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Dana Point discusses revisions to memorial-donation policy; council seeks criteria and capacity limits
Summary
Staff proposed updates to Council Policy 112 to formalize memorial trees, benches and take-home plaques (tree $250, bench $5,000, plaque $500; benches maintained up to 10 years). Council debated capacity, a resident-signature requirement, rubric for "significant contribution," and application windows; staff will return with a revised policy.
The City Council on March 17 reviewed proposed revisions to Council Policy 112, the city's policy on accepting memorial donations for parks and public spaces, and provided direction to staff to refine criteria and address capacity concerns.
Deputy Community Services Director Melissa Mariah presented the proposed changes, which would formalize two memorial options and associated fees: a standard memorial tree donation (presented cost $250 for planting and administrative coordination) and a standard memorial bench donation (presented cost $5,000 including bench, installation, plaque and up to 10 years of maintenance). Staff also described an optional small take-home plaque option for trees (presented cost $500) and said the city would designate planting seasons.
Council members raised questions about how many benches or plaques should be allowed at specific parks, whether multiple plaques could appear on a single bench, how to publicize available locations and whether an application should require a set number of Dana Point resident signatures to validate "significant contribution." Several council members asked staff to develop a clearer rubric or examples of what qualifies as "significant contribution" (e.g., long-term service on city committees, sustained volunteerism) and to consider extending the application window while grieving (60 vs. 90 days).
Council generally supported planting trees as a scalable option and suggested staff return with a revised policy, including capacity estimates, examples of qualifying contributions, and clear application guidance. Staff said a revised policy will be brought back to a future council meeting for final action.
