CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
February 5, 2024
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita Gutierrez, Acting City Manager
Submitted By: Mark Gluba, Assistant City Manager
Rene Guerrero, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF NAMING THE PALOMARES PARK COMMUNITY CENTER MAIN ROOM IN HONOR OF BELINDA FIERRO RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council approve the naming of the Palomares Park Community Center Main Room to the Belinda Fierro Community Room.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Parks and Recreation Commission received a request to name the Palomares Park Community Center Main Room in honor of Belinda Fierro, a former City employee and longtime Pomona resident. Belinda passed away on September 18, 2023, from injuries sustained in a traffic collision involving a drunk driver while driving with her son in Pomona on August 18, 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The naming of the Palomares Park Community Center Main Room will require installing new signage and plaques, along with the updating of marketing materials to reflect the name change. The total cost to develop and finalize a design concept, fabricate, and install these new elements is estimated to cost $3,000. This includes staffing costs associated with updating marketing materials, directories, website, and electronic information to reflect the name change. Funds are available in FY 2023-24 Operating Budget Account 101-4035-52430-00000.
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
On January 24, 2022, the City Council adopted an updated policy for naming of a City Facility.
DISCUSSION:
On November 16, 2023, the Parks and Recreation Commission (Commission) considered and discussed the naming of the Palomares Park Community Center Main Room to the Belinda Fierro Community Room, at the request of a community member. The Commission voted 6-0 to recommend the naming of the city facility nomination submission to the City Council for further consideration.
In accordance with the Policy for Naming of City Facility (Policy), a recreational amenity is defined as “a smaller, support facility that could be located within a park or is part of a recreation facility.” Notably, the selection of a name for any park, recreational facility, recreational amenity or other City-owned facility must meet the following:
“The name of an individual may be used, living or dead, providing that individual has contributed significantly to the quality of life for Pomona residents with 20 years or more of community service. The individual must be identified as a Pomona resident, a member of a Pomona service or organization, or employed with the city during his/her public service.” The procedures for the naming of any park, recreation facility, or recreational amenity located within a park must first be considered at a publicly noticed meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Recommendations for approval are submitted to the City Council for final approval. No community meeting is required, unless recommended by staff and approved by the Commission. The process of re-naming or naming a new park is a lengthier process, as it requires a minimum of two publicly noticed meetings of the Parks and Recreation Commission and a community meeting within the affected neighborhood or community to further provide the opportunity for public comment.
The Palomares Park Community Center is located on the property of Palomares Park at 499 East Arrow Highway. As described in the Policy, the Main Room is an eligible amenity subject to naming. Staff concludes that the request for naming the Palomares Park Main Room in honor of Belinda Fierro meets the criteria set forth in the Policy.
Belinda Fierro
Belinda Fierro was a longtime resident of the City of Pomona and raised her family in Pomona. Belinda was a public servant who worked for Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) for a number of years while her children attended PUSD schools. She also served on PUSD’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Belinda began her career with the City of Pomona in 2014 in Community Services as a Part-time Aide I and Part-time Office Assistant I. In 2021, she worked for the City of San Bernardino and returned to City of Pomona in 2022 as a Program Assistant for the Fleet Division in the Public Works Department. Belinda was also a contributing member of the Pomona Employee Appreciation Committee (PEAC), as she sincerely enjoyed planning events for the community and for City employees. On August 18, 2023, Belinda and her son were struck by a drunk driver while driving in Pomona. Belinda and her son sustained serious head injuries, and sadly, Belinda passed away on September 18, 2023 as the result of a severe brain injury. Belinda’s family held her memorial services at Todd Memorial Chapel in Pomona and her reception was held at the Palomares Park Community Center Main Room.
As a lasting legacy to Belinda Fierro and to pay tribute for all she contributed to the community, it is fitting that the Main Room at Palomares Park Community Center be named the “Belinda Fierro Community Room” as she primarily worked in senior programming out of the Main Room. Staff contacted Belinda’s family, and the family expressed their full support of the City’s proposed course of action with respect to naming a recreational amenity in honor of Belinda. She is survived by her spouse, son, daughter, and grandchild.
Prepared by:
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Monica Belloso
Management Analyst
Naming of Palomares Park Community Center Main Room