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Home My WebLink AboutSS5 - City Council Policy B-9 - Naming of City ParksCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Study Session Agenda SS5 April 22, 2003 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Recreation & Senior Services Department Marie Knight, Director, Recreation & Senior Services 644 -3157, mknight@city.newport- beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Proposed Revision to City Council Policy B -9 —Naming of City Parks ISSUE: .Should the City Council consider a revision to the current City Council Policy B -9 Naming of City Parks (formerly 1 -9) to remove the guideline that allows City parks and facilities to be named after renowned citizens of the community? RECOMMENDATION: Through this report staff is transmitting a recommendation on behalf of the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission that the Council consider a revision of the B -9 policy. In addition, based on the Commissions recommendation, staff is also recommending several revisions to the policy. DISCUSSION: Background: At the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission meeting on January 7, 2003 an Ad Hoc Committee was established to review Council Policy B -9, and specifically the guideline in the policy that allows a City Park to be named after a prominent member of the community. This discussion was in response to the numerous letters that had been received by the Commission requesting that one of the parks the City plans to develop in the future be named in honor of Rosalind Williams. Several Commissioners expressed concern that the current policy allows for a precedent that the City could never really fulfill as there are many prominent citizens in this community deserving of recognition, both living and deceased. The Commission believed that the City would never have enough naming opportunities to satisfy the requests that could be received once precedent is set and a park is named in honor of an individual. In addition, The Commission was concerned that this would place a greater value on one person's contribution to the community over another. At the meeting of March 4, 2003, the Park Naming Ad Hoc Committee made their recommendation to the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission regarding proposed revisions to Council Policy B -9. The following is an excerpt from the discussion regarding this issue: Commissioner Skoro stated that he and Commissioner Beek had met as the appointed Park Naming Ad Hoc Committee last month as a result of the influx of letters this past year after the death of Rosalind Williams requesting that the Commission name a park in her honor. He stated that they both felt strongly that a public park should not be named after any one person and recommended that the Commission move to recommend to the City Council revisions to Council 1 -9, by striking out #B.4., and deleting the words arp ks or from paragraph D. Proposed Revision to City Council Policy B -9 — Naming of City Parks Page 2 Chair Allen opened the public hearing Dennis Baker, resident of Newport Beach concurred with the Ad Hoc Committee's recommendation and urged the commission to support the recommendation. Chair Allen closed the public hearino. Motion by Commissioner Garrett to accept the Park Naming Ad Hoc Committee's revisions of Council Policy B -9 and forward to the City Council for their review and approval. Motion carried by acclamation. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff concurs with the recommendations of the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission. In addition, for the same reasons cited by the Commission, staff recommends that the revisions be carried one step further to include deleting any guidelines from the current policy that allow any -ecreational facilities or City buildings to be named after individuals. Staff further recommends that the policy be amended to allow for rooms within a facility or site amenities to be named after individuals in recognition of a significant contribution to the community or a specific project. This is a commonly accepted practice of donor recognition and would make the decisions less subjective. Finally, staff recommends that the title of Council Policy B -9 be revised to read Naming of City Parks & Facilities. Attached is the staff recommendation for revisions to the Council Policy B -9, incorporating the suggested revisions of the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission. Environmental Review: None needed Prepared & Submitted by: �G Marie Pight, Director Attachment: Council Policy B -9 (formerly 1 -9) with recommendations incorporating the suggestions of the Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission and staff NAMING OF CITY PARKS & FACILITIES The City of Newport Beach has a comprehensive program to provide park and open space to serve the leisure and recreation needs of residents. It is desirable that appropriate names be selected for future parks and public recreational facilities. The following guidelines shall serve as policy on this matter. A. Suggestions for naming new or existing parks or public facilities shall be reviewed by the Parks, Beaches and Recreation Commission with a recommendation being transmitted to the City Council for approval. B. New or existing park or public facilities names can be chosen from, but not limited to, the following categories: 1. Streets or schools bordering park 2. Topography 3. Theme 4.5. Common names already in place for the area C. FacilitV rooms or site amenities may be dedicated in honor of persons who the Council deems, have made a significant contribution to the community or a specific project. ��TJ►_TZfs!_T- 7:T______ _ ._ ____- .Z7:LTJ. - -_ e._.�__ _- _ - _ _ _ Adopted - September 12, 1988 Amended - January 24, 1994 Formerly 1 -22 Amended - February 27, 1995 Amended — April 8, 2003 Formerly 1 -9 "RECEIVED WER AGEND PRINTED:" 55 2� D� Oborny, Shirley From: Bert Ohlig [bohlig @attglobal.net] Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 8:49 PM To: Opinion @city.newport- beach.ca.us Subject: Naming parks after people . ,,oc In naming parks after people. There are a limited number, of xpect the city to be here for centuries. Let's not be snort nccch 1 ` horny, Shirley Frorn: Momocdm @aol.com Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 3:08 PM To: Opinion @city.newport- beach.ca.us Subject: No more parks or buildings named for people Dery Crtq Council, 'A S6pp-7,rT the recommendation that NO more parks or buildings be named after )c op.t AAct - -'vr O'Rourke 3S [cr Way. Corona del Mar, CA 92625 F1 Oborny, Shirley rani: Shesailor1 @aol.com Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 2:15 PM To: Opinion @city.newport- beach.ca.us Subject: CITY PARKS - PEOPLE NAMES ',-or Naming parks after people. Let's just have ONE peoples park ,Vc :;r: edd individuals names as they become qualified, dead cr alive. "ors:, should be named for the area they are in or for an approbate reason. i.e. Mariners Park, Recc.i. Po -k Hoppy Park. 'SF•R'r .ONaPRE ;yf "ik i ,;H. CA 92663 3 Jborrly, Shirley Fran,: Aug1916 @aol.com Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 12:51 PM To: Opinion @city.newport- beach.ca.us Subject: (no subject) To the City Council of Newport Beach As a 32 year resident of Newport Beach, I do not support the idea of naming parks after noteworthy people. I know they are very deserving in their efforts for the city, but I feel it just opens a pandora's box. There are too many good people in this city. Another way to honor them would be more appropriate such a special plague, planting a tree in their honor, naming benches, gazebos, rooms, etc. Sincerely Sue Mears 18 Hermitage Lane, Newport Beach Oborny, Shirley From: ROBISON811 @aol.com Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 11:03 AM To: o pinion @city. new port- beach.ca.us Subject: vote against naming parks I oppose naming parks after people - especially Roz Williams who was very difficult to work for ... Thank you....Nancy Robison, 34 Long Bay Dr. Newport Beach Oborny, Shirley From: Gardnerncy @aol.com Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 9:08 AM To: opinion @city.newport- beach.ca.us Subject: parks and people I am not in favor of naming parks after people. There are so many noteworthy candidates, and often the selections are determined by emotion as opposed to relevancy. Nancy Gardner 323 Jasmine, CdM 92625 Oborny, Shirley From: HEATS2CDM @aol.com Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2003 5:30 PM To: opinion @city.newport- beach.ca.us Subject: public naming rr :n.n CI I' rlausc yon t name any perks or public buildings after pecple. i nank you, Nancy .-lecion