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San Bernardino parks code and renaming policy headed to council, director says
Summary
Parks staff told the commission they will ask council to update municipal code enforcement in parks—targeting smoking, drug use and evening trespass—and presented a rewritten park‑renaming policy that would require 100 signatures and bar another renaming for five years. Two proposed renamings were cited (Second Lake Park and Gutierrez Park).
Parks and Recreation Director Liddy Gutfeld told the commission the department will ask the City Council to consider two policy changes affecting city parks: a municipal‑code revision to strengthen enforcement and a rewritten park‑renaming policy that reshapes how names are proposed and approved.
On code enforcement, Gutfeld said staff want clarified tools to focus enforcement on criminal activity and trespass while also incorporating resources and referrals for people who need help. "We're pushing for an update to our municipal code...the biggest issues that we've had are smoking, drug use, and ******," Gutfeld said; the transcript contains a censored term at that point. She said the change is intended to allow more daytime enforcement for smoking and drug use and to concentrate trespass enforcement in the evening when facilities are closed or undergoing maintenance.
On park renaming, Gutfeld described a new process: petitions with 100 signatures will be submitted to the city manager's office, then reviewed by the relevant commission before a recommendation to council. Under the proposed rule, a park that is renamed could not be renamed again for five years. Gutfeld identified two applications likely to be filed once the policy is in place—one for Second Lake Park and one for Gutierrez Park, the latter tied to Route 66 placements.
Staff said the policy change will go to council first; once council acts, staff will notify petitioners and the commission will review applications. The commission asked for earlier notification and a staff report when the council packet is ready.
