Council postpones two facility-renaming proposals for broader outreach and process compliance

Denton City Council on Tuesday voted to postpone consideration of two separate facility-renaming proposals and asked staff to follow the city—s formal naming procedure adopted in 2021 before returning with recommendations.

Quakertown Civic Center: A proposal to rename the Civic Center to Quakertown Civic Center was recommended by the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Board. The mayor and several council members said the city's adopted procedure for naming buildings requires council review and broader neighborhood outreach; the council voted 6-1 to postpone the item so staff can conduct wider outreach and present the matter in a work session.

Popo Gonzales day-laborer site: A separate application sought to name a day-laborer site at 301 Fort Worth Drive for Emilio "Popo" Gonzales, a community leader and founder of local organizations. The Park Board recommended it 5-0, and staff noted a virtual public meeting was held earlier in the year. Several council members supported honoring Gonzales but emphasized the need for consistent process application across all naming requests; the council voted 4-3 to postpone this item as well.

Why it matters: Council emphasized that naming city-owned buildings or facilities is a citywide decision that requires transparent public engagement and adherence to adopted rules. City manager staff confirmed the formal procedure includes potential formation of an ad-hoc committee, public meetings and written steps; staff committed to returning in January after broader outreach.

Next steps: Staff will distribute the adopted naming procedures to council and organize additional public input opportunities; the items will return for work-session discussion and eventual council action.