HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 23-082ORDINANCE NO. 23-082
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS ESTABLISHING AND
ADOPTING A POLICY REGARDING THE NAMING RIGHTS OF CITY PARKS,
FACILITIES, STRUCTURES, RESOURCES, AND OTHER CITY PROPERTIES.
ARTICLE 14.07 Park, Facility, Structure, and Feature Naming Policy
t4.07.001 Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish and standardize the procedures for the
naming or renaming of parks, facilities, structures, resources, or other City of Beaumont
properties or features except City streets by any person, group, business, or organization.
It will not be necessary that every city owned property have a name, and properties with
existing names should only be renamed in exceptional circumstances.
The naming or renaming of any City properties under this policy is intended to
convey a goveri-tment message and thus constitutes government speech. Nantes play an
important role in defining the image the City projects to its residents and visitors alike. The
City Council will exercise fi►11 authority over the ultimate names determined under this
policy based on aesthetics, history, and local culture, The City Council reserves the right
to remove the name or rename any City property.
t 4.07.002 Responsibility
(a) The City Council shall have the final authority for naming all City properties.
(b) In instances where the property to be named or renamed would fall under the
purview of an existing City Board, Commission or Committee, it is the
responsibility of the City Board, Commission or Committee to review requests and
staff recommendations and/or make suggestions and require that staff forward
recommendations to the City Council regarding the naming of City properties.
(e) If no applicable City Board, Commission or Committee exist, recommendations
will be considered by City staff as designated by the City Manager, or by an ad hoc
committee appointed by the City Council, as needed, and consisting of one (1) City
Council member, one (1) staff member, and three (3) citizens at large. Meetings of
an ad hoc committee created under this section shall be subject to all Open Meetings
Act requirements. The ad hoc committee will sit only so long as necessary to
evaluate the naming suggestion for which it was created and will dissolve once final
action has been taken on the suggestion.
14.07.003 Naming Considerations
(a) The following guidelines shall be considered when determining proposals for
naming or renaming of City property. Criteria beyond those listed below can be
considered by the City Council for determining the naming of a particular City
property. The City Council may choose any name that serves the purpose of this
Article, and a suggested nanne meeting any or all criteria under 14.07.003(a)(1) or
(2) will not automatically result in that suggested name being selected for a
particular property.
(1) Guiding Principles
(A) Does the proposed name have historical, cultural, or social
significance for current and future generations?
(B) Does the name engender a positive image in members of the
eomumunity?
(C) Will the name symbolize a major achievement or advancement for
the co1n.u1runity at large?
(D) Will the name be suitable based on the location of the property being
named?
(E) Does the proposed name have an unintentional or inappropriate
meaning, connotation, or association based on the purpose of this
policy?
(2) Naming Categories
(A) Exceptional Individuals — Proposed Thames intended to recognize an
exceptional community member or leader that has shown
themselves to be a dedicated supporter of the coinmunity will have
the following guiding principles:
(i) Made a lasting and significant contribution to the City;
(ii) Made a substantial contribution to the beiterinent of a
specific City property;
(iii) Had a positive impact on the lives of residents within the
City; and/or
(iv) Demonstrated service record of volunteerism for many years
to the community.
(v) The honor must be posthumous; this requirement shall only
apply to city buildings, facilities, and parks. a super majority
vote by the city council can overrule this requirenhent.
(B) Historic Events, Places, and Persons — The history of the City and
its community are important in continuing and progressing the
City's identity, diversity, and culture. Nanking City properties to
cominemorate historic events, places, and persons helps to preserve
the history of the community and the impact of those events or
individuals had on the progress of the City. Preference will be given
to names that honor local people and events over non -local names.
(C) Major Gifts — A corporation, association, individual, or other legally
created entity making a major gift may request that the name of the
benefactor be associated with the name of the park, facility,
structure, feature, or other property. These requests will be evaluated
on an individual basis by the City Council with input from City staff
and any associated City Board, Commission, or Committee; where
applicable. As a guideline, the threshold for naming shall include
the following:
(i) Deeding to the City the land on which the property will be
located;
(ii) Payment of one-half or more of the capital costs of
constructing the property; or
(iii) The creation of a long-term endowment for the maintenance
and repair of the property.
(D) Purchased Naming Rights -- The City Council may also select to sell
the naming rights of a City park, facility, structure, or feature. The
City Council may issue a Request for Proposals (RIFT) process or by
other means permitted by applicable law for corporate naming of
City property. The entity purchasing the naming rights of a City
property will cover all costs for signage, plaques, and/or markers,
and all such devices shall be in fundamental compliance with the
design and aesthetics of signage already in use by the City for like
properties. Naming rights procured in this man ier cam-mt be
conveyed. The City Council will evaluate naming proposals tinder
this subsection based on their adherence to other guidelines tinder
14,07.003(a)(2), as well as:
(i) The reputation of the purchaser;
(ii) If the purchaser is a company or corporation, whether the
corporation's products/services align with the nature and Rinction of
the property to be named; and
(iii) The duration and revenues specified for the naming rights.
(E) To the extent a City property is financed with tax exempt bonds, the
City should consult with its bond counsel prior to finalizing any
name under §14,07.003(a)(2)(C) or (D).
(F) Requests made under 14.07.003(a)(2)(C) or (D) must still satisfy the
stated purpose and policy of this Article, and if determined by the
City Council to not be in line with the stated policy, the name along
with the associated gift or purchase offer may be refused by the City
Council if no acceptable alternative can be found.
(3) The following shall be avoided:
(A) Cumbersome, corrupted or modified navies.
(B) Profane, discriminatory, or derogatory navies relating to age, race,
religion, creed, national origin, sex, color, marital status, disability,
sexual orientation, political affiliation, or other similar categories.
(C) Duplicate names or names that in sound or pronunciation are similar
to oilier names currently in the City or extraterritorial jurisdiction,
(D) Names of appointed or elected officials currently in office.
14.07.004 Procedure
(a) A person, group, association, business, corporation, or other legally created entity
Tay suggest a name for City property by submitting a letter to the City Clerk's
office. Letters should include:
(1) The proposed name;
(2) A short explanation of why the property should be named or renamed; and
(3) A description of the proposed namesake's contributions to the contnzunity
or other justification for naming a park, facility, structure, or feature that
name.
(b) City Council, at its next regular meeting, will decide if an ad hoc committee is
necessary or if the request would fall tinder the purview of an existing City Board,
Commission, or Committee. 1f it is determined that an ad hoc committee will be
necessary, Council shall create the committee and appoint members as required
under §14.07.002(c).
(c) The City Manager shall direct the letter to the appropriate City Department for
review by staff. Staff shall evaluate:
(1) The requester's proposal in consideration of the stated policy and purpose
of this section;
(2) The impact on public safety;
(3) The financial impact for changing signs, plaques, and markers; and
(d) Upon completion of staff review, staff shall refer the naming suggestion and its
recommendation to the appropriate City of Board, Commission or Committee,
where applicable, the ad hoc conutlittee created for the naming request, if so
created, or to the City Council. Naming requests forwarded to a Board,
Commission, or Conu-littee or an ad hoe conmAttee shall be referred to the City
Council with the Board, Commission or Corninittee's reconullendation regarding
the suggestion within thirty (30) days of the date it was referred to the board,
commission, or coannrittee.
(e) City Council adoption;
(1) For renaming — The City shall publish notice of the prospective change in a
paper of general circulation, shall send notification letters to impacted
properties as required by City ordinance and state statute, and shall hold
public hearing on the proposed name change. Following the public hearing,
the City Council may adopt a resolution officially renaming a park, facility,
structure, or feature.
(2) For new parks, facilities, structures, or features -- The City Council shall
hold a public hearing on the proposed name. Following the public hearing,
the City Council may adopt a resolution officially naming the park, facility,
structure, or feature.
(f) Requests to nane individual features with a value of less than $5,000.00 shall be
referred to the appropriate City staff and shall not require the approval of the City
Council.
(g) Staff shall designate n-iinimunt tlu'esholds as part of any capital campaigns related
to the construction of new parks, facilities, structures, or features. At the beginning
of the campaign, staff shall establish the duration and terns for which the nm-ning
rights shall apply.
(h) Individuals or groups who wish to donate a feature and name the Feature in honor
of an individual or group will have their request evaluated by staff on the following
criteria/requirements;
(1) Established need for the feature;
(2) The requestor shall pay the full cost to erect or construct the feature;
(3) The requestor shall fiend all ongoing maintenance costs of the feature, as
well as the cost of replacement if the feature is damaged or destroyed; and
(4) The name chosen, as well as the reputation of the name or group, must abide
by all the requirements of this section, as applicable.
(i) This section does not apply to naming requests falling under 14.07.003(a)(2)(D).
The meeting at which this ordinance was approved was in all things conducted in strict
compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Governn-lent Code, Chapter 551.
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Bea
2023.
s the 31" day of October,
Roy West -