Agenda # ITEM
CITY OF RIALTO E-3
AGENDA REPORT
For City Council Meeting of January 24, 2012
TO: Honorable Mayor Pro Tem and Council Members
APPROVAL: Michael E. Story, City Administrator m
FROM: Scott Enoch, Recreation and Community Services Manager SUBJECT: Policy for Naming City Parks & Facilities
DATE: January 9, 2012
BACKGROUND:
At the June 14, 2011 Council meeting, Council Member Robertson called upon the Human Relations Commission and Recreation Staff to develop a process and procedures for the naming of parks and facilities. Currently the City does not have an approved policy for naming City facilities. Historically, naming of Rialto's City parks and facilities has been considered and approved by the Council on a case by case basis.
The development of a policy to guide the naming of City parks and facilities is intended to enable the process to be applied in a fair, objective and consistent manner.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
As staff liaison to the Human Relations Commission, City Clerk MeGee scheduled several joint commission meetings with the Human Relations Commission and the Recreation and Parks Commission so that the two commissions could work together to develop a process and procedures for naming Parks and Facilities. The first Joint Commission meeting was conducted on Monday, August 22, 2011.
Commissioners researched naming policies of municipalities throughout California, reviewed drafts of internal documents relating to the naming of parks & facilities and then developed preferences for Rialto's new policy. With their preferences established, commissioners identified specific criteria they deemed essential and then formulated the details for the procedural guidelines.
Commissioners developed a draft of the proposed policy and, after a series of revisions to the initial draft, unanimously voted to adopt the proposed plan at their joint commission meeting on Monday, October 24, 2011.
The naming policy was reviewed and approved by the City Attorney's office.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
None
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
After careful review of the General Plan, a nexus could not be established between the goals and policies contained therein and the unique subject matter of this Agenda Report.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed and approved this staff repor City
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The adoption of this policy has no current financial impact.
Director of Administrative & Community Services
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is recommending that Council adopt the policy for naming City parks and facilities as proposed by the Human Relations and the Recreation & Parks commissions.
Attachments:
(1) Proposed Policy for Naming City Parks & Facilities
Prepared by: Scott Enoch, Recreation and Community Services Manager
CITY OF RIALTO
POLICY FOR NAMING
OF
CITY PARKS AND FACILITIES
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to provide procedures and criteria for naming City of Rialto parks and facilities. The development of a Policy to guide the naming of City Parks and Facilities is intended to enable the process to be applied in a fair, objective and consistent manner.
BACKGROUND
The City of Rialto has lacked a policy to guide staff and the City Council in the naming of City parks and recreation facilities. As a result, these facilities have been named in honor of public officials and other citizens without the benefit of a City Council approved policy to guide the naming process.
NAMING PROCEDURE
1. Any Rialto resident or organization can recommend the naming of a City Park or Facility.
2. Any request to name a City Park or Facility must be made in writing and submitted to the Recreation and Community Services Department. A petition with a minimum of 100 Rialto resident signatures, supporting the naming, must accompany the written request.
3. After review by the Recreation and Community Services Department, the proposal will be placed on the agenda of a regular meeting of the Recreation and Parks Commission.
The proposal will be available for citizen review for a minimum of 30 days prior to the Commission meeting. Commission meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month throughout the year.
4. The Recreation and Parks Commission will consider the proposal and forward its recommendation to the City Council for its consideration.
5. The Recreation & Community Services Department will submit a staff report to City Council requesting it to set a Public Hearing to consider the recommendation. Citizens will have the opportunity to comment on the recommendation directly to the City Council via the Public Hearing.
6. The City Council will make the final determination in the naming of all City Parks and Facilities.
7. Council Members and City Employees may also recommend the naming of a City Park or Facility. The procedure in these cases would include steps five (5) and six (6) only.
RE-NAMING PROCEDURE
A. The intent of naming a City Park or Facility is for permanent recognition. It is recommended that efforts to change a name be subject to the most critical examination so as to not diminish the original justification for the name or discount the value of the prior contributors.
B. A park named for an individual should never be changed unless it is found that the individual's personal character is or was such that the continued use of their name for a City Park or Facility would not be in the best interest of the City.
C. If, after careful consideration of items A and B directly above in this section, it is deemed appropriate to seek City Council's approval for the re-naming of a City Park or Facility, the following procedure shall be followed.
1. Any Rialto resident or organization can recommend the re-naming of a City Park or Facility.
2. Any Request to re-name a City Park or Facility must be made in writing and submitted to the Recreation and Community Services Department. A petition with a minimum of 100 Rialto resident signatures, supporting the re-naming, must accompany the written request.
3. After review by the Recreation and Community Services Department, the proposal will be placed on the agenda of a regular meeting of the Recreation and Parks Commission.
The proposal will be available for citizen review a minimum of 30 days prior to the Commission meeting. Commission meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month throughout the year.
4. The Recreation and Parks Commission will consider the proposal and forward its recommendation to the City Council for its consideration.
5. The Recreation & Community Services Department will submit a staff report to City Council requesting it to set a Public Hearing to consider the recommendation. Citizens will have the opportunity to comment on the recommendation directly to the City Council via the Public Hearing.
6. The City Council will make the final determination in the re-naming of all City parks and facilities.
7. Council Members and City Employees may also recommend the re-naming of a City Park or Facility. The procedure in these cases would include steps five (5) and six (6) only.
CRITERIA
1. A park can be named after an individual whether living or deceased.
2. A facility can be named after an individual or organization.
3. No more than one park or facility can be named after an individual or organization.
4. To have a park or facility named after any individual or organization, that individual or organization must have completed a minimum of 20 years of service to the community or have donated a minimum of 50% of the value of the park or facility.
Plaques, Markers, and other Memorial
1. Plaques, markers, and other memorials placed to recognize individuals or organizations, for which parks or facilities are named, shall be in accordance with City standards.