1 STAFF REPORT
PARKS AND
RECREATION
DATE: January 25, 2022
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Marisa Garcia, Park, Recreation, and Community Services Director VIA: Grace Coronado-Cervantes, Administrative Officer
BY: Cindy Yee Akuin, Administrative Analyst II
SUBJECT: Consideration of Renaming the City of Burbank Verdugo Recreation Center in Honor of Former City Manager Mary Alvord
RECOMMENDATION
Approve renaming the Verdugo Recreation Center to the Mary Alvord Recreation Center and make the findings required by Burbank Municipal Code section 2-1-1804(A).
BACKGROUND
At the January 14, 2021 Parks and Recreation (P&R) Board (Board) meeting and at the request of former Board Member Mickey DePalo, the Board considered, discussed, and deliberated the renaming of the Verdugo Recreation Center facility to the Mary Alvord Recreation Center. The Board unanimously recommended the Naming of Public Facilities Application/Nomination for submission to the Council for consideration (Attachment 1).
In accordance with the Naming of Public Facilities Ordinance (Ordinance), Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) §§2-1-1801 – 2-1-1805 (Attachment 2):
“a request or proposal for the dedication, naming or renaming of a City facility initiated by the City Council or any City Board or Commission may be submitted anytime by notifying the City Clerk of such proposal. Upon receipt of the report and recommendation of the appropriate board, the City Clerk shall set the matter for City Council consideration.”
The Ordinance establishes policies and procedures for identifying those public facilities within the City of Burbank appropriate for dedication, naming, or renaming in honor of individuals who have made significant contributions to society. The two c riteria and required City Council findings for naming of public facilities established in the Ordinance, BMC § 2-1-1804(A), include:
2 “(1) the individual has made a significant contribution to Burbank, the State of California, the United States or the world, i n any area including, but not limited to health, education, civic involvement, housing, public service, employment, or the arts; and (2) such contribution has contributed to the general well-being of society.
The individual, whether living or dead, need no t be or have been a resident of Burbank, the State of California, or the United States.” Notably, it is up to the reviewing body’s discretion: “even if the Board and/or Council makes the findings detailed in BMC § 2- 1-1804(A), the board and/or Council may choose not to recommend or approve the proposed dedication, naming or renaming of a public facility. The Council’s decision is final and not subject to review.”
Pursuant to BMC § 2 -1-1802(E), eligible facilities for dedication, naming or renaming purposes include:
“any public structure, building, park, park feature, reservoir, overpass, street, wall, mural, plant, lawn, garden, plaque, statue or historical document. Ineligible facilities for dedication/naming/renaming purposes include City Hall, veterans’ memorials, and any facilities under the jurisdiction of another governing body.”
Notably, the naming and renaming of City streets follows a procedure specified in BMC §§7-3-1001 – 7-3-1004.
The Verdugo Recreation Center is located on the property of Verdugo Park at 3201 West Verdugo Avenue. The park and recreation center are named after the street location. As with many designations in the area, Verdugo Avenue bears its namesake after Jose Maria Verdugo, holder of the Rancho San Rafael land grant during California's Spanish and Mexican periods in 1784. In 1943, the property owner of a parcel of land on Verdugo Avenue offered to donate the City one acre of land to be used as a library or park.
Additionally, he also deeded approximately three acres and sold another four acres to the City. Improvements to this newly acquired eight-acre lot began immediately and in 1944 the City dedicated Verdugo Park. Additional improvements continued throughout the 1940’s, 1950’s, and 1960’s to include an assembly building, swimming pool, picnic areas, a recreation center with a gymnasium, playground, and a log cabin.
Today, Verdugo Park consists of the following amenities: recreation center, aquatic facility (named Verdugo Aquatic Facility), playground, picnic areas, tennis courts, log cabin, and lower assembly building. As described in BMC § 2- 1-1802(E) of the Ordinance, the Verdugo Recreation Center would be an eligible facility subject to renaming.
DISCUSSION
Ms. Alvord is a lifelong resident of the City of Burbank and had a career working for the City of Burbank spanning 38 years. She began her career in 1970 as a Junior Recreation Leader in the P&R Department and continued to promote. In 1991, she was appointed to the position of P&R Director and held this position for ten years. Remarkably, under her leadership, Ms. Alvord over saw several capital improvement projects. The projects included construction of the Burbank Tennis Center, roller hockey rink at Ralph Foy Park, Maple Street Playground, Earthwalk Park, Valley Park Skate Park , and Stough Canyon Nature Center . She also over saw the r enovations and improvements of George Izay 3 (Olive) Park ballfield, Burbank Center Stage, (Betsy Lueke) Creative Arts Center, Starlight Bowl, McCambridge Park, Joslyn Adult Center addition, Robert Gross Park, and Providencia Elementary School Soccer Field and Playground improvements.
From 2000 to 2003, Ms. Alvord served as the Assistant City Manager and in 2003 by a unanimous vote of City Council, she was appointed City Manager. Ms. Alvord was the first woman to hold the position of City Manager in Burbank ’s history. In February 2009, Ms. Alvord retired from the City of Burbank, but remain s active by serving on the Board of Directors for the Family Service Agency , and facilitates the Leadership Burbank Program.
Continually recognized for her dedication to public service and her commitment to the Burbank community, Ms. Alvord was inducted in the “Burbank Athletics Walk of Fame” (2007), awarded the Boys and Girls Club’s “Golden Achievement Award”, named “Woman of the Year” by State Senator Jack Scott (2004) and the Zonta Club (2007), received the Burbank Temporary Aid Center’s “Top Award for Citizenship”, honored by Woodbury University with the “Movers and Shapers Award”, and bestowed the Family Service Agency’s “Woman of Vision Award” (2007).
FISCAL IMPACT
The current request to rename the Verdugo Recreation Center will require installing new signage and plaques, updating marketing materials, and revising department directories to reflect the name change. Current facility signage outside of the California Street facing entrance includes raised letters denoting “Verdugo Park Recreation Center” and a dedication plaque at the second-story entrance of the gym also denoting “Verdugo Park Recreation Center.” The total cost to develop and finalize a design concept, fabricate, and install these new elements is estimated to be $10 ,000. This includes staffing costs associated with updat ing marketing materials, directories, website, and electronic information to reflect the name change.
The renaming costs cannot be absorbed in the P&R Department’s existing Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget. Should the Council approve the request to rename the facility, staff will include the budget request as part of the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget.
CONCLUSION
Staff concludes that the request for renaming Verdugo Recreation Center in honor of Mary Alvord meets the criteria set forth in the Ordinance. Staff supports the Board’s recommendation to rename the Verdugo Recreation Center in honor of Mary Alvord.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Naming of Public Facilities Application/Nomination Request Form Attachment 2 - Dedication, Naming or Renaming Ordinance