Board backs naming Legion Sports Complex field house for longtime parks worker

The Parks & Recreation Board voted to support naming the field house at Legion Sports Complex for Chris Garganus, a 25-year city maintenance worker who died unexpectedly in April, board staff said.

Amy, a city parks staff member, told the board that Garganus ‘‘worked on the Athletics Facilities Maintenance staff’’ and was ‘‘integral in taking care of the Legion Sports Complex’’ and other fields. She said Garganus routinely worked nights and weekends and had been with the city about 25 years.

The board’s motion—moved by Zach and seconded—won verbal support from members. The transcript records a motion and a second and board assent; an explicit roll-call tally was not recorded in the provided excerpt. Amy said the next step is to submit the naming request to the planning department, which forwards such petitions to the facilities naming subcommittee and, if approved there, to the full city council for final action.

Amy told members the city has a naming policy that covers sponsorships and memorials on public property, but she said the city’s process for naming a facility after an individual follows intake by planning and subsequent review by the facilities naming subcommittee. She cited recent local examples, including the Cross City Trail dedication and the Alec Chambers Skate Park.

The board did not record a formal vote count in the transcript excerpt. The motion’s text as recorded by the meeting was to support naming the Legion Sports Complex field house the Chris Garganus Field House; the naming request will proceed through the planning intake process and then to the facilities naming subcommittee and city council.

The board is not scheduled to meet in July; members said they will revisit related items when they reconvene on August 19.