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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 02 24 Public Hearing 400 - First Reading of Ordinance 2025-07: Procedures for Naming Buildings, Parks, and StreetsPUBLIC HEARINGS AGENDA ITEM 400 CITY COMMISSION AGENDA | FEBRUARY 24, 2025 REGULAR MEETING TITLE First Reading of Ordinance 2025-07: Procedures for Naming Buildings, Parks, and Streets SUMMARY The City Commission requested the development of a naming policy to establish clear guidelines for naming public facilities such as buildings, parks, and streets. This proposed policy would amend Chapter 2 of the City Code and aims to ensure that names reflect the city's values, history, and community contributions while maintaining consistency and transparency in process. Key considerations include honoring individuals or groups who have made significant public or financial contributions, avoiding controversial or inappropriate names, and incorporating public input and required community support. FUNDING SOURCE As noted in the proposed ordinance, the cost the naming or renaming will have on the City or any other person who is or could be materially affected by the name or name change should be taken into consideration. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Commission hold a public hearing and approve Ordinance 2025-07 on first reading. 510 Ordinance No. 2025-07 City of Winter Springs Page 1 of 4 ORDINANCE NO. 2025-07 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS, FLORIDA, ADDING A NEW ARTICLE IX, PROCEDURES FOR NAMING BUILDINGS, PARKS, AND STREETS, TO CHAPTER 2, ADMINISTRATION, OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS CODE OF ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF PRIOR INCONSISTENT ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS, INCORPORATION INTO THE CODE, SEVERABILITY, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, the City is granted the authority, under § 2(b), Art. VIII of the State Constitution, to exercise any power for municipal purposes except when expressly prohibited by law; and WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to establish and maintain a consistent approach to and procedure for naming City buildings, parks, and streets; and WHEREAS, the City Commission thus desires to add a new Article IX, Procedures for Naming Buildings, Parks, and Streets, to Chapter 2, Administration, of the City Code, to formalize the City’s procedures for naming City buildings, parks, and streets; and WHEREAS, the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, hereby finds this Ordinance to be in the best interests of the public health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Winter Springs. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS HEREBY ORDAINS, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Recitals. The foregoing recitals are hereby fully incorporated herein by this reference. Section 2. Amendment to Chapter 2, Administration. The City of Winter Springs Code of Ordinances, Chapter 2, Administration, is hereby amended as follows to add a new Article IX, Procedures for Naming of Buildings, Parks, and Streets: (underlined type indicates additions to the City Code and strikeout type indicates deletions, while asterisks (* * *) indicate a deletion from the Ordinance of text existing in Chapter 2. It is intended that the text in Chapter 2 denoted by the asterisks and set forth in this Ordinance shall remain unchanged from the language existing prior to the adoption of this Ordinance): * * * Chapter 2 – ADMINISTRATION * * * 511 Ordinance No. 2025-07 City of Winter Springs Page 2 of 4 ARTICLE IX. – PROCEDURES FOR NAMING OF BUILDINGS, PARKS, AND STREETS Sec. 2-400. – Intent and Purpose; Findings. The intent and purpose of this section is to establish a uniform method and procedure to assist the City Commission in naming certain City buildings, parks, and streets. The City Commission hereby finds that the authority to name City buildings, parks, and streets is solely vested in the City Commission. Nothing herein shall be construed as a delegation of any authority to name a City building, park, or street to any other person or entity. The naming of City buildings, parks, and streets shall be determined in the sole and absolute discretion of the City Commission by majority vote. However, a renaming of any existing City building, park, or street that has already been named in honor of a person shall require a super-majority vote. Sec. 2-401. – Generally. The naming of a city building, park, or street shall be determined by the City Commission either (i) based on its own initiative, (ii) upon a recommendation by the City Manager, (iii) upon the request of any person or entity desiring to assist the City Commission in determining the name of any city building, park, or street or (iv) as part of City Commission approval of a new land development project which consists of a new city building, park, or street pursuant to the city's land development regulations. The City Manager may make a recommendation to the City Commission based on their own initiative, or as part of an assistance petition as set forth below. Sec. 2-402. – Naming Guidelines. When considering the naming of any City building, park, or street, the City Manager and City Commission shall consider any of the following naming attributes: a. Recognized geographic features and community names. b. Functional or purpose-based names such city hall, public library, treatment plant, etc. c. Natural historic features and local flora and fauna. d. Significant public contributions and service to the City, State of Florida, or United States. e. Significant material or financial contributions to the City. f. Persons of historic service to the City. g. Persons of outstanding civic service to the City. h. Honoring a significant event. i. Documented community support for the name. Sec. 2-403. – Other factors. When considering the naming of any City building, park, or street, the City Manager and City Commission shall also consider the following other factors: a. The cost that the naming or renaming will have on the City or any other person who is or could be materially affected by the name or name change; 512 Ordinance No. 2025-07 City of Winter Springs Page 3 of 4 b. Naming proposals that promote alcohol or tobacco products or political organizations/endorsements will not be considered; c. Preference shall be given to names or long established local usage and names that lend dignity to the building, street or park to be named; d. Persons currently serving on the City Commission or serving as an existing city employee shall not be considered; e. Names selected shall be widely recognized and of enduring, honorable fame, not notoriety, and shall be commensurate with the significance of the building, street, or park named; f. Names with connotations which by contemporary community standards are derogatory or offensive shall not be considered; g. Proliferation of the same name for different City buildings, streets, or parks shall be avoided; h. Proliferation of multiple names for different parts of a particular city park shall be avoided; i. If the name is an individual person, whether the individual has ever been convicted of a felony based on background screening conducted by the City’s police department; and j. Names should not create confusion for 911 and first responders. Sec. 2-404. – Assistance Petitions. Any person or entity wishing to assist the City Commission in determining the name of a City building, street, or park shall submit an assistance petition to the City Manager for evaluation and a recommendation by the City Manager. The petition shall be in writing and shall demonstrate the basis on which the petitioner believes the naming request satisfies the naming guidelines and other factors set forth in this article and shall demonstrate that requisite minimum community support has been obtained by the petitioner pursuant to this article. Upon receipt of duly submitted assistance petition, the City Manager shall make a recommendation to the City Commission either for approval or disapproval of the assistance petition. Sec. 2-405. – Minimum Community Support. Each assistance petition submitted to the City Manager shall be accompanied by petition signatures that demonstrate minimum community support as follows: a. Street Naming: The assistance petition shall be signed by at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the property owners along the segment of the street to be renamed. b. Building or Park Naming: the assistance petition shall be signed by at least one hundred fifty (150) registered voters of the City of Winter Springs to demonstrate a minimum level of community support. No assistance petition shall be processed by the City Manager unless said petition has the minimum number of signatures required by this subsection. * * * Section 3. Repeal of Prior Inconsistent Ordinances and Resolutions. All prior inconsistent ordinances and resolutions adopted by the City Commission, or parts of prior ordinances and resolutions in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed to the extent of the conflict. 513 Ordinance No. 2025-07 City of Winter Springs Page 4 of 4 Section 4. Incorporation Into Code. This Ordinance shall be incorporated into the Winter Springs City Code and any section or paragraph, number or letter, and any heading may be changed or modified as necessary to effectuate the foregoing. Grammatical, typographical, and like errors may be corrected and additions, alterations, and omissions, not affecting the construction or meaning of this Ordinance and the City Code may be freely made. Section 5. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, word or provision of this Ordinance is for any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, whether for substantive, procedural, or any other reason, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision, and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. Section 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon adoption by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, and pursuant to City Charter. ADOPTED by the City Commission of the City of Winter Springs, Florida, in a regular meeting assembled on the ________ day of _________________, 2025. ____________________________________ KEVIN McCANN, Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________________ CHRISTIAN GOWAN, City Clerk Approved as to legal form and sufficiency for the City of Winter Springs only: ________________________________________ ANTHONY A. GARGANESE, City Attorney First Reading: __________________ Legal Ad: __________________ Second Reading: __________________ 514