Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.C.7. Renaming Ambassador Neighborhood Park-Res. No. 6897 s. c. /. CITY OF SHAKOPEE Memorandum CO~Sr-"T .'.' L1 To: Mayor and City Council Mark McNeill, City Administrator From: Jamie Polley, Parks, Recreation & Natural Resources Director Subject: Renaming Ambassador Neighborhood Park - Resolution No. 6897 Date: April 7, 2009 INTRODUCTION The Miss Shakopee program is requesting to rename Ambassador Park prior to the park signage being installed. A park in which they submitted an application for and originally named in October 2007. BACKGROUND Dawn Gleason, a parent volunteer of the Miss Shakopee Ambassadors Program, submitted the application to name a park "Ambassador Park" in honor of the volunteer group, which has contributed to the City of Shakopee in many ways. The program has served the community from 1929-85 under the name of Miss Shakopee. The current group has been active since 2002, and includes Little Miss, Jr. Miss as well as Miss Shakopee programs. The group performs community service by representing the City of Shakopee in festivals and recently, Park Grand Openings, and also represents the City in other community events throughout the year. They do annual fundraisers and also offer a scholarship program. The naming of Ambassador Park was not associated with a donation, but was in reference to the group's significant contributions to the community. On October 2, 2007 the City Council adopted 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 directed 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. City Council also directed staff to document the commitments of the Miss Shakopee group to continually enhance the park. Staff met with Dawn Gleason to discuss several activities that the Miss Shakopee organization would commit to undertaking on a regular basis. These include: . Bi-annual park clean-ups in spring and fall . Annual tree planting events where new and former royalty 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 Miss Shakopee Program (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 Miss Shakopee 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. This would be a reflective sign public works would produce. . The city would also allow the Miss Shakopee organization 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. Recently, the Miss Shakopee program approached the City to begin moving forward with park clean ups and enhancements such as tree plantings. The group also inquired about the sign installation and a grand opening for the park. Staff is currently working on the park signage project and plans to install this neighborhood park sign in the fall of 2009. A grand opening will be held when the sign is installed. DISCUSSION The Miss Shakopee program is requesting that the City rename Ambassador Park to Royalty Park. There are a number of groups in Shakopee called the Ambassadors and because of this reason the Miss Shakopee program has dropped the word "Ambassador" from their name. Since the park was named after the Miss Shakopee program the name Royalty Park would be more appropriate. The Miss Shakopee program is making this request prior to the sign installation and is anxious to begin planting trees and continuing their commitment to the Adopt a Park program. On March 23, 2009 the PRAB moved to recommend to City Council that Ambassador Park be renamed to Royalty Park. RELATIONSHIP TO CITY VISION: C. Great place for kids to grow up. REQUESTED ACTION The City Council, if it concurs, offer Resolution No. 6897, A Resolution of the City of Shakopee, Minnesota Naming Royalty Neighborhood Park, and move its adoption. RESOLUTION NO. 6897 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, on October 2,2007, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 6651, which named the Countryside Northeast Park Ambassador Park located at 101 Ardennes Avenue, near the intersection of Shire Street in honor of the Miss ShakopeeProgram, by virtue of their donation oftime spent performing community service; and WHEREAS, the Miss Shakopee 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; and WHEREAS, the Miss Shakopee program ;s requesting the renaming of Ambassador Neighborhood Park to Royalty Neighborhood Park. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA, that the park formerly called Ambassador Neighborhood Park, located at 101 Ardennes Avenue, be named Royalty Neighborhood Park. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Resolution No. 6651, A Resolution Naming Ambassador Neighborhood Park is hereby repealed in its entirety. Adopted in the session of the City Council of the City of Shakopee, Minnesota held this yth day of April, 2009. John J. Schmitt Mayor of the City of Shakopee ATTEST: City Clerk