Fountain memorial nominations open Jan. 31; board weighs discussion scheduling options

City staff told the Parks Advisory Board on Jan. 8 that applications for the 2025 fountain memorial nomination will open Friday, Jan. 31, and close Friday, Feb. 28. The board was given a draft of the eligibility requirements and application process; staff said the only changes from the prior year were date updates.

Staff presented three options for how the board could handle nominee presentations and deliberations: (a) keep the current schedule and build a short break into the March 5 meeting so board members could hear presentations and then take a pause before deliberation; (b) schedule a special meeting on Wednesday, March 12, solely to discuss nominees; or (c) push discussion to the April board meeting, citing that the reveal ceremony is scheduled for June 5 and the extra time might help some board members who have scheduling conflicts.

Several board members favored a separate meeting to avoid being influenced by emotional presentations immediately before deliberation; one member said extra time would allow them to ‘‘get into a good space about what we really think would be the best person.’’ Another member noted scheduling constraints for a colleague (Sarah) and suggested a break during the March 5 meeting could help ensure participation. Staff suggested the board could decide at its February meeting after the application period began.

No formal change to the application or schedule was made at the Jan. 8 meeting; staff said they would proceed with opening the application on Jan. 31 and bring the scheduling question back to the board next month.