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Parks committee approves donor-requested naming recognition for Bay Beach train depot
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Summary
Committee approved granting naming rights recognition for the new Bay Beach train depot at the request of the primary donor, Carl and Karen Schmidt and family; staff said the recognition will be perpetual and follows prior naming precedents, and the committee carried the motion unanimously.
The parks committee unanimously approved on April 15 a staff recommendation to grant naming recognition for the new train depot funded largely by a primary donor. Staff said the Friends of Bay Beach Amusement Park raised more than $1,000,000 for the train project and that the main donor, Carl and Karen Schmidt and family, requested recognition of the new depot using an "M and D" designation in memory of family members.
Staff framed the request as recognition rather than a request to name the entire ride and recommended approval of naming rights to the committee. "The main donor is, Carl and Karen Schmidt and family," staff said, adding that the family sought an indirect memorial rather than prominent family name signage. Staff noted previous precedent in recent park fundraising and naming-rights arrangements.
A committee member said the memorial designation was appropriate and moved to approve; another member seconded the motion. The Chair called for the vote and the motion carried.
Staff indicated the committee could review the naming-rights policy in the coming year to consider term definitions and other limits; for this request staff said the donor's preference was for perpetual recognition.
The committee's approval is a recommendation to the full common council, which provides final approval for naming-rights actions.
