2021-10-5_PR_Comm Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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5.Review of the Park Naming Process Related to Possible Renaming of Pocahontas Park At the September meeting, the Commission decided to recommend to the City Council that the name of Pocahontas Park be changed. This recommendation will be made in a joint meeting at a regular City Council meeting on October 25. n preparation for if theCity Council concurs with the above recommendation, a In addition, i discussion occurred on possible ways to move forward with determining a new name. Traditionally, the Commission has followed the attached City policy (Parks and Recreation Policy 40: Assigning Names to City Facilities) to determine park names. A typical naming process has included the following and has worked well in the past: 1.Review of ci ty policy for assigning names to city facilities. 2.Solicit suggestions from the community. 3.Discuss the history of the property. 4.Discuss options for names. 5.Formulate a recommendation for consideration City Council. It is important to compare this with any process that you might propose. Please be prepared to identify and outline any deviations you are interested in pursuing so that can be shared with the City Council. Enclosed are the two most recent examples for the naming of Midland Gardens Park and Unity Park. At your September meeting, several areas were generally discussed including the following: Commission members expressed concern with a lack of name suggestions to date. One possible reason for this could be the lack of a definitive answer regarding whether the name was going to change or not, i.e. residents were reluctant to propose a new name without knowing for certain it was going to change. The importance of Native American participation in the selection of a new name Although several Native American groups and individuals provided feedback on the Pocahontas name, they had been reluctant at this point to suggest a new name. It is possible that if the name is officially changed, they will be more willing to provide suggestions. A discussion on the possible use of a stipend to invite Native American individuals to participate in the process. It is suggested that you take the time at this meeting to discuss and agree as a commission on a defined process to share with the City Council for their concurrence. Requested Commission Action: Review current naming policy and typical process. Outline and decide as a commission body ifyou would like to suggest following the above process or identify any specific deviations to suggest to the City Council at your joint meeting on October 25.