Kalispell Council to consider adopting policy for naming parks, public facilities

Kalispell City Council will weigh the adoption of a naming policy for city parks and other facilities on Monday.

Council meets at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.

Councilor Jed Fisher urged his colleagues to consider a policy for naming public facilities during a September meeting after Council voted to rename the Kidsports Complex in honor of Dan Johns, one of its founders.  

Fisher supported the athletic facility’s name change but said that in his 30 years directing the Flathead County Parks and Recreation Department, he routinely fielded requests from people wanting to see their names adorned on public property.  

Fisher suggested developing guidelines to avoid constantly altering the names of parks or other public properties or pitting requests against each other.  

City staff compiled example policies from Baltimore, Minneapolis and Elk River, Minnesota, as well as Marion County in Oregon, for Council to consider Monday night.  

“There is typically a distinction between naming a park or a geographic feature, recognition of a historical figure/event, recognition of contributions from an individual and naming based on donations, with consideration criteria for each,” read a memo from Assistant Director of Development Services PJ Sorensen.  

While the steps to getting a name change approved can vary, there is usually a vetting process through city staff before a name change is considered by Council, according to Sorensen.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.