Parks commission moves renaming petition for 2nd Lake to next meeting after heated public debate

The Parks and Recreation and Community Services Commission on Monday discussed a petition to rename 2nd Lake and voted to place the matter on the next meeting agenda as a formal action item. The vote will allow commissioners to make a recommendation to staff that will be forwarded to the City Council, which has final authority.

The discussion followed public comment from longtime residents and local historians. "I ask that we do not rename 2nd Lake," resident and historic-society board member Christian Tobar said, arguing that the city has already lost much of its history and that the 2nd name goes back more than 140 years. Mark Westwood, another resident, told commissioners the Seconds family contributed parks, public works and civic service and urged the commission to retain the existing name.

Timothy Prince, chair of the Charter Review Committee, reviewed the court record cited by petitioners and told commissioners that the short case title (Lopez v. Secom) does not establish the narrative presented in the petition. "There's no significance to Secom appearing in the short title," Prince said, and he urged the commission to weigh the full historical record rather than a shorthand reference.

Staff and legal counsel briefed commissioners on the formal process under Resolution 2023-134: renaming petitions are reviewed by staff, referred to the Arts & Historical Preservation Commission for a recommendation, then considered by this advisory commission for a recommendation to staff and, finally, placed before the City Council for final action. Legal counsel said that today’s discussion could end with a recommendation to staff, but that any formal decision would be handled through an action item.

Commissioners debated whether to vote on a recommendation immediately or to agendize a formal vote at the next meeting with clear language describing the intended action. A substitute motion to reject the petition and keep the name the same failed; the commission then approved a motion to include a specific action item on the next meeting agenda to consider approving the Arts & Historical Preservation Commission’s recommendation to keep the name.

The commission’s action was procedural: staff will prepare a staff report that compiles the Arts & Historical Preservation Commission’s recommendation, the petition materials, public comments and any additional documentation the commission requests. That report will be provided to the City Council if the commission moves to finalize a recommendation at a future meeting.

The commission also discussed potential middle-ground options raised during debate — such as retaining the 2nd Lake name while adding a commemorative designation for the Lopez plaintiffs or a related historic site — but no formal compromise was adopted. The item is scheduled to return as an action item at the next meeting so members can vote on a formal recommendation to staff and council.