City Channel Pittsburgh, PA CityTalk with John McIntire: Season Four, 9 Sep 2021

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From YouTube: CityTalk with John McIntire: Ross Chapman & Brandon D'Alimonte

Description

On this episode of CityTalk, John interviews Ross Chapman from the Department of Parks & Recreation and Brandon D'Alimonte from the Office of Special Events.

A

Welcome to city talk where we try to figure out what goes on around here all day when.

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I say around here I mean the city, county building and other facilities run by the city.

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Of pittsburgh. say hello to the director of parks and rec who joins us,, as you can see, via zoom ross.

A

Chapman ross welcome to the program.

B

Thanks john nice to be here.: oh pittsburgh.! So how long have you been director of parks and rec.

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I think it's been about four years: now.

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Interestingly, enough,, it's probably almost exactly four years, since.

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Mayor to the administration asked me to kind of move down from another department and come.

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Into parks and rec and help out so it's about almost exactly four years, now.

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Well, as you know, now, I work for the department of innovation and performance, but I did work.

A

For parks and rec- and I was wondering- was the single biggest most momentous, fantastic.

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Genius decision you ever made to take me up,, retire me.

B

That was one that was one of the most significant decisions I ever made my entire life john.

B

Yes, yes, it was ok and then the decision to get rid of me a year later was even smarter.

A

B

More appropriately, as best designed for you so that you're interviewing me and it makes.

B

Perfect sense that you're doing that role and I'm doing whatever it is that I do it.

B

All comes full circle will send you that you do.

B

Oh, good question. yeah,, that's it,, that's a tricky one kind of in a way, as it relates to public perception.

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I mean parks and recreation, so the first thing you think of is that we would manage park.

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Shelters and open space green space, we might take care of trash cans of litter and all the rest..

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We don't do that. That falls under the department of public works, they're kind of the park maintenance.

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Individuals. they look after these physical assets, the facilities, the parks and swimming pools are.

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Department by department parks and recreation,, also known as city parks,, a lot of people.

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Know parks and rec and city parks..

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I think it's been kind of code names, since maybe the 70s. It's had that other kind of.

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Monitor. we are people in programs and the mayor likes to say that that we do things that are involved.

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People in program, so in a normal kind of non covert summer, which we almost had this year.

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Typically peak season summer, we have people in about 5055 facilities or swimming pools.

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And spray parks and senior centers and recreation, centers and food programs and and what have.

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You., so we administer programs for seniors, kids, youth meal, programs, recreation, education.

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We have a new contract to tech technology, program.

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Wonderful coordinator max destin kind of operates and manages that program, so we do a lot of.

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Stuff, but it's all interfacing directly with the public and providing services and support.

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And programs and activities.

A

That was a real shame that the senior centers had to shut down for all that time, because.

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You know a lot of people sort of consider the people at their particular center, their.

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Family. are people making it back in or because of the variant do you have to wait still or.

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Well, we, you know we had to kind of follow the, the guidance from the state, of course,.

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Was etc, and then that comes out through the kind of department of aging at the state level.

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And through the allegheny county area agency on aging, or one of the funders.

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Supports our senior program., so we opened our four focal point: senior center south side market house, homewood senior center.

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Sheridan senior center and the greenfield healthy, active, living,, senior center.

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We open those up about a month ago, this past monday, a week from today on august, 2.

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We opened up all but to others, the northeast heights senior center and our morningside.

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Senior center aren't yet opened.. We've had some attrition with staffing during kobe, so we're trying to staff up, put things.

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Back in place, we're not opened at full capacity at any of our facilities, really, with the exception.

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Of the eight swimming pools outdoor swimming pools that we were able to open and operate this year.

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So we're still going to grab and go meals for seniors. That means that they come in,.

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There's no congress new activity., but we do have some kind of in person. Programming, that's going on, this delta, very sinister.

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And it's all for a loop things are changing really quickly. So, who knows what that means.

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For you know next week and beyond. yeah, at the beginning of the day I thought we'd be meeting in person, and here we are.

A

Zooming., how have you continue to cope with kobe, personally.

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It's been,, it's been interesting, john, and it's interesting when you're sitting across.

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The dining room table from your, your spouse,, your partner and your,, your daughter in first.

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Grade city has for you to and everybody's on, a laptop and you do that. For,.

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I don't know 14 months or whatever it was,. I don't know.

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so,, um you know, as the vaccine became available, and people start to go out,, at least in our.

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County and start to get vaccinated,, you can see the numbers drop. You know this variants.

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Thrown us all for a loop, but it's been challenging. You know, there's been,, you know, back to our senior centers are some centers that we've lost a.

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Couple dozen members do to coven., so we had vaccination campaigns. Once the vaccine became available. We were working closely with,.

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With the county and other health providers to get people vaccinated, but there's been,.

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It's been, it's been sad times for a lot of people, and it's been very trying time so now that seniors and and kids are kind of back for some in person, programming.

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With some limitations on capacity, people are, you know, they're just enthralled to be.

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Back but we have to be very careful.

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so,, we you know we're not really ready to open up the doors, kind of full swing for.

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Everyone just to come back in,, it's just too soon.

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If you look at the data from even a month ago, perspective the transmission cases versus.

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Where we're at today it looks very different,, right.

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so, hopefully,, you know,, we can get back into the school year with everything being in person.

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Universities coming back online,, it's going to be interesting.

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I think this next month, so we're gonna,, I'm gonna cross my fingers and hope that you know.

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We can get through the next couple of months, okay and ease into winter, without any severe.

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Spike, but we'll see.

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Yeah,, that would be nice if it plays out that way., because I know the mayor was speaking publicly the other day that if we don't get better.

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Soon it could go from bad to worse in october,, so I guess we'll see.

A

So how did you become interested in working in government and working in parks and rec.

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So I used to I'm going to kind of came through. There was a, like a transition thing just.

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For a few months before I ended up at the city here I was about 11 years now in the.

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City of pittsburgh, I was hired as a supervisor and another kind of a trust fund.

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Program area which deals with workforce development for see for city residents, not really for.

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City personnel,, it's under hr, it's the pittsburgh partnership. It's the summer, youth, employment.

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Program learning, learning program, neighborhood employment, centers.

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And programs for people that are on public assistance.

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So I did that for, you know, six or seven years I was promoted to assistant director.

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Having always worked in kind of a nonprofit sector, having worked, kind of position before.

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This was in carnegie, mellon software engineering institute,, it's kind of a private public sector.

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Kind of it's not the same as municipal government, working for.

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A nonprofit that children's museums are wonderful, jobs are kind of a little bit more.

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They're very people focused jobs right, so this this appealed to me because it was very.

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Outwardly facing it was direct supportive residents and what I'm doing now and.

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My role in parks and rec is, is that it's it's just I mean that's the foundation of.

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All that I do is to support the internal operations and my team,, but it's all in supportive city.

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Residents and services for them, so it seems like it's what I've always.

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Done in some way shape or form,, having only worked for maybe a private organization for.

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Once or twice in my life, so it's been a natural fit..

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It's been a good fit.

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Um, did any of the federal money that was granted the cities in the not too distant.

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Past of make its way to parks and rec.

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Well, we're hoping to see some of the american rescue plan monies impact, some of our kind.

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Of deferred maintenance and some of the facilities, improvement, work.

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You know,, we had. We were kind of in this arena where we could get some of our staff. People.

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People that were working kind of on the front, lines,, delivering meals to seniors kind of.

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An incentive pay very small and only for a couple months, but that helped.

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It kind of gave a nod to the work that they were doing because quite honestly,, it was,.

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I think it was march 13. I could be wrong of 2020.

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When the stay home order came in,, it might have been the following monday. Technically.

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The 16th, but by that thursday, the 19th, if that was the 19th,, we were,, we had meal programs.

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In place for seniors and kids, since the start of the pandemic, you know roughly.

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March 16 of 2020.

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We might have given over three quarters of a million meals,, maybe more than that now.

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To seniors and kids so we're, we're going to continue this grab and go meal thing for.

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For seniors. we're going to probably do the same for for children, and we're probably going to hit.

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The million mark for meal distribution.

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During a coed period, so don't remember what your question was: specifically,.

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But we've been doing a lot of stuff, a lot of things, in, in,, in any way that we can support.

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Area residents, but it's been challenging because there's been no real face to face interaction.

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But,, you know, the foundation of what we do and it's it's something I think I already.

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Mentioned,, this is that the mayor points out is like ross. I don't want you to worry about.

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Brick and mortar stuff, I don't want you to worry about grass,. I do have to worry about that stuff. Sorry, mr. mayor,, but I but I do,. I want you to focus on people.

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And programs and that's what we do so I mean I work for my team. I work for the people that.

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Work for us. and it's just to give them,, hopefully some of the tools and resources that they need.

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So they can, they can provide good services and support for residents.

A

Sounds like you really like your job? Well, would you recommend career in government for.

A

Folks, just getting out of school?.

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Yeah, absolutely. there's no doubt about it, and you know we're, we're actively recruiting. As I mentioned, we.

B

Had some attrition during cobra, just natural things.

B

I'm trying to elevate the conversation just in around pay scales and those kinds of things.

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It's everyone's focused right nationally. Everyone knows that in order to attract and retain.

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Qualified individuals and give people a decent living wage, you have to,, you got to pay him a decent living wage for them to have a decent living. Right.

B

So, um,, I think that the rewards and working within kind of municipal government, at least.

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Respective to what I do and the people that I've been fortunate to work with.

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Mayor for the you know on time, down, so to speak, is, um,. Now I have a really good sense.

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Of family here, there's like a really good community of people that are, that work really.

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Hard- and I don't think that's always transparent- I don't think people always.

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Look at government, you know, civil servants is hard working individuals,, I'm sure a lot.

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Do but there's a lot of hard working people here I put myself in that arena.

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It's rewarding and fulfilling., you feel like there's some tangible benefit for it and if I talked to.

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Most of the people that I work with my colleagues, my peers,, they all feel the same way and some.

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Of staff, people that I work with have been on it for decades, they've, been here for.

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A long time doing this kind of work,, because it's so meaningful to that, so I would definitely.

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Consider this before some of those for profit entities,, I think it's rewarding in a different.

B

A

I know you're busy and I told you I keep it short and sweet so we'll leave it at that..

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John's pleasure, to talk to you again pleasure to see you.

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hope to see you in person soon take good care exactly in person. That's the goal.

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Thanks for joining., so we'll see it sooner or later.

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When we come back, we'll meet somebody from special events, so stay with us.

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Welcome back to city talk,, let's head over to the office of special events and say hello.

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To brandon d'alimonte., I'm on tape that grounds that, to named correctly brandon.

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yeah,, that was pretty good. So what most people say,, I usually delmonte, like the pineapples.

C

So,, that's pretty annoying deal amount is much more, you know regal and groovy sounding.

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Then delmonte,, which sounds like a nice, and I'm just used to I'm, used to.

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It at this point, so as long as it's close, I just go with it.

A

Okay, good. so you're in the office of special events. I bet a lot of people aren't even aware of the myriad of events that the city puts on,. Tell us about,, you know, some of the stuff.

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You're involved in. yeah,, that's true.

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So some of our bigger programs include the cinema in the parks,, which we do pretty much.

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Six nights a week throughout the summer, months,, sometimes seven nights a week depending on.

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The location,, and also our farmers market program,, which.

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Starts in may and ends in november,. Those are probably the two of the bigger ones,. The.

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Biggest, like the the biggest day of events that we.

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Do would be like our great race event, which takes place.

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the last weekend in september.

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over friday saturday sunday,, including the gregory's expo that we have with the david.

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Lawrence convention, center. and, yeah, a myriad of other things, so we have offices in the park. Car crews coming.

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Up, we have several five k's, including the historic hill,, as well as run around the square.

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Coming up. and we're even still doing some things virtually like our brookline breeze. So we've had a pretty.

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Full roster this summer,, despite getting a late start, so is the car cruises and ball.

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People with the older cool cars sort of gathering in one place and then.

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Everybody can look at one another's equipment., yeah, it's,, it's open to everybody and all makes and models.

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So so yeah we try to keep it as inclusive as possible. As far as that, goes.

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How did you become interested in special events and they're doing everything that is necessary.

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To put them on what my background is in marketing, I went to high up graduated with a degree.

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In marketing I worked in tv for a little bit and I worked in radio,.

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And it was really in radio where I kind of got into setting up remote broadcasts and.

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Kind of, that was really my first introduction to events,. If you will,, as small as that is.

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Compared to what I do now., but doing that kind of audio work, got me started part time with the office of special.

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Events doing their audio visual for the mayor's press conferences,, as well as the movies in.

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The park different bands in the park. and yeah,, so I was able to start part time back in 2017 and did that for about six months.

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And ended up being offered a full time position as a program coordinator in 2018, and here.

C

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And if I remember correctly,, you're originally from johnstown, but your first immediate job.

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When you were, broadcasting was in hawaii, of all places.

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Well, when I started in tv, it was for fox affiliate in johnstown.

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Okay, and then I did accept a position in honolulu for a group of radio stations, based.

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On oahu and they also had stations on maui and hawaii as well so yeah. That was very interesting.

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Time, for sure.

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And I asked you how you got the job in hawaii.

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You said you apply. so apparently there's,, there's not that much talent on the island and not everybody wants.

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To move to hawaii,, even though it sounds ideal.

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yeah,, it was interesting, what they were doing during the pandemic of it actually offering.

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People, you know, to come work there remotely,, because there is a lack of talent,. I would.

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Say on the island,, a lot of people go there,. They get their degree from.

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The university of hawaii,, which is a big university,, and then they go back home,, so they don't.

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Have a lot of people there with college degrees, and doing doing the marketing that I was doing.

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For the radio stations,, which ended up becoming a lot of remote.

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Stuff, as well. yeah,, they were definitely starving for talent in that area.

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And I even worked, I interned in new york, city.

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When I was in college, and I applied the jobs there, I apply to jobs even out here in pittsburgh,.

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Was a lot more competitive to, to find a position than it was in in hawaii,.

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Like you said,, that's exactly what it was, you know, I applied and they call it and seemed.

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Like a opportunity, I couldn't pass up so I'm, um,. So what was life like in hawaii? I'm very.

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Envious, I was there once for a week. I can't imagine expensive.

A

C

But, I mean, it was great.

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You know I didn't have a car, so I took public transportation everywhere, but even, you know,.

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The beach was only a 30 minute, walk away.

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and you could drive around that whole, the whole island of water..

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What about two hours? So you can really get anywhere by bus in a pretty short amount of.

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Time so it was a lot of fun.

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very different compared to anything else. I have ever done, even including when I lived.

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In new york, city,, which also very expensive.

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but, but yeah, that was quite an experience.

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Have you ever visit maui?.

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I've been to maui yes,, and it is as beautiful as one imagines.

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Of course, yeah I mean I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the islands.

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Some of them are more commercialized than others,. Maui is a much more laid back and.

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Really the paradise, I think what people think of when they think of hawaii,. It's it's most.

C

A

And finally, did you eat ham and pineapple pizza.

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Yeah I eat. I still eat that here.

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So, to this point, I'm still eating here is you know it can be very controversial. Some.

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People believe pineapple is not true.

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I'm a believer. as you and you and I know that pineapple doesn't even belong there. Pizza.

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You know what, pineapple and jalapeno., that's actually a secret. secret. secret, not many know. About.

A

So how did you,? What did you do during covid??

A

Did you sort of canceled a lot of events and plan ones for when you thought we'd be out.

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C

Yeah., unfortunately, we did have to cancel a lot of events,, which you know everybody did,. It.

C

Was no different here, right.

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We were able to keep our farmers markets going.

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So we ended up working two days a week from home, and then we three, three or four days.

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A week we were in the parks. he's liberty, carrick, north side, and our squirrel hill market,. Four days a week, we were out.

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Doing those, and there was. it's completely different mode of operations for us as far as the safety aspect of it and.

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The load outs we had to do and all that all the precautions we had to take setting up.

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And it was something I had never been involved with our farmers markets. We have a coordinator.

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That's assigned to those specifically, and I know more about farmers markets now than.

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I've ever wanted to my entire life, but it was nice that we were able to.

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Still do,, you know, bring some events to the city including..

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We did a lot of virtual stuff as well.. Suddenly people may have been familiar with, but when you say you know a lot about it like.

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How to get ahold of the farmers and who's going to bring what and yet, when corn comes in at a different time of year, then the rest of your fruits.

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And vegetables, even vegetables come in before fruits. Do so the different times a year.

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People want to know why other,, why isn't this here, and why is that here and it's, you know,.

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So I know more about that stuff now than I ever thought I would so was attendance down.

A

During colbert, or were people so anxious to go somewhere, do something that.

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It didn't affect.

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You know,, I think at first people were cautious,, you know,, they weren't, really sure and once.

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They came out and saw how we were handling it, and it really was a safe environment for.

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People the way that we, the way that we set it up.

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People came out in droves and we actually those were very well attended throughout the.

C

A

So if you wanted to do you think this qualifies you for to be an event, planner.

A

That's basically what we are right so yeah. So I mean this. The pandemic really changed.

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The way we did things and yeah I mean there's a lot of good experience, even getting more.

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Into the virtual side of things, and, like I said with the safety and regulations.

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That were coming out and we were able to adapt it shout out to emily warren, who was actually.

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Our farmers market coordinator, who did a lot of the heavy lifting for the, for the program.

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So she really made she really made it work well, so.

A

And I know you were able to bring back at least for a few occasions: bach, beethoven.

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And brunch, where everybody from a local band to the pittsburgh symphony orchestra entertains.

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People on sunday, mornings. yeah, that event is great.

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We actually had we've had record turnouts at most of our events this summer. I think people were ready to get out and do something and yeah that bach, beethoven brunch.

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We just did the last one on sunday yesterday morning. I guess it was.

C

So that's over for the year, but our reservoir of jazz concert series in highland park.

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You can catch that every sunday through august from five to 7pm.

B

That was that record record turnouts as well. That's in that's in highland park, right by.

C

A

C

A

Awesome. but that's a lot of our know because I used to mc some of the bach, beethoven and brent's.

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Those kind of cute things that I'm sure the jazz concert as well.

A

there's a lot of work involved in setting up booths and chairs and the people to tell.

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People where to go when people have questions. yeah,, not a lot of people realize that either you know we work in the office eight to five,.

C

Five days a week, and then we're out in the parks, you know and nights.

C

And weekends,, whether it's a movie,, whether it's setting up the bands.

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We obviously, like our department, handles the sound setup as well for a lot of the bands.

C

So so yeah there's definitely a lot that goes into into it, and a lot of people just see the finished product and not the behind the scenes stuff.

C

But but there is a lot that, that definitely goes into it. So.

A

So sounds like you, like your job.

C

Yeah,, this is something I never thought I'd be doing.

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I applied for a part time position here and ended up in a role. I never thought I'd be.

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In., it's really the perfect blend to have my experience and my interests. With.

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I love partnering with local businesses to put on different events,, whether that's through.

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Sponsorship, or, you know, in kind gifts to help promote it to bring different things.

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To different parts of the city., it's just I love it, it's fantastic so., and would you recommend a career in government service.

A

Yeah,, I mean,, you definitely have to have a passion for the public sector. I guess and.

C

Serving your community., it's not for everybody, but coming from the private sector and the kind of soul sucking.

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Work, you can end up in doing there..

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This is a little more rewarding for me, so I definitely enjoy it..

C

So you did manage to retain a portion of your soul and it wasn't completely sucked out. That's.

A

That's yeah, I'm still here.

A

yeah. awesome.. Somebody should like embedded device to prevent yourself from being sucked.

A

I don't know if that's possible.