Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Naming Rights Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Forest adopts naming-rights and recognition policy for city amenities; council limits logos
Summary
The City Council approved a draft naming-rights and recognition policy that standardizes how plaques, signs and larger naming requests are handled; council members expressed consensus against corporate logos and directed staff to add record-keeping and maintenance provisions.
The Lake Forest City Council on Feb. 18 approved a naming-rights and recognition policy to guide how the city accepts and recognizes donations for city-owned amenities and public spaces.
Assistant City Manager George (presenting) described a three-tier draft policy covering small recognition plaques, naming rights for larger donations, and extraordinary gifts tied to major projects. He said the policy aims to codify a consistent process: written requests, administrative approval for plaques and city-council approval for larger naming requests, and guidance on proportional donations and maintenance endowments.
Council members debated whether corporate logos should be permitted. Multiple council members expressed a preference to prohibit logos on signs and plaques; the mayor summarized the consensus: “I think the best place, the understanding we should have going forward ... is that the policy as written does not allow the use of emblems or logos.” Several aldermen said tasteful nonprofit logos might be acceptable if the council decides later to permit them.
Council discussion also emphasized documentation and maintenance: members asked staff to maintain a registry of donor placements, to contact donors if an asset (bench, tree, memorial) reaches the end of its useful life, and to specify typical maintenance funding expectations (a 20‑year planning horizon was discussed as an example). Alderman Knowles and others asked that donors be given a right-of-first-refusal to renew plaques or coverings when replacement is required.
The policy includes language that city officials and employees may not be honored while in office, that naming rights are not advertising, and that facilities rather than entire parks or city buildings are the primary focus. The draft references proportional funding (for example, naming rights might represent at least 51% of a project cost or be tied to a maximum threshold — staff suggested $500,000 as a discussion point).
Following discussion, the council voted 7-0 to approve the policy. Staff said they will revise the draft to incorporate council direction on logos, documentation and maintenance and return a final version for implementation.
