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Q&A
Allocation of athletic field permit fee revenue to the city's general fund
1:12:01
·
110 sec
Council Member Krishnan raises concerns about the allocation of permit fee revenue to the city's general fund rather than directly to the Parks Department or specific parks. The Parks Department representatives explain the current system and clarify some misconceptions.
- Permit fee revenue goes to the city's general fund, not directly to the Parks Department or specific parks
- This applies to all parks, including those with conservancies
- The Parks Department notes that the general fund ultimately funds the entire agency
- Krishnan expresses frustration with this system, suggesting that revenue should go back to the Parks Department or the specific parks where it's generated
- The permitting process for parks with conservancies is still handled by the Parks Department as part of the larger system
Shekar Krishnan
1:12:01
Right.
1:12:01
Right.
1:12:01
Okay.
1:12:02
And then, am I correct that the this is always an issue for me that the fees that you all collect, that does not go back to the Parks Department, it does not go back even to the park within which the field is located, but it goes to the city's general fund.
1:12:15
Is that right?
Margaret Nelson
1:12:16
That is correct.
1:12:17
But, again, the general fund funds our entire agency, it comes back to us one way or
Matt Drury
1:12:23
the other.
Shekar Krishnan
1:12:23
In some fashion, yes.
1:12:24
I agree.
1:12:24
But I think with all of these things, it's just ridiculous from fields to concessions that the money doesn't go back into the Parks Department directly, but also more specifically to the park that's being used that could use that funding.
1:12:37
Take, for example, Flushing Meadowskroner Park, a number of soccer leagues there, a number of concessions there, and that money doesn't go back to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
1:12:48
So it is a larger issue for me overall that we'll continue to work on.
1:12:52
What about permit fees that are generated in parks with conservancies?
1:12:59
Does that money go to the conservancies?
1:13:01
Or is I'm assuming that goes to the conservancies and not to the general fund, right?
Margaret Nelson
1:13:04
No.
1:13:06
Generally that goes to the general fund
Shekar Krishnan
1:13:08
as No, I see.
Matt Drury
1:13:09
Got it.
1:13:09
More broadly, just to clarify, the permitting for those parks are generally still handled by the agency.
Shekar Krishnan
1:13:14
By the agency.
1:13:15
See.
Matt Drury
1:13:15
So it's really part of the larger system anyhow.
Shekar Krishnan
1:13:17
So it's all going to the general fund and one from another.
1:13:19
Okay, got it.
1:13:22
I think those are all the questions.
1:13:27
Give me one second.
1:13:30
Yes, those are all the questions I had.
1:13:32
I would encourage you to both stay to hear from the members of the public who testified too because, as I mentioned, we are hearing a lot of these things and I think knowing Parks' intention with this system, perhaps the more can be done to make sure that it is providing the access that it's intended to provide.
1:13:49
So thank you all so much for your testimony.