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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 111406-U - Naming PolicyRESOLUTION NO. /1 / 4/0 -1/ A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Georgetown, Texas Establishing a Naming Policy for City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets, and Providing an Open Meetings Clause. WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to adopt a written policy for naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands and Public Streets for the City of Georgetown; and WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Council and the City of Georgetown to establish a systematic, fair and consistent procedure for naming and renaming City Facilities, Public Park Lands and Public Streets. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS THAT: That the attached City of Georgetown Policy for Naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets, attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein, is hereby approved and adopted. The City Council hereby finds and declares that written notice of the date, hour, place and subject at which this Resolution was adopted was posted and that such meeting was open to the public as required by law at all times during which this Resolution and the subject matter hereof were discussed, considered and formally acted upon, all as required by the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551, Texas Government Code, as amended. RESOLVED this d day of November, 2006. APPROVED: Gary on Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: Patricia E. Carls City Attorney ATTEST: Sandra D. Lee City Secretary EST. 1848 GEORGETOWN TEXAS CITY OF GEORGETOWN POLICY FOR NAMING CITY FACILITIES, PUBLIC PARK LANDS AND PUBLIC STREETS I. PURPOSE The Purpose is to establish a systematic, fair, and consistent policy and process for naming and renaming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets The policy provides for citizen input, recommendations from a diverse committee, and City Council approval to adopt all names. II. INTENT The success and vitality of the City depends on the contribution and support from citizens, volunteers, financial donors, community leaders and officials. Honorees may include individuals, groups, companies or corporations. The City welcomes the opportunity to honor those who have demonstrated outstanding service and have worked to enhance our community. A fair and impartial policy is necessary to assure that naming or dedicating a. facility based on an individual, group or corporation is reserved for those most deserving and appropriate, and to recognize substantial gifts benefiting the City. Further, naming decisions should not be influenced by personal prejudice, favoritism, political pressure or temporary popularity. III. OBJECTIVES The naming process of City facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets should: 1. Advance the reputation of the City, as well as increase the understanding and public support for its programs. 2. Ensure ready identification or geographical association by the public. 3. Encourage public participation in the naming, renaming and dedication of City facilities. ExhibitResolution ion / / «/©i© ' Resolution No. Policy for Naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets Page 1 of 6 4. Encourage naming of City facilities in accordance with the geologic, geographical, cultural, historical, botanical, horticultural, scientific, or ecological features indigenous to the site and the community. 5. Encourage the dedication of lands, facilities, or donations by individuals and groups. IV. CRITERIA A. GENERAL CRITERIA The naming of a City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Streets, may be based upon the following: 1. A significant monetary, grant, donation or bequest to the City toward the acquisition or development of a public facility* 2. A substantial community service that has had a major impact or benefit to a large sector of the City from an individual who: demonstrates dedication to service in ways that brings special credit to the City, or b. volunteers and give extraordinary help to individuals, families, groups, or community services; 3. Naming a City Facility, Public Park Land, or a Public Street after a living person or organization is not recommended. However, there are times when the community believes it to be the proper and necessary thing to do. The person should have made a major contribution to the City of Georgetown in either deed or monetary contribution. The organization also should have made a major contribution to the City of Georgetown in either deed or monetary contribution. Honoring a living individual or an organization, will be subject to the most careful examination. a. Some criteria considerations could include, but not limited to: A significant monetary contribution toward acquisition or development of a public facility; ii. When eighty percent (80%) or more of the value of the property is donated by the person or organization; Exhibit if ! gin/ U Resolution No. Policy for Naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets Page 2 of 6 iii. When eighty (80%) or more of the cost of development is donated by the person or organization to the enhancement of the quality of life in the community; iv. When a major contribution has been made by the person or organization to the enhancement of the quality of life in the community; v. Outstanding accomplishments by an individual for the good of the community. Quality of the contribution should be considered along with the length of service by the individual. b. Implicit to the naming process is the intent of permanent recognition. Therefore, the process shall be careful and deliberate and, as much as possible, involve the evaluation criteria as follows: i. Fine moral character; ii. Demonstrated leadership qualities; iii. Nature of the contributions compliment and support the mission of the City of Georgetown; iv. Substantial contribution, whether consisting of volunteer service, the provision of land or monetary donation. v Initiative and/or involvement relating to a specific program or project of exceptional merit, which has extensively and directly benefited the public. 4. If the City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street is to be named after an individual, it is recommended that it be after the person has been deceased for a minimum of two years. Some criteria considerations can include: a. Same guidelines for living people or organization shall apply; b. Proposed names commemorating a deceased person(s) shall be considered only if the living next of kin have approved the request; and c. Naming a City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street in memory of a deceased person should not be considered until at least twelve (12) months after the date of the death of the person. Exhibit "A" ' Resolution No. l 1/ `l/ ©b — 11 Policy for Naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets Page 3 of 6 5. Honoring City officials, management, staff or appointed public officials who may be considered after the employment or public service has concluded for a minimum of two years. 6. If the City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street is named for geographical, geologic, historical, botanical, horticultural, scientific, or ecologicalfeatures indigenous to the site or to the immediate vicinity of the site, it is recommended that City Facilities, Public Park Land, and Public Streets be named after City of Georgetown historic sites, descriptive names, places or features (such as streets, schools, or natural resources). Names should be chosen after a feature that is associated with a real characteristic of the site and easy to remember. That feature should be relatively timeless so that the name does not diminish in appropriateness with time. Some criteria considerations can include: a. Use of road names should be controlled to avoid duplication confusion. If named after a street, it should be adjacent to the park or facility. b. If named after a geographic location, it should either be associated with the City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street or immediately adjacent to the City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street. c. If named after a subdivision, it should be the subdivision in which the City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street is located. B. CITY FACILITIES As a general policy, City Facilities shall be named in accordance with the general criteria outlined in Section IV, subsection A. For a location, such as the name of the adjacent street or the related plat or subdivision. C. PUBLIC STREETS This policy only applies to streets after they have been dedicated as public. 1. As a general policy, Public Streets shall be named in accordance with the general criteria outlined in Section IV, subsection. A. 2. A public street shall not be renamed unless the owners of two-thirds of the linear feet of the abutting property agree to change the name of the street. Individuals Exhibit "A" � Resolution No. /1/ '/ ©4 se Policy for Naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets Page 4 of 6 and groups submitting the request shall be required to provide a notarized list of the concurring property owners' agreement. 3. The name of a street that is located within a designated historical district shall not be changed unless there are compelling reasons for the change. D. PUBLIC PARK LANDS 1. As a general policy, Public Park Lands shall be named in accordance with the general criteria outlined in Section IV, subsection A. 2. Regional/City level parks may be named after a geographicaldesignation, a predominant physical feature of the land, a historical name, organizations, or the name of an individual. 3. Community and neighborhood level parks should be named after the subdivision which dedicated the land, the name of the neighborhood, organizations, or the name of an individual. 4. The suffix "park" should be added to the name of the park. 5. Areas, facilities, and accessories such as playgrounds, pavilions or sport fields within a park can be named differently using the above stated criteria. V. RENAMING OF CITY FACILITIES OR PUBLIC PARK LANDS Renaming of a City Facility, Public Park Land, or a Public Street is strongly discouraged. The primary reason is to not diminish the original justification for the name or discount the value of the prior contributors. If a City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street is proposed to be renamed, it is recommended that only those City Facilities, Public Park Lands, or Public Streets named for geographic location, outstanding feature, or subdivision be considered for renaming. City Facilities, Public Park Land, or Public Streets named by deed restriction cannot be considered for renaming. Once a City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street is named after an indvidual, the name of the public property should not be changed unless there are compelling reasons presented for the change. Requests to change a name should be subject to the most critical examination, so as not to diminish the original justification for the name or discount the value of the prior contributors. Exhibit it/ ,/ Resolution No. [� Policy for Naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets Page 5 of 6 VI. PLAQUES, MARKERS, MEMORIALS Recognition shall include site signage, including a permanent plaque, sign, or marker. The decision concerning type, design and size of site signage shall rest with the City Manager, or his designee. All plaques, signs, or makers shall be in compliance with the City of Georgetown's current design regulations. VII. CITY FACILITY, PUBLIC PARK LAND, OR PUBLIC STREET FEATURES Important and substantial City Facility, Public Park Land, or Public Street features within a named area may be given a name other than the name of the principal area, using the same guidelines as used for naming areas. VIII. PROCEDURES A. SUBMISSIONS OF REQUESTS Requests for the naming or the renaming of City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets shall be submitted in writing to the Office of the City Manager. The person(s) submitting the request shall provide background information regarding the rationale behind the request, including biographical information if the proposal is to name the property for an individual. Any letters from appropriate organizations and individuals which provide evidence of substantial local support for the proposal shall be submitted at that time. B. SUBMISSION TO COMMITTEE The City Manager shall submit the request to a committee consisting of the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, the Assistant City Manager for Utility Operations, the Director of Community Services and two (2) appointed Councilmembers. Said committee shall research, review, and study the recommendations and all its supporting documentation. A Public Meeting will be conducted regarding the request and thereafter allow thirty (30) days after the Public Meeting for public comment. C. SUBMISSION TO THE CITY COUNCIL .the committee shall submit its recommendation regarding the request to the City Council. The City Council will review all City Facility, Public Park Land, Public Street naming and/or name change requests, and shall be the finalauthority for all such decisions. Exhibit "A"ResolutioNo.©V Policy for Naming City Facilities, Public Park Lands, and Public Streets Page 6 of 6