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CP094 (Naming City Property)CITY OF JANESVILLE Policy No. 94_ Page 1 of 6 CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT Date Issued: 3/23/2015 Revised: 11/8/2021 Subject: Public Property Effective Date: 11/8/2021 Specific Subject: Naming City Property Cancellation Date Supersedes No. Responsible Dept/Div: City Manager’s Office PURPOSE To establish standard procedures and guidelines for the naming of public property, or portions thereof, owned and/or operated by the City of Janesville. This policy may not be consistent with existing names of City properties. No suggestion is made or intended that existing names be changed. This policy is a basis for future decisions. This policy will apply to the majority of situations and is intended to maintain fairness and consistency. The City recognizes that there may be unique circumstances or events that may warrant a departure from this policy for the overall good of the City. The Common Council shall consider such matters and shall identify any special considerations and the justification to deviate from this policy on a case-by-case basis. STATEMENT OF POLICY Any naming or renaming of public property shall require initiation by the City and approval by the Common Council. A. Requests for the naming or renaming of streets as well as public buildings, parks, and facilities shall be submitted in writing to the City Manager. The City Manager may forward requests to the appropriate Common Council committees for consideration as follows: • Streets: Plan Commission and Common Council • Parks & park/recreation facilities: Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and Common Council • Library building, or portions thereof: Library Board and Common Council • All other City buildings and facilities, or portions thereof: Common Council B. Once a street, public building, park, or facility is named, the name of the public property cannot be changed for a period of 25 years unless, after investigation by the City, the name is found to be inappropriate in light of new information. C. All costs associated with the naming, including the cost of any recording nec essary and the cost of signage, shall be paid by the person(s) submitting the request. This cost may be absorbed by the City if authorized by the Common Council. PROCEDURES – STREETS A. New Streets 1. All new streets shall be named when the street right-of-way is first dedicated or CITY OF JANESVILLE Policy No. 94_ Page 2 of 6 CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT Date Issued: 3/23/2015 Revised: 11/8/2021 Subject: Public Property Effective Date: 11/8/2021 Specific Subject: Naming City Property Cancellation Date Supersedes No. Responsible Dept/Div: City Manager’s Office accepted by the Plan Commission and Common Council. B. Renaming Streets 1. To request the renaming of a City street, by anyone other than the City, a petition signed by at least 50 percent of all property owners along the street, with a maximum of one signature per parcel, shall be submitted to the City Manager and follow the procedures outlined below. Signatures shall be obtained by the person or persons requesting the renaming. A street renaming shall not be considered unless the number of signatures exceeds 50 percent of the number of parcels along the street. 2. The City Clerk-Treasurer shall determine the legitimacy and sufficiency of the signatures on the petition and the City Manager shall review the proposed name in terms of the criteria contained in Council Policy #94. 3. All affected property owners adjoining the portion of street proposed for a name change shall be notified by mail in advance of the Common Council meeting where the name change will be considered. 4. The Plan Commission shall not review the renaming of an existing street unless the Common Council refers such matter to the Plan Commission for its recommendation. 5. The Common Council shall evaluate the proposal based on the information submitted as well as hold a public hearing as part of the review process. 6. After the public hearing, the renaming of a street shall be approved by the adoption of a Common Council resolution. 7. Upon Common Council approval of a street name change, an affidavit signed by the Director of Public Works shall be filed with the Rock County Register of Deeds. PROCEDURES – PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PARKS, AND FACILITIES (OR PORTIONS THEREOF) A. Each proposal shall include: 1. The specific public building, park, or facility being proposed for naming or renaming including its address or a sketch showing its location. 2. All names considered. 3. The full form of the name being recommended. 4. The origin or meaning of the proposed name, if applicable. 5. If the proposed name refers to an individual, a brief biography of that individual. 6. The rationale of naming or renaming the public building, park, or facility and if applicable, an explanation of how the name or individual is or has been associated with the building, park, facility or the area in which the public building, park, or facility is located. CITY OF JANESVILLE Policy No. 94_ Page 3 of 6 CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT Date Issued: 3/23/2015 Revised: 11/8/2021 Subject: Public Property Effective Date: 11/8/2021 Specific Subject: Naming City Property Cancellation Date Supersedes No. Responsible Dept/Div: City Manager’s Office B. Once a proposal is received by the City Manager, there shall be a waiting period of 90 days to allow for the submission of additional names for consideration. The 90-day wait period shall be waived when the naming proposal is tied to a donation of $100,000 or more at one time made to the City of Janesville by an individual or entity. C. The Common Council shall evaluate the proposal based on the recommendation from applicable committee(s) and the information submitted. Review and recommendation from applicable committee(s) shall be waived when the naming proposal is tied to a donation of $100,000 or more at one time made to the City of Janesville by an individual or entity. D. The Common Council shall hold a public hearing as part of the review process. E. After the public hearing, the naming or renaming of a public building, park, or facility shall be approved by the adoption of a Common Council resolution. CRITERIA – STREETS In reviewing a proposed naming or renaming of a street, committees and the Common Council shall consider the proposed name in relation to the following criteria: A. A name shall not be considered if it duplicates or sounds similar to an existing name for a street. B. Names that could be considered derogatory, obscene, blasphemous or in poor taste based on community standards shall not be considered. C. The following guidelines shall apply to the naming or renaming of a street after an individual: 1. A street shall not be named in honor of a living person. 2. The name of an individual may be considered only if it is determined that it is in the public interest to honor the individual or the individual’s family for historical or commemorative reasons. 3. The name of an individual shall not be given consideration unless the individual portrayed a positive image or was associated with or made a significant contribution to the area in which the street is located. 4. Names of individuals who have made contributions in the arts, entertainment and business shall be considered along with names of individuals known for outstanding careers of public service. 5. Names of individuals who have made significant contributions to the City of Janesville shall be preferred over names of national figures. CITY OF JANESVILLE Policy No. 94_ Page 4 of 6 CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT Date Issued: 3/23/2015 Revised: 11/8/2021 Subject: Public Property Effective Date: 11/8/2021 Specific Subject: Naming City Property Cancellation Date Supersedes No. Responsible Dept/Div: City Manager’s Office 6. An individual’s epithet, nickname, or title may be used if it would provide a more appropriate, interesting or enduring name. 7. Full names shall not be considered unless use of an individual’s last name only would render the street unidentifiable or create confusion with other such streets. D. The City may honorarily name a street such that the existing formal street name will not be changed. Honorary street names shall adhere to the criteria outlined in this section. CRITERIA - PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PARKS, AND FACILITIES (OR PORTIONS THEREOF) In reviewing a proposed naming or renaming of a public building, park, or facility, committees and the Common Council shall consider the proposed name in relation to the following criteria: A. Descriptive names are required. Examples include: 1. The building, park, or facility’s purpose 2. Outstanding features of the facility 3. Landmarks 4. Topographic features 5. Adjoining subdivisions 6. Streets 7. Geographic locations 8. Commonly recognized historical events 9. Individuals B. A name shall not be considered if it duplicates or sounds similar to an existing name for the same type of public property. C. Names that could be considered derogatory, obscene, blasphemous or in poor taste based on community standards shall not be considered. D. The following guidelines shall apply to the naming or renaming of a public building, park, or facility after an individual: 1. The name of an individual may be considered only if it is determined that it is in the public interest to honor the individual or the individual’s family for historical or commemorative reasons. 2. The name of an individual shall not be given consideration unless the individual portrays a positive image and is or was associated with or made a significant contribution to the public building, park, or facility being named or renamed or to the area in which the public building, park, or facility is located. 3. Public property shall not be named after a former City employee until the person has been retired for at least one (1) year. CITY OF JANESVILLE Policy No. 94_ Page 5 of 6 CITY COUNCIL POLICY STATEMENT Date Issued: 3/23/2015 Revised: 11/8/2021 Subject: Public Property Effective Date: 11/8/2021 Specific Subject: Naming City Property Cancellation Date Supersedes No. Responsible Dept/Div: City Manager’s Office 4. Names of individuals who have made contributions in the arts, entertainment and business shall be considered along with names of individuals known for outstanding careers of public service. 5. In the naming of parks, libraries, transit centers, fire and police stations and other facilities with specific missions or functions, preference shall be given to names of individuals who have made significant contributions in occupations related to those facilities. 6. Names of individuals who have made significant contributions to the City of Janesville shall be preferred over names of national figures. 7. An individual’s epithet, nickname, or title may be used if it would provide a more appropriate, interesting, or enduring name. 8. Private dollars fundraised in public/private partnerships for the purposes of constructing or rehabilitating public buildings, parks, and facilities (or portions thereof) may be donated contingent on naming rights to the property. In such cases and when the City has accepted said private dollars under those terms, the City Council shall honor the naming rights granted, provided that the name meets the criteria set forth by Council Policy #94. E. Names of corporations or civic groups will be considered if they had a significant impact in the establishment or development of the City of Janesville, State of Wisconsin, or the United States of America.