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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 02.04.2020 CC-SMINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SUB -COMMITTEE OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN FOR THE NAMING OF CITY FACILITIES, PUBLIC PARKLANDS, AND PUBLIC STREETS The sub -committee of the governing body of the City of Georgetown, Texas for the naming of city facilities, public parklands, and public streets met on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at 3:30 p.m. Members Present:, Steve Fought, Councilmember, District 4, Kevin Pitts, Councilmember, District 5, David Morgan, City Manager, Laurie Brewer, Assistant City Manager, and Wayne Reed, Assistant City Manager Members Absent: None Staff Present: Shirley J. Rinn, Executive Assistant to the City Manager, Mayra Cantu, Management Analyst, Joseph Carney, Airport Manager, Ray Miller, Public Works Director MINUTES Policy Development/Review Workshop A Presentation and discussion to the Sub -Committee of the Georgetown City Council for Naming of City Facilities, Public Parklands, and Public Streets on policy review and the next steps up to including recommendations to the City Council regarding a request to rename the Georgetown Airport to "Johnny Gantt Regional Airport" and the Georgetown Airport Terminal building to the "Buz Landry Terminal Building." —David Morgan, City Manager and Mayra Cantu, Management Analyst Morgan introduced Mayra Cantu to the Subcommittee and told them that she would be providing a presentation regarding the request that the City received to rename the Georgetown Airport to "Johnny Gantt Regional Airport" and the Georgetown Airport Terminal building to the "Buz Landry Terminal Building and whether or not the request met the criteria in the City's policies to consider renaming the facilities, as well as providing an overview of the public comments received regarding this request. Thereafter, Morgan presented the requirements and criteria necessary under the City's current policy related to name City Facilities, Public Parklands, and Public Streets. While going through the policy, Morgan also noted whether or not Johnny Gantt and Buz Landry met the criteria under the policy. He also noted that these determinations were made per staff's review of the policy. He welcomed any additional comments from the sub -committee members if there was anyone who disagreed with the interpretation presented by staff. Cantu then presented a summary of the Public Comments that were received by the City as they related to this request to rename the Georgetown Airport Terminal and Airport Terminal Building. She indicated that the comments received covered many items, including, suggestions for new names for the facilities, not changing the name of the airport facilities for reasons that included safety concerns, importance of location being in the name, the identity and branding of the airport, use of publicly owned property/public funds, and the hard costs of changing the name, as well suggesting other options to honor Mr. Gantt and Mr. Landry, but not by naming the facilities after them. It was clarified that the charge of this Council Sub -committee was to bring a recommendation to the City Council regarding this request to rename these city -owned facilities. It was also noted that many of the public comments that were received referenced keeping the name of the airport strategic. The Council Sub -committee also discussed how important the branding of the airport was to the community. There was discussion regarding how important it was that the City follow the parameters of the policy guidelines and how a precedent could be set if there was a deviation from the current policy. In doing that, it was determined that at this time, neither Mr. Landry or Mr. Gantt fully meet the criteria outlined in the policy. Buz Landry is still alive and the policy discourages renaming city owned facilities, public parklands, and public streets after anyone who is still living unless certain additional criteria outlined in the policy are met, which Mr. Landry has met not at this time. It is the City Council Sub -Committee's recommendation to the City Council that nothing be done at this time with regard to the request to rename the Airport Terminal Building to "Buz Landry Terminal Building." While Johnny Gantt has met many of the criterion outlined in the policy to have the City Council consider the request to rename the Georgetown Airport to "Johnny Gantt Regional Airport", the policy also recommends that a person be deceased for at least 2 years prior to considering naming a city owned facility after them. Johnny Gantt has been deceased since May 4, 2019 and 2 years has not expired since that time. It is the City Council Sub -committee's recommendation that the City should honor Johnny Gantt in some manner and that this request should be brought back to the City Council in May 2021 to reconsider the request with the following recommendation from the City Council Sub -Committee to rename the airport as follows: — Georgetown Executive Airport at Johnny Gantt Field. The Airport Manager indicated that there was nothing in the Airport Masterplan that would prohibit the renaming of the Airport facility(s), other than keeping Georgetown in the name. There was additional discussion that the language in the current policy that relates to the naming of city facilities, public parklands, and public streets seems to be weak and needs to be reviewed and possibly reworked. There was a concern that someone who was not a citizen of Georgetown could make a request to rename a facility and trigger this renaming process. It was further discussed a revised policy should potentially include a process that would preclude a simple submission of a request to rename a facility from being the trigger that starts this whole renaming process as it currently does. The City Council Sub -Committee's recommendations related to this renaming request will be brought to the City Council for its consideration at its February 25, 2020 Meeting on the Legislative Agenda. Motion to Adjourn by Pitts. Meeting was adjourned at 3:58 p.m. ATTEST: - --, ) �rzyc___ David S. Morgan, City Manager Shir inn, Execu ive ssistant to the City Manager