Item B: City of Eugene Naming Policy

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: City of Eugene Naming Policy Meeting Date: May 19, 2010 Agenda Item Number: B Department: City Manager’s Office Staff Contact: Beth Forrest www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5882 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY This is a work session to discuss establishing a comprehensive set of procedures and policies to name City-owned facilities as well as endorse names of assets for which other agencies have primary responsibility. In general, City facilities are named for their geographic location, or for a natural, historic, or geological feature, a practice that promotes community identification and creates a sense of ownership by community members. Facilities and amenities may also be named to recognize or commemorate individuals. The proposed naming policy (Attachment A) supports a continuation of this practice and further clarifies the criteria and procedures for naming and renaming. It also recognizes the existence of several internal policies. BACKGROUND The City Council last discussed this issue in July 2004. That work session was precipitated by two actions: the highly publicized decision to change the name of Centennial Boulevard to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, and a request from a group of bicycling advocates to rename a bike bridge in honor of a recently retired, long-term City employee. There was general agreement at that time that a more cohesive, comprehensive City of Eugene naming policy should be developed. On March 10 2010, in response to a request from Governor Kulongoski, the City Council submitted a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) supporting a proposal to rename Beltline Highway in honor of Randall C. Papé. Although in principal the proposal was widely supported and deemed an appropriate honor, the financial impacts associated with the renaming were not provided until after the OTC’s decision was made. It was also unclear what process, if any, had been used to gauge public opinion about this proposal. More recently, a request to endorse a proposal to name the new I-5/Willamette River Bridge the “Whilmut Passage Bridge” was submitted by the Whilamut Natural Area Citizen Planning Committee (see Attachment B). In this case, the City of Eugene has no jurisdictional authority over the decision and, therefore, any process or policy put into place by the council will result in a recommendation to the OTC via the Oregon Department of Transportation. These past and present scenarios illustrate the need for a comprehensive City naming policy that anticipates multiple contingencies and ensures a transparent, thorough process. Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100519\S100519B.DOC