Council agrees to allow former council members to be honored with facility names, drops five-year waiting rule

Council debated revisions to policy 155.4 covering the naming of city facilities and property. The earlier policy restricted naming to deceased individuals; the policy committee proposed allowing living individuals to be named. Debate focused on whether the policy should allow currently seated officials, and whether a waiting period after service (commonly five years in some peer ‘‘Hall of Fame'style'policies) should remain.

Council members argued both sides: Council Member Hair and others favored allowing people to receive honors while living; other members urged safeguards and consistent criteria. After discussion the council adopted a consensus motion to permit naming for former (not current) council members and to delete the five-year waiting requirement. The motion also directed staff to return with proposed objective criteria and a morality clause to govern future requests.

Council emphasized that separate rules apply for linear-park naming and naming rights tied to donations (those provisions remain in other parts of the code). Council asked staff to draft clear criteria so future naming requests are consistent, to include processes for community input and for revocation if conduct later merits removal.