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Home My WebLink About5.B.1. Park Naming of Ambassador Park - Res. No. 6651 5.~.1. CITY OF SHAKOPEE Memorandum CONSENT To: City Council, Mayor, City Administrator From: Jamie Polley, Park and Recreation Director Andrea Weber, Park and Recreation Landscape Design Subject: Call for Park Naming- Ambassador Park Naming Applications, Resolution No. 6651 Date: October 2, 2007 INTRODUCTION This item is to request City Council Action of one park naming application received during the Citywide Call for Park Names. The City Council is also asked to accept a recommendation and offer Resolution No. 6651, A Resolution naming Ambassador Neighborhood Park, BACKGROUND A citywide "Call for Park Names" has been posted on the city website, press releases have been sent out, and it has been written about in the Southwest Saturday column of the Valley News, The City Council reviewed the two park naming applications at their September 4, 2007 meeting. In reviewing the application to name the Countryside NE Park, Ambassador Neighborhood Park, the City Council directed staff to document the commitments of the Ambassador group to continually enhance the park. Staff met with Dawn Gleason, the applicant, on September 1 ih. We agreed to several activities that the Ambassadors would commit to undertaking on a regular basis. These included: . Bi-annual park clean-ups in spring and fall . Annual tree planting events where new and former ambassadors would be recognized with a tree and metal plaque, possibly mounted on a stone near the tree. The tree planting materials would be paid for by the Ambassadors (through fundraising or donations) and would be planted by the group volunteers, City staff would be involved in approving the location of the trees, species selection, and approval of plaques and their location to minimize maintenance. City staff would be informed of, the dates scheduled for these activities. . Around the new park signage (after it is installed), the volunteers would be in charge of enhancement plantings, consisting of additional flower planting and maintenance, . Future fund raising campaigns, to be approved by staff, to add additional features to the park would be undertaken, including, but not limited to: 1. Purchasing and installing grill(s) near the picnic shelter 2. Addition of another picnic shelter (installation and materials for the picnic shelter structure, patio/pad, and tables, etc.) 3. Other enhancements to be determined in the future with City Staff. The City would provide: · park signage according to the approved new prototype, with the Ambassador name and logo included. . An additional sign explaining the name of the park, with a few sentences about the group and the park naming dedication date (t.b.d. in spring of 2008) etc.,. This would be a reflective sign public works would produce, · The city would also allow the Ambassadors to hold picnics or other events in the park in accordance with the City's policies (the park would still be accessible to the public during any event), but with no fees charged to the group for this use. Review of the PRAB Recommendation on Ambassador NeiQhborhood Park This application seeks to name a park "Ambassador Park" in honor of the volunteer group, Miss Shakopee Ambassadors, which has contributed to the City of Shakopee as a community service organization for young women and girls since 1929 (with a few breaks). This application is applied somewhat similarly to a donor naming, which is done on a case by case basis. The donation is not a specific monetary amount; rather it is in reference to their community work as a donation of time, The applicant also stated at the meeting and to staff, that she would like to work with staff on how the naming could be recognized in the park using signag~, plaques, or donated plantings or trees which the group could do (ongoing) fundraising for. They are also interested in taking on some volunteer ownership of the park by possibly weeding planting beds and being involved with regular clean ups of the park. These activities could offset some costs of the park maintenance and materials in the future, The Guidelines on Donor naming are below: B. Donor Naming may be considered on a case by case basis. Donor naming agreements may [emphasis added] include provisions for ongoing and special maintenance costs, such as the renovation of a facility. Donor naming may also have specific terms for discontinuation or termination and shall be adopted by City Council resolution. This application, as discussed by the Advisory Board, also could fit as "persons with historic significance", given that the group has been a part of the civic life of Shakopee since 1929, This fits the policy under 1. a. definitions of unique, meaningful and inclusive: . Meaningful. Names may reference natural features or landmarks, local historic events or persons with historic significance, locally or nationally, The Advisory Board also discussed with the applicant which park would be preferred for this name. Since the group primarily serves high school ages, one of the parks near the new High School was suggested. Since Countryside NE park is directly to the north of the School, and is the largest of the Countryside parks, it was selected as the preferred park, If Council concurs, the name of Countryside Northeast Park would then be officially adopted as Ambassador Neighborhood Park. Adopt A Park The Ambassador Park name brought up the discussion of how it was different from "adopting" a park. The City does not have a formal "Adopt a Park" program at this time, Staff will look into this type of program and offer more information to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for discussion in October. The Adopt A Park program, if adopted, could attract the local service groups and neighborhood organizations to care for and enhance the parks of Shakopee. Possible parks to be named include: . Blakewood Estates (Church Addition) (Rymark Court) . Countryside Northeast (Ardennes Ave.) . Countryside Northwest (Hackney Ave.) . Countryside Southwest (Caspian Lane) . Glacier Estates (Portage Lane East) . Greenfield West (Independence and Crane) . Providence Westchester (1 th Ave and Valley View) . Savannah Oaks (Oxford Rd. North) . Valley Creek Crossing (Evergreen Lane) RELATIONSHIP TO VISION C, Great Place for Kids to Grow Up REQUESTED ACTION 1. Offer Resolution No. 6651, A Resolution of the City of Shakopee, Minnesota Naming the "Ambassador Neighborhood Park," formerly known as Countryside Northeast (located at 101 Ardennes Avenue near the intersection with Shire Street), and direct staff to work with the Miss Shakopee Ambassadors Program to identify how the park name shall be documented in the park site with use of signage and other means. 2, Table action on "Ambassador Neighborhood Park" name and direct staff to retur~ with additional requested information. RESOLUTION NO. 6651 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA NAMING AMBASSADOR NEIGHBORHOOD .PARK WHEREAS, on February 7,2007, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 6174, which established procedure officially adopting park names; and WHEREAS, Resolution No. 6174 specifies that park names shall be adopted by City Council Resolution; and WHEREAS, there has been an application to name the Countryside Addition Northeast Park, located at 101 Ardennes Avenue, near the intersection of Shire Street in honor of the Miss Shakopee Ambassador's Program, by virtue of their donation of time spent performing community service; and WHEREAS, the Miss Shakopee Ambassador's Program, by virtue of their historic significance, is a group which has represented Shakopee since 1929; and WHEREAS, such a naming is consistent with the Naming Policy Naming Guidelines, Part 1, A., allowing names in reference to donations to Shakopee Parks, as well as Naming Policy Guidelines, Part 1. B., fitting the definition of "meaningful" regarding their historic presence serving the City of Shakopee. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA, that the park formerly called Countryside Addition Northeast Park, located at 101 Ardennes Avenue, be named Ambassador Neighborhood Park. Adopted in the regular session of the City Council of the City of Shakopee, Minnesota held this 2nd day of October, 2007. John J. Schmitt Mayor of the City of Shakopee ATTEST: City Clerk