5C
Date: January 15, 2025
To: Chair and Members of the Ad Hoc Naming of Public Facilities Committee From: Aram Chaparyan, City Manager
By: Carlos Huizar, Management Associate | [email protected] Logan Galimi, Management Aide | [email protected]
Sara Shor, Management Aide | [email protected]
Subject: City Manager – Discuss and Provide Direction on the Renaming of the Toyota Meeting Hall. Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the City Manager that the Ad Hoc Naming of Public Facilities Committee discuss and provide direction on the renaming of the Toyota Meeting Hall.
FUNDING
There is no funding required for this action.
DISCUSSION
In April 2014, Toyota announced they would be relocating their North American Headquarters and accompanying staff from Torrance to Plano, Texas by 2017. On September 12, 2023, given Toyota’s departure from Torrance, Former Councilman Griffiths, with City Council concurrence, directed staff to explore:
1. Renaming the Toyota Meeting Hall, and
2. Having an organization or philanthropist sponsor the facility for its naming rights.
As part of these efforts, on January 23, 2024, City Council concurred with the Mayor’s recommendation to appoint a Chair and Committee Members for the Ad Hoc Naming of Public Facilities Committee.
The Toyota Meeting Hall, then known as the City of Torrance Cultural Arts Center Meeting Hall, was erected in 1990 as part of the larger construction of the City’s $12.2-million Cultural Arts Center. Toyota Motor Sales was the largest single donor to the Center, having contributed $500,000 (approximately 1.20 million in inflation-adjusted 2024 dollars utilizing the Consumer Price Index (CPI), or about 4% of the Center’s entire costs. The City Council promptly expressed its gratitude towards Toyota via Resolution No. 90-7 for their support of the community. Toyota continued donating to the City in the years that followed; for example, they supported multiple 1 Ad Hoc Naming of Public Facilities Committee
January 15, 2025
Fourth of July concerts and contributed $50,000 to the Torrance Public Library Foundation.
Finally, on July 11, 2000, the City officially renamed the Center’s meeting hall as the Toyota Community Meeting Hall via Resolution No. 2000-88, citing Toyota’s prior contribution to the Cultural Arts Center as well as its continued assistance in providing Torrance residents with a place to enjoy new and exciting cultural activities. The Meeting Hall has since retained the Toyota name for approximately 24 years and 4 months, which equates to a donation amount per year of about 49,500 in CPI-adjusted 2024 dollars.
Torrance’s current naming policies for city-owned facilities like the Cultural Arts Center and Toyota Meeting Hall were established by Resolution No. 2008-81. City Council may select names that have recognizable geographic, topographic, or historic significance to Torrance; are in honor of persons who have served Torrance, California, or the United States in an exceptional manner; or of individuals, families, or organizations which have donated or will donate lands or funds to the City. Regarding the latter category, donated funds may be used for any purpose deemed by the City Council unless there is a specified use as a condition of contribution. Furthermore, the duration of the name is on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the City Council unless otherwise set forth as a condition of the contribution approved by the Council.
Other cities have facility naming policies that elaborate on the extent of the donation recommended for naming. For example, Costa Mesa specifies a target donation in excess of 50% of the purchase price to the city. San Diego requires donations reflect a significant contribution towards the facility’s capital construction costs, a deed to more than 50% of the facility land, and/or a 20-year endowment for the continued maintenance and operations of the facility.
Torrance’s Facility Index Assessment estimates Toyota Meeting Hall will require $1,211,770 in capital maintenance within the next 10 years, with the largest costs (about half) being repairing the outdoor wood trellis and replacing the Hall’s soon-to-be outdated fire alarm system and HVAC unit. Additionally, the City is engaged in long-term efforts, with Council and community direction, to redevelop the larger Civic Center campus via its Civic Center Master Plan. This may include additional renovations or demolition and reconstruction/relocation of the Cultural Arts Center and Toyota Meeting Hall.
The Ad Hoc Naming of Public Facilities Committee is being requested to discuss and consider the following options on how to proceed:
1. Recommend to City Council to keep the Toyota Meeting Hall name given the uncertain nature of the Torrance Civic Center Master Plan and Economic Feasibility Study and/or as an affirmation of Toyota’s lasting impact despite its departure;
2. Recommend to the City Council to direct staff to initiate a name change campaign and one or more of the following options:
oSeek potential donors and negotiate a naming rights agreement. ▪A contribution threshold of $1,211,770 (in 2024 dollars) would mirror Toyota’s initial contribution and cover (100% of) the expected major capital maintenance costs for an estimated 10 years. A naming rights 2 Ad Hoc Naming of Public Facilities Committee
January 15, 2025
agreement for a corresponding term of 10 years would equate to 121,177 in CPI-adjusted 2024 dollars per year, about 2.45 times larger than Toyota’s effective donation amount per year.
▪A contribution threshold of $605,885 (in 2024 dollars) for a term of 10 years would cover about 50% of the expected major capital maintenance costs, reflecting Costa Mesa and San Diego’s suggested donation thresholds.
▪A contribution threshold of $494,518.58 (in 2024 dollars) for a term of 10 years would reflect Toyota’s effective donation per year and about 41% of the expected major capital maintenance costs.
oSeek exceptional public service individuals. Dedicate the Meeting Hall after them.
3. The Ad Hoc Naming of Public Facilities Committee may recommend an alternative for City Council consideration.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution No. 2008-81: Establishing Policies…For the Naming of City-Owned Land
2. Resolution No. 2000-88: Naming the Cultural Arts Center Meeting Hall
3. Resolution No. 90-7: Thanking Toyota Motor Sales
3 RESOLUTION NO. 2OO8- 81
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THIS
CITY OF TORRANCE ESTABLISHING POL¡ CIES AND
PROCEDURES FOR THE NAMING OF CITY- OWNED
LAND, BUILDINGS, AND FACILITIES
The City Council of the City of Torrance does hereby resolve as follows
PURPOSE
To establish formal policies as a guide to the City Council in considering ( 1) appropriate names for City- owned land, buildings and facilities; ( 2) whether, and under what circumstances, such land, buildings, and facilities should be named or renamed in honor of individuals; and ( 3) the duration of naming rights of City- owned land, buildings and facilities,
ll SCOPE
This regulation is applicable to all City departments and offices responsible directly to the City Manager. lt is also requested that elective offices and other independent offices and departments of the City comply with these procedures in the interest of administrative uniformity.
POLICY
ln determining the names to be given to City- owned land, buildings and facilities, the City Council will give particular consideration to the following policy guidelines:
The City Council will consider candidate names for facilities whether submitted by Council members, City staff, City agencies, civic organizations, and/ or the general public including names incorporating the name of Torrance where it is deemed important for civic or other reasons for a building or facility to be identified with the City, Names that have recognizable geographic, topographic or historical significance associated with Torrance. ln assessing this type of name, the City Council will take into consideration the recommendations from different bodies such as the Planning Commission or Torrance Historical Society.
City, owned land, buildings and facilities may be named in honor of persons who have served the nation, the State of California and/ or the City of Torrance in an exceptional and distinguished manner; and, where such action is warranted by a contribution or service which is deemed to be of major significance.
The naming of City- owned land, buildings and facilities in honor of a deceased person shall generally not take place until after a minimum of one- year waiting period unless the City Council determines that there are overriding considerations deviating from this policy guideline. This particular policy guideline is not intended in any way to reflect on the merits of any deceased individual who may have been a prominent civic leader. However, it is felt appropriate to establish some type of waiting period to ensure that an individual' s accomplishments or contributions will stand the test of time; and that a decision shall not be made on an emotional basis immediately following a person' s death.
ORIGINAL
ATTACHMENT 1
4 City- owned land, buildings and facilities may be named after individuals or families who have donated the land or funds for the capital project, particularly if such naming is set forth as a condition of the donation.
The City Council may approve the naming of City- owned land, buildings, or facilities based on an organization or individual' s monetary contribution to the City for that purpose. The funds from that contribution may be used for any purpose deemed appropriate by the City Council unless there is a specified use as a condition of the contribution. The duration of the name is on a case- by- case basis at the discretion of the City Council unless othenruise set forth as a condition of the contribution approved by the Council.
The names of City- owned land, buildings and facilities shall not normally þe named in honor of individuals when they have previously been named for other individuals.
However, if the Council deems it appropriate, they may vary from this guideline on a case- by- case basis.
IV. PROCEDURES
Requests for naming or renaming of City- owned land, buildings and facilities shall be filed with the City Clerk for transmittal to the Mayor in writing, accompanied by a statement summarizing the justification for the recommended name( s).
The Mayor fonryards the request to the Chair of the Facility Naming Committee. The Chair schedules a meeting of the Committee to consider the request. The meeting is open to the public and gives members of the community an opportunity to give input to the process. The Committee should schedule the meeting within 30 days of receiving the request.
lf the request is denied by the Committee, no further action is taken, lf the request is approved, the Committee Chair directs staff to prepare a report for the full Council where public input is again received.
The City Council will make its determination as to the naming or renaming of City- owned land, þuildings and facilities at regularly scheduled meetings of the City Council at which staff, representatives of advisory bodies and civic organizations and the general public may offer testimony. lf the request is denied by the Council, no further action is taken. lf the City Council approves the request, staff is directed to go fonvard with implementing the naming of the facility. The steps taken to implement the request will be developed as an internal City process. The decision of the City Council will be final. lntroduced, approved and adopted this 17th day of June, 2008
APPROVED AS TO FORM
JOHN OWS City Attorney
Mayor Frank Scotto
ATTEST:
by
Ronald T, Pohl, Assist City Attorney Herbers, City Clerk 5 TORRANCE CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 2008. 81
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF TORRANCE
AYES COUNCILMEMBERS
SS
l, Sue Herbers, City Clerk of the City of Torrance, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was duly introduced, approved, and adopted by the City Council of the City of Torrance at a regular meeting of said Council held on the 17"' day of June, 2008 by the following roll call vote:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Date -
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Barnett, Brewer, Drevno, Nowatka, Sutherland,
Witkowsky, and Mayor Scotto.
None.
None.
None,
Herbers
of the City of Torrance
COUNCILMEMBERS
COUNCILMEMBERS
COUNCILMEMBERS
6 ATTACHMENT 2
7 8
ATTACHMENT 3
9 10