That the City Council provide direction to staff regarding the renaming of "Old Reservoir Park".

At the City Council meeting held on Monday, February 5, 2024, Councilmember Steve Simonian announced his intent to retire from the City Council, effective April 5, 2024. Subsequently, Councilmember Simonian submitted a letter of resignation to the City Clerk’s Office on February 6, 2024, stating the same. 

At its regular meeting on Monday, April 1, 2024, the City Council recognized outgoing Councilmember Steve Simonian, at which time Councilmember Gomez requested that the City Council consider changing the name of “Old Reservoir Park” to “Steve Simonian Reservoir Park,” and asked staff to agendize the matter at a future City Council meeting. The motion was not seconded by another member of the City Council during the meeting; however, on April 3, 2024, Councilmember Gomez submitted an email to the City Manager requesting to agendize renaming Old Reservoir Park, and on April 5, 2024, Mayor Nigsarian submitted an email to the City Manager requesting the same. 

In November 1993 the City Council adopted a Council policy regarding the “Naming of Public Facilities” (Attachment 1).  As outlined in the policy, a summary of the procedures for the naming or renaming of city-owned land, buildings, and facilities is as follows:
 

A. Requests for naming or renaming should be filed with the City Clerk for transmittal to the City Council
B. Requests shall be submitted, in writing, accompanied by a statement summarizing the justification for the recommended name(s)
C. The City Council shall refer all requests to the City Manager’s Office and to the appropriate advisory commission. (In this case, that commission would be the Planning Commission, as noted below.)

1. The policy requires the Planning Commission to review any park naming or renaming requests through a noticed public hearing process prior to consideration by the City Council

D. The City Council shall make its determination at a regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council
 

In addition, the policy notes that “City-owned land and buildings will not be named after living persons unless the City Council deems it appropriate or that City-owned facilities named in honor of deceased persons will not be considered until at least one year after their death.” The policy further notes that upon strong justification and by a majority vote of the City Council, the City Council may deviate from these policy guidelines.