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B. WORK SESSION: Discussion of Policy and Procedures to Name City-Owned Facilities Mary Walston of the City Manager's Office joined the council for the item. She said the item was a brief review of the City's policies regarding the renaming of City facilities and amenities, followed by council discussion of whether to refine those policies. She said the City lacked a single procedure or guideline regarding the naming of facilities. Most City facilities were named for their geographic location, such as Amazon Community Center. Other facilities were named after people, such as Celeste Campbell Senior Center, or for themes, such as the States Ball Park. Ms. Walston noted that the Library Division of the Library, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department and the Parks and Open Space Division of the Public Works Department both had policies and procedures in place for naming facilities and amenities in association with a monetary gift and termed that ~naming in recognition." She cited the Hult Center and Jacobs Gallery as examples. It was less clear how facilities should be named in the absence of a monetary gift, which she termed ~naming in commemoration." She cited the Knickerbocker Bridge as an example. Ms. Walston suggested that the council focus its energies on naming in commemoration. Ms. Walston called the council's attention to the materials prepared for the item, which contained examples of the policies used by other cities. She briefly reviewed some of those policies. Ms. Walston recommended that the council direct staff to return with a draft policy in 90 days. Mayor Torrey solicited council comments and questions. Responding to a question from Ms. Taylor, Ms. Walston said the City's policies related to naming in recognition had no dollar threshold related to the total cost of a facility. Ms. Taylor thought the amount involved should be sizable, such as the third of the cost of a facility. Ms. Taylor believed a person ought to be deceased or at least out of office to be honored by having a facility named after them. Mr. Meisner expressed appreciation for the staff work. He asked staff to review what Eugene had done in terms of naming City facilities after people in the past 15 years, and for what reasons. He noted that the naming opportunities in the library were based on the donor paying the actual cost of the item or amenity to which the name was assigned. Mr. Meisner recalled that seven years ago, the council had directed that the 3rd/4th Connector be renamed and that had not occurred, and he questioned what use establishing a policy was if the council's direction was not to be implemented. Mr. Kelly said that naming a facility in someone's honor could provide very important individual recognition and could be controversial as well. He thought there was value in having a formal, written policy. Referring to Mr. Meisner's information request, Mr. Kelly said he would be interested in the information but he did not feel bound by what happened in the past in light of the lack of a written policy, and did not think the council needed to revisit already-named facilities. MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 12, 2004 Page 4 Work Session