BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHES FACILITY NAMING POLICY
The Brenham City Council adopted a facility naming policy at its meeting today (Thursday).
The policy creates uniform rules and procedures for the naming of all city facilities. It also forms a process for the purchase of naming rights.
Public Works Director Dane Rau said the policy lays out the guidelines for further identifying both existing facilities and new ones on the horizon.
The policy states that any proposed names would need to either be descriptive of the facility or its location; commemorate historical events, groups or individuals or have historical, social or cultural significance; honor a person’s community service or contribution to the facility’s interest or purpose; have already been commonly used in an unofficial capacity by citizens; or recognize a significant donation for the acquisition or construction of the facility to be named.
The policy describes a significant donation as the donation of land or 75 percent of the cost of acquiring or building a new facility, or 50 percent of the original construction cost for an existing unnamed facility. Deputy City Secretary Karen Stack said the city is viewing its policy as “a starting point” in this respect, because there is not a consistent dollar amount between cities in Texas when creating donation rules. For example, she said some cities require donors to cover 100 percent of the facility cost, while others require a fund to be created to pay for ongoing maintenance costs.
In addition, the policy sets forth the rules for naming “amenities”, described as assets within facilities that are valued at $15,000 or more, like the splash pad at Henderson Park, and “features”, assets costing less than $15,000, like drinking fountains and park benches.
The naming process will start with the facilities subcommittee, which may solicit suggestions. The subcommittee would then recommend a name to the council, which would have to approve a naming rights agreement if the name is chosen by a donor. Honorees will be vetted to ensure the name reflects positively on the city for the lifetime of the facility. Renaming will only be done under extraordinary circumstances.
Also at today’s meeting, the council:
- Heard the Brenham Police Department’s 2021 annual, crime analysis, racial profiling, use of force and pursuit reports.
- Approved a professional services agreement between the city and Strand Associates, Inc. for $170,000 for improvements to South Chappell Hill Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
- Passed a resolution approving the Texas subdivision and special district election and release forms related to the Endo/Par and Teva global opioid litigation settlements. Through this item, the city supports participation in the state’s additional settlements with pharmaceutical companies Endo/Par and Teva.
- Approved an ordinance granting a non-exclusive franchise to Maroon Dumpsters, LLC to operate a roll-off container service for residents, businesses and industries inside Brenham city limits.
- Accepted the Fiscal Year 2021 audit from Seidel Schroeder.
Click here to read the agenda packet for today's meeting.
