GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OF PARKS 



abutting property, upon such improvements for the 

 opening of streets, plazas and parks, or in any other 

 manner or by other proceedings authorized by the 

 general laws of this state for the condemnation of 

 private property for public use. " Article II, Section 98. 

 To acquire on behalf and for the use of the city by 

 purchase, gift, devise or condemnation any private 

 property or any interest therein, whether such property 

 be situated within or without the limits of said city, 

 which may be necessary or proper for the establishment 

 and maintenance of, and for other corporate purposes. 

 Article II, excerpt from Section 97. 



Other powers of the City Council which bear upon 

 the subject of parks and recreation relate to the care, 

 management and control of the city's property and 

 finances; "to enact, alter, modify or repeat any and all 

 ordinances not repugnant to this Charter and the Con- 

 stitution and laws of the State" (Article II, Section 51); 

 "to provide for the payment of the current expenses of 

 the city" and limiting the current expenses to the 

 amount of the income for any one fiscal year (Article II, 

 Section 52); "to borrow money on the credit of the city 

 and issue bonds therefor for permanent public improve- 

 ments." Article II, Section 53. 



The above provisions of the charter of the city of San Antonio are 

 typical of powers of cities governed under the commission plan in so far as 

 they relate to parks and recreation. There are, of course, many variations 

 among the charters of cities governed under this plan. 



Under Federal Plan of Government 



"In each city there shall be a department of public 

 service which shall be administered by a director of 

 public service. The director of public service shall be an 

 elector of the city, shall be appointed by the mayor and 

 shall serve until his successor is appointed and qualified. 

 He shall make rules and regulations for the administra- 

 tion of the affairs under his supervision. The director of 693. 

 public service shall manage municipal water, lighting, 



The following chapters (IX and XVIII) of the charter of the city of 

 Detroit are given in full as illustrating the method of handling parks and 

 recreation in a federal plan governed city. Detroit also presents an example 

 of a functional division of the general field of parks and recreation in that 

 the Department of Parks and the Department of Recreation is each a full 

 department of the city government. 



heating, power, garbage and other undertakings of the 

 city, parks, baths, playgrounds, market houses, ceme- 

 teries, crematories, sewage disposal plants and farms, 

 and shall make and preserve surveys, maps, plans, 

 drawings and estimates." Ohio Municipal Code, sixth 

 edition, Sections 4323 and 4326 respectively, pages 692, 



Commissioner of Parks and Boulevards 

 Section I. Appointment of commissioner. There shall 

 be a commissioner of parks and boulevards who shall be 

 appointed by the mayor, and who shall have charge of 

 the Department of Parks and Boulevards. 



Section 2. Qualifications, term of office, vacancies, com- 

 pensation. No person shall be eligible to appointment 

 who is not a citizen of the United States and a resident 

 of the city. The commissioner may be removed by 

 the mayor at any time without cause assigned. Any 

 vacancy in the office shall be filled by the mayor. The 

 compensation of the commissioner shall not be less than 

 five thousand dollars per annum. 



Section 3. Officers and Employees. The commissioner 

 shall appoint a secretary, and, in accordance with the 

 provisions of the charter, relative to civil service, such 

 superintendents, engineers, clerks and other subordi- 

 nates as may be necessary. He shall prescribe the 

 duties of such secretary, superintendents, engineers, 



clerks and ether subordinates, and shall, subject to the 

 approval of the common council, fix their compen- 

 sations. 



Section- 4. Accounts and records. The commissioner 

 shall cause to be kept proper accounts and a record of 

 the proceedings of his department. All accounts, records 

 and proceedings of the department shall be public. 



Sections. General powers and duties. The power and 

 duties of the commissioner, which shall be exercised and 

 performed in pursuance hereof and in accordance with 

 the general ordinances of the city, shall be as follows: 



(a) He shall control and manage all parks, public 

 grounds, except as otherwise provided, and boulevards, 

 including bridges to Bellelsle Parkand their approaches. 



(b) Shall erect, repair and maintain all buildings and 

 structures necessary for the use of the department or 

 provided under its supervision for the use of the public. 



(c) Shall macadamize or pave and keep in repair all 

 roadways in the parks and the boulevards of the city. 



