Chapter 12.25
NAMING PARKS, OPEN SPACES AND CITY-OWNED INFRASTRUCTURE
Sections:
12.25.020 Policy and procedure.
12.25.010 Purpose and intent.
It is the purpose and intent of this chapter to establish a predictable and transparent process through which the Ferndale City Council may consider and adopt names for a variety of City-owned infrastructure, via an inclusive process that does not result in division within the community. This chapter is also intended to clarify City procedures to consider naming rights for certain facilities, where meaningful monetary contributions to that facility’s construction or maintenance may result in cost savings to the Ferndale community. (Ord. 2246 § 1 (Exh. 1), 2024)
12.25.020 Policy and procedure.
City-owned parks, open spaces, and infrastructure (together, City-owned infrastructure) in the City of Ferndale will be named according to the following policy and procedure:
A. It is the policy of the City of Ferndale to choose names for City-owned infrastructure based on the site’s relationship to the following criteria:
1. Neighborhood, geographic, or common usage identification.
2. A natural or geological feature.
3. A historical figure, place, event, or other instance of historical or cultural significance as verified by appropriate Ferndale area boards, commissions, or societies.
a. When public infrastructure is on or in close proximity to a site related to indigenous figures, events, or locations, the City may seek to acknowledge this relationship in a manner that is respectful to indigenous figures and culture, both past, present, and future.
4. An individual (living or deceased) who has made a significant land, monetary, or personal contribution to the park system; or when a donation has been made in memoriam and the name has been stipulated as a condition of a donation. For the purposes of this section, a “significant” donation may approximate 25 percent of total project cost (“total project” shall be construed for the purposes of this chapter to include property and development costs).
5. An individual who has contributed outstanding civic service to the Ferndale community and who has been deceased for a period of at least five years.
6. A business or corporation which purchases the naming rights.
B. When the City Council identifies the need to name or rename a City facility, the City shall seek public input. The City Council shall be vested with the ultimate naming decision, but may, at its discretion, seek input from City boards, commissions, community service groups, and/or may seek to make a formal request for input from the community.
C. From time to time the City may seek private contributions to defray the costs of capital construction or ongoing maintenance associated with certain City facilities. It is the general policy of the City to memorialize such contributions in a visible manner. The City Council reserves the right to associate the name of contributors who have contributed funds or land to a project at such magnitude that the project would not have been practical without that individual contribution, and to enter into a naming rights agreement to memorialize that contribution, for a period of time. In such cases, the City Council may determine that the public will benefit by entering into naming right agreements with individual businesses or corporations, wherein such naming rights will offset all or a portion of the facility’s operational or capital costs.
1. Only those facilities with a significant public use component, such as ballfields, stages, or similar facilities, shall be considered for naming rights sponsorship, and not all facilities of this type must be considered.
2. Should the City Council determine that a facility’s naming rights are to be made available, the City Council shall adopt a resolution and shall direct City staff to make appropriate notice of the availability of such naming rights, including any other information, such as anticipated duration, type of signage or advertising, and other relevant considerations, as shall be appropriate to describe the opportunity. An agreement authorized by the City Council shall be approved, based on guidance provided by City staff and the City’s legal counsel.
3. In general, a naming right under this section shall be for an initial period of not more than 10 years, and the value of the naming right should equal not less than 25 percent of the capital cost of the facility to be named, or 50 percent of the projected maintenance costs of the facility over a 10-year period.
4. The business sponsor, at their own cost and with the City’s review and oversight, may develop, manufacture, and permit signage for the facility, and shall be responsible for the removal of such signage at the end of the contract.
5. Naming right agreements may include additional instructions associated with signage, advertising, and other conventions associated with the right, but shall not place limitations on the nature of performances or the type of use of the named facilities.
6. Any naming rights agreement shall be approved by the Ferndale City Council.
D. A park’s interior features and/or facilities may have names other than that of the entire park. These names are subject to criteria designated in subsection (B) or (C) of this section.
E. A name, once adopted, shall be permanent with no changes allowed unless subject to subsection (C) or (F) of this section.
F. Necessity of Name Change. In all cases, and without prior notice, the Ferndale City Council reserves the right to remove a name on a permanent or temporary basis, or to rename a park or facility when it is determined that:
1. Additional information related to the name, or the individual for which the facility is named, has been identified resulting in a significantly different and negative understanding of the name’s meaning or the individual’s contributions from what was originally believed.
2. It is determined that the name contains objectively racist or derogatory meanings, slurs, or stereotypes, or any other valid reason the City determines that the facility should be renamed.
3. Any other valid reason the City determines that a facility should be renamed; e.g., a relative requests the removal of a family name, dissolution of a corporate sponsor, etc. (Ord. 2246 § 1 (Exh. 1), 2024)