Park board signals support for $50,000 donor naming package and sets renegotiation term

Park staff asked the board for direction on a proposed naming-rights agreement for two basketball backboards at Town Center Park and for other PATH donor options. The proposed gift structure offered $50,000 total with an initial payment (reported as $12,500) and an extended payment schedule over remaining years, with the donor asking for a 15-year naming term and the board previously preferring 10 years.

Staff said the payment structure and accelerated schedule were largely agreed and that the naming-rights term was the outstanding question. Board members said a donor-backed naming agreement would be a useful early 'win' for the PATH committee and help momentum for larger campaigns. The chair directed staff to tell the donor the board is generally supportive with the stipulation that at 15 years the naming rights would be renegotiated (the donor would hold a right of first refusal but not under the same terms). Staff and board also discussed whether a naming-rights gift could be combined with the EDC match program; staff said that administrative details could be clarified and that gifts under $50,000 fall within staff purview for approval.