Sec. 122.105. - Public buildings, public facilities and public parks naming and renaming procedures.
(a) The naming and renaming of public buildings, public facilities and public parks shall be made by ordinance, pursuant to the procedures in this Section and in accordance with any policy created pursuant to this Section.
(b) For the consideration of naming or renaming of public buildings, public facilities and public parks facilities, the Historic Preservation Section of the Community Planning Division of the Planning and Development Department will provide to the Council, within 30 days after introduction of the ordinance a report (the Report), which shall be provided to the Council Secretary, with a copy to the Committee Chair of the appropriate City Council committee of reference. The Report shall become an attachment to any proposed legislation before the City Council for approval. The Report shall address the following criteria:
(1) The origin of the existing public building, public facility, or public park name, if applicable;
(2) Any historical significance of the existing public building, public facility or public park;
(3) Whether there are any historical structures or landmarks on the subject property;
(4) Whether the existing building name, name of public facility, or public park name is part of a common theme of names throughout the community where such building, park or facility is located;
(5) The age of the public building, public facility or public park name;
(6) Whether there are other public buildings, public facilities, or public parks with the same or similar name; and
(7) Whether the person (or persons) to whom the public building, public facility or public park is proposed to be named or renamed has contributed to the development of, or is a reminder of the history and/or culture of the City, State, or Nation.
(c) The Report generated in subsection (b) above shall also be forwarded by the Historic Preservation Section to the Historic Preservation Commission, which shall provide an advisory recommendation on the renaming proposal within 45 days from the date the ordinance is introduced by Council. If an advisory recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission is not received by Legislative Services within 45 days of the introduction of the ordinance, the failure of the Historic Preservation Commission to comment shall be deemed consent to the name proposal.
(d) Any future policy and guidelines on the naming or renaming of public buildings, public facilities and public parks shall be approved by Council through legislation.
(e) The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, or Public Works Department, as applicable, will adopt standards for placement, dimensions and type of signage for naming or renaming requests, with input from the Traffic Engineering Division or such subsequent agency as may perform such duties in the future.
(f) Public Hearings Required for all name changes for public buildings, public facilities, and public parks.
(1) Before final consideration of an ordinance changing a name of a public building, public facility, or public park the City shall hold three public hearings on the proposal.
(2) One public hearing shall be before the appropriate Committee of reference, which shall be held at least 30 days following introduction of the ordinance so that the Planning and Development Department Report will be available for consideration by the Committee of reference along with the legislation.
(3) Two public hearings shall be held before the Council. The first Council public hearing shall be scheduled for the Council meeting immediately after the Committee public hearing discussed in subsection (2) above. This public hearing will be in lieu of the public hearing ordinarily scheduled pursuant to Rule 3.601, Council Rules. The second Council public hearing and final action by Council shall be scheduled at least 45 days from the introduction of the ordinance so that the advisory recommendation from the Historic Preservation Commission is available for consideration.
(4) Responsibility for complying with the noticing and advertising provisions herein (and costs associated therewith) shall be borne by the Department initiating the naming or renaming request. For naming or renaming under this Section initiated by one or more Council Members, the Legislative Services Division shall be responsible for notice and advertising compliance.
(g) Only one new name or change of name application per public property under this Section will be considered by the Council at one time. Thus, if legislation is filed to name or rename a particular public building, public facility or public park and subsequently a new application for naming or renaming is filed for the same site or location, the legislation which is filed with Legislative Services first shall be considered and acted upon by the Council prior to any action on a subsequent bill.
(h) Legislation filed pursuant to this Section shall not be taken up by emergency action by the Council.
(i) This Section shall apply to all public parks managed by the Director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department including pocket parks.
(j) This Section shall apply to all public buildings and public facilities owned by the City of Jacksonville except as excluded herein.
(k) This Section shall not apply to library facilities, which are governed by the provisions of Section 662.102, Ordinance Code.
(l) Nothing within this Section prevents or is intended to prohibit the naming of donated private property to the City for public use and enjoyment. Should the donation of property include a request by the donor for naming rights as to the particular public property as part of the consideration for the donation, such request shall follow the procedures in this Section unless the donation falls within Section 662.102, Ordinance Code.
(m) Nothing in this Section is intended to prohibit the City from entering into a naming rights agreement for a public building, public facility or public park, which would include a monetary contribution by an interested party in exchange for naming rights of the public property, subject to the approval of Council.
(n) Nothing provided for herein is intended to modify or limit the use of the Parks Partnership Program as set forth in Part 7, Chapter 664, Ordinance Code.
(o) For new parks coming into the City inventory on or after December 1, 2020, the Director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department is authorized to designate a name for the public park based on geographic location (such as related to the street, neighborhood, community area, or region in which it is located). This name will be the City designated name of the public park unless legislation is filed pursuant to this Section to rename the park property.
(p) City parks which are the subject of a joint use agreement with the Duval County School Board will continue to share the name of the school in which the joint use agreement applies, consistent with the requirements of the joint use agreement.
(Ord. 2020-582-E, § 1; Ord. 2021-255-E, § 2)
