management of the Department's appropriations, we have made every realistic effort to hold down expenditures while, at the same time, maintaining a level and quality of wholesome recreation programs and services for the betterment of community living. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

TRANSFERS

Mr. NATCHER. Thank you, Mr. Cole. Now, if you will, please, explain the transfers that appear on page 21-4.

Mr. COLE. The transfer here, Mr. Chairman, in the amount of $213,000, is the city's effort in working with the Department of the Interior, identifying certain parklands within the District of Columbia, which rightfully should be operated by the District of Columbia, and the City Council I believe at this time is taking up this matter of transferring as far as the Department of Recreation is concerned, I would say, approximately 35 such sites to the Department of Recreation. This amount of money was transferred to us from the Department of General Services to do the maintenance work on these areas when transferred. We have three primary sites that we are greatly concerned about, the greater portion of the Oxon Run Parkway, Pope Branch Creek, and the Watts Branch area. These are three large sites, and there is some doubt in my mind should we have to take over all 35 areas at this time that the transfer of $213,000 will give us the capability to keep these lands up in good shape and presentable in the Nation's Capital.

Mr. NATCHER. Do you feel that the transfers that appear on this page are necessary,and that this should be approved by the committee at this time?

Mr. COLE. Yes, sir; I do, Mr. Chairman. Very much so.

Mr. NATCHER. Do any of you gentleman desire to say anything about this particular matter?

Mr. ANDERSON. No, sir.

REDIRECTIONS

Mr. NATCHER. Now, Mr. Cole, what about the redirections that appear on page 21-4?

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, we have 133 full-time per diems who are working 80 hours a pay period alongside the classified employees who have the same amount of responsibility as the classified employees but who do not get the equity that the classified employees are getting in terms of their benefits. Now, I think that special emphasis should be placed here, Mr. Chairman, that the money is already in our base in personal services of $796,500, and we are not asking for any increase here. We are only requesting authority to classify these employees so that they can get the same equity that the regular classified employees are getting because their duties and responsibilities are the

same.

REPROGRAMING REQUESTS

Mr. NATCHER. Now, Mr. Cole, the committee has received a letter from Mr. Watt, the Assistant to the Commissioner, concerning certain reprograming requests, one of which applies to the Department of Recreation. This reprograming request for recreation is $284,000; and according to the letter that we have received, would allow for the purchase of needed maintenance equipment and for certain maintenance work to be performed on District recreational facilities. Explain this request to the committee. The committee will pass on it as we go along with the regular requests in the budget. What about this, Mr. Cole?

Mr. COLE. Mr. Chairman, as I stated in my opening statement, we took over full maintenance responsibilities of 161 recreation centers last July 1970. This was our first experience in maintaining areas which we operate. Previously, as you may recall, maintenance of our playgrounds had been done by the National Park Service and, to some degree, with the Department of General Services, on school grounds mainly. But now we have the full responsibility, and it really took us a year or nearly a year to really learn what our needs actually were in terms of our capability to take over full maintenance.

We also purchased used or surplus equipment from the military. Much of our equipment is secondhand, so to speak. We tried to repair them. There were certain other items of equipment that we needed in order to have the capability to really do the kind of maintenance that is required on our playground and recreation centers, so we have requested reprograming this amount so that we can increase our capability in terms of equipment needs in the amount of $284,000, so we can increase our capability to maintain these areas as they should be maintained.