Policy and procedure for a resident who would like to initiate the naming or renaming of a city-owned facility.

Purpose

To establish a consistent process for the naming of city facilities. Facilities include buildings, parks, bridges, overpasses, trails and other related public amenities and locations.

Policy

It is the policy of the City of West Sacramento to utilize a consistent process to encourage public participation in the naming and potential renaming of city facilities. Initial naming of city facilities may be initiated or overseen by city departments, following established guidelines and procedures and the naming criteria and guidance in this policy. In contrast, renaming requests may be initiated by the City Council or initiated by residents through an application process. All renaming requests will be subject to review and approval by the City Council. Specific written procedures will be followed to ensure a consistent approach in both naming and renaming process.

Procedure

General Naming/Renaming Criteria

All names should reflect the diversity, equity and inclusion of the West Sacramento community. New names should intentionally broaden the representation of people in our community. All names should first focus on local West Sacramento significance, but names that reflect California or a national lens may be approved if applicable to West Sacramento by direct or broad association. In selecting the name for a City facility, the following criteria shall be used. The criteria are not listed in any particular order, and a minimum of one must be met for naming or renaming eligibility:

1.  A geographic location (neighborhood, significant areas, etc.).

2.  A park feature: Natural or constructed (wildlife, lakes, memorial, etc.).

3.  An adjoining subdivision, street, school, or natural feature. No park shall be given the same name as an existing school site or public facility, except where the sites abut one another.

4. A commonly recognized historical event, group, organization or individual (living or deceased).

5.  Any individual who provided outstanding accomplishments for the good of the community. Quality of the contribution, length of service, and other factors should be considered.

6.  Any individual who provided an exceptional service to the City as a whole. When naming a facility after a person or group, an in-depth description of the contributions to the City must be provided.

7.  An individual (living or deceased) or organization that contributed significantly to the acquisition or development of the facility to be named. Consideration may be given to naming the City-owned land or facility after an individual when the land or facility, or the money for its purchase has been donated by the individual, or when otherwise warranted by some contribution or service which is deemed to be of major and lasting significance to the acquisition of that piece of land, or the planning, development, construction or renovation of that particular facility. Donation of land or resources shall not constitute an obligation by the City to name the land or facility or any portion thereof, after an individual or family.

8.  A name that would include the representation and land acknowledgement of the local
 indigenous tribes

Additional Naming/Renaming Guidelines

• If nominating an individual, the individual or family (if available) must approve. A background check of the nominated individual, paid by the applicant, will also be required.

• City staff will use applicable resources (historical documents, West Sacramento Historical Society, etc.) to verify any historical claims made in the nomination.

• A sign identifying the facility is the standard form of recognition. Signs must comply with the current facility signage standards.

• Once a facility has been renamed, no future proposal to change the name of the facility will be considered unless the City Council has determined that continuing to use the current name is not in the community's best interest.

• A portion of a facility within a facility can be named separately from the facility.

Renaming Process

Resident Initiated

• A City of West Sacramento resident may initiate a facility renaming by completing and submitting the City Facility Naming Application to the City Clerk. The City Clerk will check the application for completeness and provide a copy to the City Council members. If a Council member is in favor of proposing the name, they must request a future agenda item to consider the application at a future City Council meeting.

• The proposed name will be discussed at a future City Council meeting, where the Council will decide whether to seek community feedback. The City Council may approve the proposed name without community or commission input or may choose to gather feedback

• If community feedback is desired, the Community Relations department will lead the outreach and feedback process.

• Parks, Recreation, and Intergenerational Services (PRIS) Commission will review the proposed name and provide feedback on any facility under the Parks and Recreation Department jurisdiction.

• Feedback will be collected and presented at a future Council meeting. The City Council has the final authority to approve the name change.

• The provision of plaques or other physical commemorative items related to facility naming, if not donated, will follow the normal budgeting and purchasing
  process.

• The City Clerk’s Office will screen nominations for appropriateness and potential conflicts. Inappropriate names include those of infamous individuals or names containing vulgar language.

• The City Council has final authority over the naming of any City facility and may override decisions made by staff or commissions.

• If the park or facility is located on school property, the Washington Unified School District Board of Education must share final approval authority of the facility name with the City Council.

Submit an Online Application