Committee members reviewed a draft Community Partners Program on Oct. 21 that would allow individuals and organizations to support city parks and amenities through volunteer partnership, contributions for specific capital items, or naming-rights donations.

Staff said the draft keeps three participation tracks: volunteer partners, community event partners and capital project partners. Example contribution amounts in the packet were tied to estimated useful life of assets: $200,000 for naming a shelter house (the shelter-house project was estimated in discussion as costing about $600,000 and having a useful life of roughly 30 years), $350,000 estimated cost for a splash pad with an assumed 20-year life, and lower amounts for playgrounds and benches. The packet also lists smaller contributions — for example, roughly $1,000 for a bike rack and $2,000 for a trash receptacle — as examples of lower-tier recognition.

The draft limits amenity naming to a 10-year period and states that City Council must approve any naming; staff emphasized that a donation does not automatically guarantee a naming right. The draft also notes the city may refuse naming recognition that it deems inconsistent with community values; staff gave the hypothetical example that a medical marijuana dispensary might not be an appropriate naming donor for a children’s playground.

Committee members recommended circulating the draft to council members via the finance committee and seeking legal review before bringing the program to Council for final action. Staff said the program can be implemented incrementally and that if no donors come forward, the city will continue funding capital work through other means.

Ending: Staff will send the draft to the finance committee, consult with the city attorney, and return to committee with any recommended legal or policy edits prior to formal council consideration.