Woodland POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Policy No: 15-111 Effective Date: November 7, 2023 Division: City Manager Distribution: All Departments Related Policies: None Last Revision: November 7, 2023
SUBJECT: Policy for Naming Parks and Recreation Facilities in Woodland Purpose & Overview
The purpose of this policy is to provide rules and guidelines for naming public parks, greenbelts, and recreation facilities in the City of Woodland. The naming of facilities is a very important decision and should be handled in a prescribed manner. The decision should be made by the City Council with input from Community Services Department staff, Parks and Recreation Commission and the general public.
Need
It is the intent of the Parks and Recreation Commission to clarify the City’s policy on the naming of public parks and facilities. The term "park" is used in this document to refer to an entire park, sections of a park, park areas and park facilities. This policy is intended to govern the naming of regional and community parks, neighborhood parks, greenbelts, play areas, golf courses, picnic areas, park buildings, bleachers, groves of or individual trees, etc., located within the City. The term "Recreation Facilities" is used in this document to refer to ballfields, sport courts, swimming pools, gymnasiums, community and fitness centers, dedicated bike and pedestrian paths and bridges, etc. For the purposes of this policy, these parks, recreation areas and facilities will be termed as "facility" which may be construed and/or operated by joint agreement with other governmental agencies, School District, non-profit organizations, and/or commercial business.
Policy
1. Facilities should be named at least thirty (30) days before the facility is ready for use.
2. The name of a facility, if possible, should have local topographic, community, cultural, or historical significance, or relate to an unusually significant feature of the facility generally recognized and known throughout the City.
3. A facility should be named after a living or deceased person who is or was a resident of the Woodland community if one of the following conditions apply:
A. The facility was acquired by means of:
1) A substantial gift or donation from an individual.
2) A substantial gift or donation from a family, corporation, or non-
profit organization.
3) A substantial gift or donation which carries a stipulation for naming the facility, if acceptable to the Department, Commission and City Council.
B. The living person has made a substantial contribution in terms of volunteer services, providing a broad recreational or environmental benefit to the residents of the Woodland community.
C. A facility may be named after a person, or group of individuals, whose life (lives) or circumstance provides a compelling community-wide interest or sentiment.
4. A new site selected and acquired for a facility should be named as quickly as possible to avoid prolonged use of a temporary designation. The naming of a park or recreation facility should be a reflection of the cultural diversity of our community.
5. The Parks and Recreation Commission may seek input from other City Commissions on the naming of a facility if it is deemed within their scope of responsibility.
Procedures and Implementation
1. The following procedures for naming a facility shall be used:
A. Unless otherwise directed by City Council, whenever possible, the Community Services Department and Parks and Recreation Commission will solicit suggestions and recommend a name to the City Council during the planning stages, prior to facility construction and in compliance with the “thirty (30) day" rule (as stated in #1 under "Policy").
B. The Community Services Department will solicit help from historical societies, or other groups having special knowledge, when considering a name to highlight an area's geographic, historical, or cultural significance.
C. To stimulate public interest and obtain suggestions, a part of the selection process to name a facility may include various means to stimulate public involvement. The Community Services Department will conduct the process and shall consider only suggestions which meet these policy guidelines. Once suggestions are collected, they will be forwarded to the facilities subcommittee of the Parks and Recreation Commission. The subcommittee, in conjunction with the Community Services staff, will evaluate the proposed name and formulate a recommendation for the Commission's consideration. The Parks and Recreation Commission shall then take the Commission’s recommendation to the City Council for final consideration.
D. To avoid duplication and confusion, all proposed names for a facility must be cleared with, and checked against, a master list of facility names, to be kept current by the Community Services Department. The master list may be obtained from the Department upon request.
