Council votes to have final say on park naming rights
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mason city officials didn't want Heritage Oak Park to someday be renamed Time Warner Park without the City Council's approval, so they edited the provision out of proposed agreement with the Mason Parks and Recreation Foundation.
Members of the Council's finance committee discussed a proposed agreement with the foundation after Chairman and Vice Mayor Pete Beck expressed concern that he didn't want anyone other than the City Council to negotiate naming rights in public parks.
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"These are public parks, public facilities," Beck said later. "Then you start to privatize those by selling naming rights and that's what I was concerned about. Do you sell it for 100 years, for 10 years or three years and you're all over the spectrum with it."
The Mason parks foundation members had hoped the naming right option would help raise more money for things like the Common Ground, all-inclusive playground. However, Beck said he doesn't want a group outside the city government having control over money that is donated for city parks. The parks foundation can still solicit donations based on naming rights, but they have to make it clear the City Council has the final say on any proposals.
On Monday night, May 12, the City Council approved the amended agreement.
Rachel Kopfer of the parks foundation said the City Council's action won't hamper their efforts.
"It would be a nice addition, but with the brick program we're doing and some of the other fundraisers we have planned, I don't see it as too detrimental," she said.
