Council Action Requested:
Adopt criteria by which County Council will consider in the naming or renaming of County property and facilities.
Points to Consider:
Lancaster County has numerous assets of real property and facilities, particularly in the parks and recreation department, that can be utilized to honor local residents or even monetized to maximize revenue for the County.
The County recently added two new athletic / soccer complexes, plus renovated the Indian Land Recreation Center. In addition, the County is embarking on the construction of a new 84-acre regional park and new Detention Facility.
These new facilities, plus others planned, give the County Council an opportunity to determine names for these new facilities.
There are a myriad of ways the County Council can approach naming of County property and facilities, with this proposed ordinance identifying some criteria or parameters to consider.
This ordinance outlines a general naming policy, but would be used in tandem with an administrative policy related to sponsorships, for the instance when sponsorships can be parlayed into naming rights that would be presented to County Council.
Funding and Liability Factors:
Naming of public property or facilities can evoke a lot of emotions depending on the name and rationale utilized. Having a policy and transparent process can mitigate any concerns for how names are determined.
The only funding factor is having expenses to pay for signage and potential advertising. However, there could be significant revenue generated based on sponsorship opportunities with naming rights.
Recommendation:
Approve ordinance.