Commissioners begin revising county honorary naming policy; Bayside Bridge renaming proposed

County commissioners on July 17 opened a policy review of the county's honorary naming process and discussed a proposal to rename the Bayside Bridge in honor of two local legal figures.

The board asked staff to update Administrative Directive 9-5, the county's honorary naming directive dating to February 2006, and return with recommended language and an implementation plan. The directive now requires nominees to be deceased for at least five years and uses a naming rights committee and a public meeting before a commission resolution.

The review matters because commissioners said they want clearer criteria, a consistent public process and flexibility for cases where commissioners wish to act. Blaine (staff member) summarized the current policy and said staff compared nine peer counties and found common themes—historical significance, geographic relevance and multilayered administrative review—but mixed practices on time limits and exemptions. “The current honorary naming rights policy dates back to 02/2006, and it's found in administrative directive 9-5,” Blaine said during the presentation.

Commissioner Chris LaPella proposed renaming the Bayside Bridge for Bob Dillinger and Bernie McCabe, citing their long service and work on juvenile and criminal justice issues. Commissioners Flowers and Eggers expressed support and emphasized family permission and preserving a formal policy to avoid ad hoc decisions. Flowers said a shorter waiting period after someone's death—one year rather than five—would be acceptable in some cases if there are family permissions and other safeguards.

Commissioners and staff also discussed using standing advisory bodies for review when appropriate. Barry (County Administrator) noted that some parks and historic‑preservation boards already exist and could serve as naming review committees for certain property types, while a subcommittee or a direct commission action could be used when the commission itself indicates a clear preference.

Next steps: staff will draft policy revisions reflecting the discussion (including recommended timeframes, committee roles and notification procedures) and bring a formal renaming proposal for the Bayside Bridge back to the commission for consideration.

Less critical details: commissioners also asked staff to consider requests to rename other county properties (including a suggestion to recognize the Tocobaga people at Phillippi Park) and to forward any public applications to relevant boards for review before returning with an implementation plan.