Commission sends contested new park name back for further community consideration

The commission considered a staff recommendation to name a new park after an individual (the staff-recommended name referenced in the record). Parks Director David Markwood outlined the city’s park‑naming process, noting 164 name suggestions and a stakeholder group of 10 residents that selected six finalists.

Several commissioners said they had heard community concerns about parts of the process — including a meeting that some residents said was canceled — and noted that the public vote among the city had produced 209 responses with near‑ties between the top options. "Once you put a name out there, it's really hard to retract that," a commissioner said, urging caution and additional outreach to people who said they felt excluded.

Other commissioners defended staff work and the integrity of the process, noting the outreach, language accessibility and the stakeholder group's role. Commissioners debated options: approve the staff recommendation; return to a final head‑to‑head vote between the top two names; or direct staff to bring back three names (the staff-recommended name, the runner-up, and a combined option such as "Unity–Navarro Park").

The commission did not approve the staff recommendation. Instead, commissioners directed staff to return with three options for community consideration, giving the stakeholder group space to reconvene and clarify any unanswered questions in the process before a final decision.

Next steps: staff will reconvene the advisory group and provide a return report with three options and clear documentation of the engagement process and vote totals for final commission action.