Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - November 2, 2005 K-03AGENDA 1Tm Kovo:S CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION TM AGENDA TITLE: Adopt resolution approving the Policy and Procedure Guidelines for Naming of Parks, Recreation Facilities and Park Features (PR) MEETING DATE: November 2, 2005 PREPARED BY: Parks and Recreation Director RECORMENDED ACTION: That the City Council adopt a resolution approving the Policy and Procedure Guidelines for Naming of Parks, Recreation Facilities and Park Features. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: In February 1990 Eric Whitaker, Administrative Assistant to then City Manager Tom Peterson, completed a report that analyzed the subject of naming public places, parks and buildings. The study was precipitated by the City of Lodi Parks and Recreation Commission's interest in determining the City's policy with respect to naming parks, recreation facilities and parks features. The report described past practices of the City of Lodi, evaluated sample policies of other cities, made a policy recommendation, and offered a suggested policy draft to be presented to the Commission. The draft policy was presented to the Commission on March 6, 1990, by past Director Ron Williamson and was unanimously approved and adopted as written. The policy and procedure guidelines, however, were never formally presented to and/or ratified by the Lodi City Council — an action that most other cites have followed and one that is consistent with City of Lodi protocol. The objectives of the 1990 Guidelines were threefold: 1. To establish a uniform policy and procedure regarding the naming of parks, recreation facilities, and parks features. 2. To facilitate the prompt naming of such facilities so that they would be readily identified and would reflect on the history and geography of our local community. 3. To encourage public participation in the naming of such facilities and, as well, the dedication of land or funds by individuals or groups for public use who wish to perpetuate a name of their choice. Over the years since 1990, the Commission has executed the procedures outlined in the originally authored policy in a variety of ways_ Some were done by subjective interpretation of the Commission while others, such as Katzakian Park, were taken to the City Council for formal approval and/or adoption. But it was still apparent that some recommendations were required to go to Council for approval, while others were only taken to Council as a courtesy notification. APPROVED: ��— Blair King, rty Manager Adopt resoWion approving the Policy and Procedure Guidelines for Naming of Parks, Recreation Facilities and Party Features (PR) J uty B, 2005 Page 2 After carefully reviewing the policy and procedures guidelines that were formerly approved by the Commission, staff concluded that revisions to the policy were necessary, as was the need to formally adopt policy and procedure guidelines by Council resolution. The revised policy was taken to the Commission at the April 5, 2005, meeting. The Commission recommended additional changes to the text and asked that the revised and corrected document be brought back to them for approval. The newly worded policy and procedures guidelines were unanimously approved by the Commission at the June 7, 2005 meeting, and staff was advised to forward the policy to Council for action and approval. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact as a result of this action. FUNDING: None .. Tony C_ ng 0-1 Parks and Recreation Director Prepared by: Sieve Dutra, Park Superintendent TCGISD:tl Attachment cc: City Aforney Park Superintendent NAMING OF PUBLIC PLACES, PARKS. AND BUILDINQS INTRODUCTION The City of Lodi Parks and Recreation Commission has recently expressed an interest in determining what the City's policy is with respect to the naming of public places, parks, and bu#Iings. Concumng with the need to establish a City policy to address this area, the Parks and Recreation Director and City Manager have requested that this topic be studied and a formal policy be developed. This report seeks to describe the past practices of the City of Lodi, evaluate sample policies of other cities, make a policy recommendation, and offer a suggested policy draft. AMALYSIS The City of Lodi does not have a formal policy currently for the naming of public places, parks, and bulidings. Names already given to facilities have come about for a variety of reasons, such as: A. Q C. In Recognkion of Individuals — honoring persons prominent in the history of Lodi or who contributed significantly to either the public parks system or the City overall. Examples include: Beckman Park Blakely Park Glaves Park Lawrence Park Zupo Field Carnegie Forum McLane Substation Henning Substation Pixley Park Hale Park Emerson Park Van Buskirk Park Salas Park Blakely-Enze Pool Killilea Substation Hughes Combustion Turbine Project DeBenedetti Park Functional Description — facility name simply states its purpose without any further description. Examples include: City Hall Municipal Service Center Public Safely Building Public Library Geo caog� hit Desai ion — facility name is given with reference to its location only. Examples include: Westside Park Century Park Vinewood Park English Oaks Park Lodi Lake Park Lodi Lake Wilderness Area Hutchins Street Square White Slough W.P.C.F. Candy Cane Park — noting its small, child -like size Kofu Park — honoring one of our Sister Cities I Minn Park — hnnorinn a Intal nrnani7atinn nrnminpnt in its dpvpinnmpnt Given this pattern, a new City facility could be named for virtually any reason and not diverge significantly from past practice. Several cities were surveyed to determine what their policies were with respect to naming facieties_ Their practices can be summarized as follows: Arghe�m — Neighborhood parks adjacent to schools are named after the school to avoid confusion. Those not adjacent are named after a native plant or tree of California. Community parks, regardless of location, are named after significant leaders and events in the history of Anaheim. Names are limited to the deceased. Suitable names are solicited through an essay contest by school children in the general area of the park to be named. This is a policy of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Fresno — Residents may request that a City facility be named or renamed by submitting a writlan request to the City Manager. The City Manager relays this to the City Council, who reviews and approves or denies the request. If approved, a public hearing is set and the requesting resident must submit a written report supporting the request to the City Council. The notice of the public hearing is advertised, and public input at the hearing is considered prior to making a Council decision. A Council decision to name or rename a facility is implemented by the adoption of an appropriate resolution. This is a general city policy and covers all facilities. — First priority is to give parks names with geographical or historical significance. Neighborhood parks adjacent to schools may be named after the school; neighborhood parks not adjacent to schools may be named after bordering streets or after the name of the subdivision or neighborhood. Parks, recreational facilities, or special features within a park may be named after persons living or deceased if the above reasons do not apply or would cause confusion, if there is a special historical significance associated with that person, if this person made an outstanding and unusual contribution to the park and recreation system of the City, or if substantial donations of land and/or money had been made to parks and recreational purposes and the donor stipulates a name as being a condition of the donation. The names of civic groups or organizations contributing significantly to park and/or recreational facilities may also be considered. Written requests are referred to the Recreation and Parks Director, who submits such to the Recreation and Parks Commission for review and recommendation prior to submission to the City Council for final action. S rampnto — Based on citizen input referred by the Recreation and Parks Department, the City Council determines park names. The policy through practice includes the following reasons for selecting names: persons, usually deceased, who have contributed to the growth and development of the City and/or the City parks system; regionally or nationally recognized individuals; subdivisions and/or neighborhoods; adjacent schools; historically significant names of persons or events; major streets serving as park access; or descriptive terms for a particular ethnic group. III. SLIMMARY Several clear patterns emerge which suggest guidelines for the naming of City facilities, although it is generally the case that the naming of parks is a separate process from the naming of other City facilities. Since this analysis was done due to the coneems of the City of Lodi Paries and Recreation Commission, the remainder of this analysis will focus on the naming of paries, recreational facilities, and special features within paries. Some of these repeating patterns include: A. Citizen input, written requests, initial review by Paries and Recreation Department staff, submission to the Paries and Recreation Commission, and final action by the City Council; B. Use of the names of adjacent schools, r; r 1.%p of ether nenoranhic Matt irfm- D_ Use of the names of pennons or organizations living or deceased who have contributed significantly to the City or its parks and recreation programs; and E. A provision to rename a facility in the future. These patterns are fairly similar to how the naming process has occurred in the City of Lodi despite the lack of a written policy. Specific gukk*nes would be helpful by reducing confusion, helping to obtain consensus with citizen input, speeding the naming process, and promoting an orderly and fair process. MMIW!Z1 • Bwed on the results of this analysis, and in light of patterns noted in a variety of California cities, it is recommended that the City of Lodi Parks and Recreation Commission adopt the attached policy with respect to the naming of parks, recreation facilities, and park features. Other City of Lodi facilities, probably less frequently in need of a written naming policy, should be considered separately. PARKS COMMISSION POLICY AND PROCEDURE GUIDELINES Z)/?44 J�-r Subject: Naming or Renaming of Parks, Recreation Facillbes, and Parks Features OBJECTIVE A. To establish a uniform policy and procedure regarding the naming or renaming of parks, recreation facilities, and parks features. B. To facilitate the prompt naming of such facilities so they will be readily identified and will reflect on the history and geography of our local community. C. To encourage public participation in the naming of such facilities, and as well, the dedication of land or funds by individuals or groups for public use who wish to perpetuate a name of their choice. 1t. PQJIQy A. Neighborhood parks adjacent to public schools may be named similarly. B. Neighborhood paries not adjacent to schools, major parks, recreation facilities, and special features within parks such as playgrounds, picnic areas, sports fields, structures, groves of trees, etc. may be named for the following: 1. Geographic features, such as adjacent streets, neighborhoods, plants or trees, lakes or rivers, etc. 2. Events or persons of historical significance. 3. Individuals, living or deceased, or organizations of local significance bearing a relationship to the City of Lodi or its parks and recreation system. Generally this relationship is noted by outstanding and unusual contributions to the community in terms of leadership, involvement, or substantial and significant donations of land and/or funds. III. PROCEDURE A. Citizen input and/or written requests shall be directed to the Parks and Recreation Director to initiate the process of naming ar renaming a City park, recreation facility or park feature. B. The Parks and Recreation Director shall receive and review potential names submitted for a new City park, recreation facility or park feature. Upon review, the Parks and Recreation Director shall forward all requests and/or submissions made to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Jointly, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Parks and Recreation Director will determine the appropriate means of soliciting public input, if deemed necessary, in naming the park, recreation facility or park feature. Such may include, but not necessarily be limited to, advertising in a local newspaper, inviting citizens to participate in the naming process or convening an ad hoc committee composed of representatives of various sectors of the community. A deadline date for submission of names shall be 45 days from the date the Parks and Recreation Commission determine to proceed with public input. Notification of a public hmrinn will hp nnctncl in rmmnlian[-A- with the Rrown Art C. The Parks and Recreation Director shall receive these written suggestions and refer a masier list of proposed names to the Parks and Recreation Commission following a determined deadline for submissions. D. The Parks and Recreation Commission shall review the proposed names and the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Director. The Parks and Recreation Commission shall then recommend the name deemed the most appropriate and forward its recommendation to the City Council for final consideration and/or approval and adoption of an appropriate resolution. RESOLUTION NO. 2005-236 A RESOLUTION OF THE LODI CITY COUNCIL APPROVING THE POLICY AND PROCEDURE GUIDELINES FOR NAMING OF PARKS, RECREATION FACILITIES, AND PARKS FEATURES NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Lodi City Council does hereby approve the Policy and Procedure Guidelines for Naming of Parks, Recreation Facilities, and Parks Features, as attached hereto marked Exhibit A. Dated: November 2, 2005 I hereby certify that Resolution No. 2005-236 was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Lodi in a regular meeting held November 2, 2005, by the foAowing vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS — Hansen, Johnson, and Mounce NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS — Hitchcock and Mayor Beckman ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None SUSAN J. BLAC TON City Clerk 2005-236 EXHIBIT A PARKS COMMISSION POLICY AND PROCEDURE GUIDELINES Subject: Naming or Renaming of Parks, Recreation Facilities, and Parks Features I. OBJECTIVE A. To establish a uniform policy and procedure regarding the naming or renaming of parks, recreation facilities, and parks features. B. To facilitate the prompt naming of such facilities so they will be readily identified and will reflect on the history and geography of our local community. C. To encourage public participation in the naming of such facilities, and as well, the dedication of land or funds by individuals or groups for public use who wish to perpetuate a name of their choice. 11. POLICY A. Neighborhood parks adjacent to public schools may be named similarly. B. Neighborhood parks not adjacent to schools, major parks, recreation facilities, and special features within parks such as playgrounds, picnic areas, sports fields, structures, groves of trees, etc. may be named for the following: Geographic features, such as adjacent streets, neighborhoods, plants or trees, lakes or rivers, etc. 2. Events or persons of historical significance. 3. Individuals, living or deceased, or organizations of local significance bearing a relationship to the City of Lodi or its parks and recreation system. Generally this relationship is noted by outstandng and unusual contributions to the community in terms of leadership, involvement, or substantial and significant donations of land and/or funds. III. PROCEDURE A. Citizen input and/or written requests shall be directed to the Parks and Recreation Director to initiate the process of naming or renaming a City park, recreation facility or park feature. B. The Parks and Recreation Director shall receive and review potential names submitted for a new City park, recreation facility or park feature. Upon review, the Parks and Recreation Director shall forward all requests and/or submissions made to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Jointly, the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Parks and Recreation Director will determine the appropriate means of soliciting public input, if deemed necessary, in naming the park, recreation facility or park feature. Such may include, but not necessarily be limited to, advertising in a local newspaper, inviting citizens to participate in the naming process or convening an ad hoc committee composed of representatives of various sectors of the community. A deadline date for submission of names shall be 45 days from the date the Parks and Recreation Commission determine to proceed with public input. Notification of a public hearing will be posted in compliance with the Brown Act_ C. The Parks and Recreation Director shall receive these written suggestions and refer a master list of proposed names to the Parks and Recreation Commission following a determined deadline for submissions. D. The Parks and Recreation Commission shall review the proposed names and the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Director. All other factors being equal, priority shall be given to private citizens. The Parks and Recreation Commission shall then recommend the name(s) deemed the most appropriate and forward its recommendation(s) to the City Council for final consideration and/or approval and adoption of an appropriate resolution.