SUNDRE – With near unanimous support, the Town of Sundre's council has approved a naming policy that outlines a process to brand municipal assets bearing in mind the community’s history, heritage and natural features.
Administration had previously been directed to draft the policy in light of council’s decision to hire a consultant to explore potential revenue-generating opportunities through sponsorship naming rights.
The policy’s stated purpose is “to promote a distinctive and unique identity based on the town’s history, culture and heritage.”
The objective is to establish a process for the naming of development areas, roads, passive outdoors recreation areas, parks, trails, and municipal facilities that reflects and commemorates significant life-long residents of Sundre, its history, heritage and natural features.
To that end, the policy will include a names reserve list and a committee will be established “while ensuring expediency for the administration, proponents and the community to move ahead with named areas or facilities.”
The policy also includes a section specific for sponsorship naming rights, with forms of sponsorship defined as direct revenue received, in-kind goods and services other than cash at council’s discretion, or a combination of both.
Certain entities will not be considered for prospective sponsorship naming rights, including but not limited to “parties that could reflect negatively on the Town of Sundre’s public image or prove detrimental to the town’s integrity and/or reputation” as well as “parties that promote religious, political, or potentially divisive messages specific to any group or subgroup of the residents” and “parties that are registered as local elector organizations or political parties.”
Additionally, a fee of $1,000 is to be collected with the submission of applications to the committee. That fee will be returned to the applicant if the name does not meet the guideline and provisions per the policy or the name is not approved by council.
“I was really glad to see this policy come forward,” said Coun. Chris Vardas, adding many other municipalities have secured funding through naming rights.
The move also shows the town is moving forward “and not stuck in the past,” said Vardas.
“Any time, as a municipality, we can find another source of revenue that doesn’t take money from our residents, I think it’s something to look at,” agreed Coun. Paul Isaac.
Revenue-generating opportunities aside, the policy will provide a consistent procedure, asserted Coun. Jaime Marr, who spoke in favour “not necessarily to the revenue portion, but actually just setting a standard by which council and administration can make those decisions without having to decide on the spot all the time as they come forward.”
Coun. Todd Dalke offered the lone dissenting opinion.
“I’m not big on a naming bylaw, I’m not sure if our town is quite there yet,” said Dalke. “Not that I can pick holes in the bylaw, but I do struggle with it still.”
Dalke asked administration if the $1,000 fee would apply to for example naming a memorial bench in a park or along the trails.
“That would fall under this policy as well,” said Linda Nelson, chief administrative officer, adding the committee will review all applications and then present recommendations to council.
“Council is always the final approving authority on any name,” she said.
Mayor Richard Warnock spoke in favour of the policy and said naming assets should ultimately be a decision of council.
“That’s the right place for these kind of approvals in a municipality to be held, is at the council level,” said Warnock.
