Defining Hilliard
The City Has Delivered Hundreds of Pages of New Policy for our Next Era - Three from our Most Recent Council Session Sure to Keep us Talking
After previously declining a request from the family of former Hilliard Mayor Tim Ward to name a park in his honor, Hilliard City Council adopted a new policy on June 23rd that sets guidelines for naming city infrastructure after individuals.
City Council repealed a former policy and replaced it with a new language that includes more specific guidelines.
The action came after Ellie Ward, the daughter of Tim Ward, asked for the Hilliard East Park adjacent to the Hilliard East Pool, on Schirtzinger Road, to be renamed in memory of her father, who served as mayor of Hilliard from 2000 to 2003, and who died in October at the age of 66.
Ellie Ward pointed to Roger A. Reynolds Municipal Park, so named for former mayor Roger Reynolds, who served from 1975 to 1999, and the renaming of the East Pool as the Clyde “Butch” Seidle Community Pool, in memory of Seidle, a former service director who died in 2019, as an example of the same consideration she was seeking.
City officials proposed naming a wooded preserve adjacent to the Hilliard branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library as “Ward Park,” but the resolution brought to the floor on April 14 called for renaming Hilliard East Park as the “Timothy A. Ward Memorial Park.”
That measure was not moved forward because no other member of City Council seconded the motion of Councilman Les Carrier to bring it to the floor.
After the resolution’s defeat on April 14, Council President Tina Cottone directed the administration, through Crandall, to present a new policy for the naming of public infrastructure for individuals.
The policy empowers City Council to make such decisions.
“City Council may name or rename any facility, consistent with contractual or other legal considerations, and consistent with the guidance of this policy,” the memo states.
The policy initially outlined “general principles” to consider, including having “a strong positive image,” ensuring that facilities are “easily identified and located,” and “not result in the undue commercialization of a facility in instances of a significant sponsorship.”
The policy also outlines naming criteria.
These points include names based on distinctive and defining natural or geological features, names that acknowledge a geographic location that gives identity to an area of the city or neighborhood and names with historical significance, such as those related to an individual or family of historical significance, or to an event of historical significance to Hilliard.
Concerning individuals, the policy states the naming of facilities after an individual “will not be considered except within the historic context noted above, or in instances of a significant sponsorship agreement that has been approved by City Council.”
Crandall told City Council members June 23 that the administration reviewed the policy of other central Ohio cities to prepare the resolution that City Council approved.
Councilwoman Emily Cole voiced concern about the provision in the policy that allowed for corporate naming.
“I’m uncomfortable with sponsorships. It would be like we’re for sale… it gives me the ick,” Cole said.
When asked if any corporate naming examples in the city exist, Crandall said possibly apart from Ten Pin Alley and Raindrop Way, street addresses allowed for related businesses, there are none.
Cole successfully motioned to amend the resolution to remove corporate sponsorships as criteria for naming public infrastructure.
On Background Research
Councilwoman Cynthia Vermillion successfully motioned to amend the ordinance to ask that the administration research any suggested name before it is publicly put before City Council for consideration.
Carrier suggested, but did not motion for, that any such research be exempt from attorney-client privilege.
Carrier reiterated his opposition to the appearance that a protected communication from the city’s law director was a factor in City Council’s rejection of the resolution to name a park in memory of Ward.
“If staff is going to do that kind of research, then it should be public as to why or why not” it chose to name a park, Carrier said.
Crandall and Vermillion countered, saying withholding such reasoning should be done as a matter of respect to the individual under consideration.
“I don’t think (the Ward family) feels respected. It was a hit job,” Carrier said.
Ellie Ward, and her mother, Christine, were not present June 23 or April 14 but had been present at several previous meetings to appeal to City Council to name a park for Ward.
Other major policy also moving forward on 6/23
Council published a memo detailing the vendor selected for a new city wide housing study
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