Item 8FAGENDA ITEM # 8F
NOVEMBER 23, 2009
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM: Policy for Donation and Placement of Memorials in City Parks and
Other Public Areas
SUBMITTED BY: Rick Carper, P.E., Public Works Director
DATE: November 2, 2009
BACKGROUND: The City frequently receives requests from residents and others to
install memorials, including benches, trees, and plaques, (even a concrete lion)
in commemoration of individuals or events. There is no written policy or
guideline regarding what is or is not acceptable for installation in City parks,
beach accesses or other public spaces. Attachment 1 contains a draft policy for
discussion.
Alternatively, the Commission may wish to consider a policy prohibiting any future
memorials for the following reasons:
(1) public areas are subject to change or redesign in the future;
(2) the memorials may detract from the aesthetic quality of the park;
(4) they may be subject to vandalism or theft, which may offend the donors;
(5) they may increase overall City costs for management and maintenance;
(6) memorials create the public expectation that they will remain and be
maintained forever, which is simply not possible given the ever changing needs
of the City; and,
(7) these areas decrease in significance to future residents with the passage of
time.
BUDGET: No City funds are budgeted for implementation of this policy. Staff
recommends that any policy adopted require that memorials be cost neutral to
the City.
RECOMMENDATION: Draft Policy for Discussion Purposes only.
ATTACHMENTS: 1. COAB Memorial Donation Policy (Draft)
REVIEWED BY CITY
November 23`°, 2009 Regular Meeting
AGENDA ITEM # 8F
NOVEMBER 23, 2009
COAB MEMORIAL DONATION POLICY
It is the policy of the City of Atlantic Beach to accept donations for the purpose of planting trees and
installing benches or other standard furnishing within City Parks and other public areas, including
Beach Accesses, to memorialize a departed family member, friend or City resident, or to
commemorate a special occasion. Memorials must be for persons who have lived, worked or
otherwise been involved in Atlantic Beach community affairs through volunteering, club
membership or other related activity. All donations shall be in compliance with the following:
A. Donations for Memorials will be accepted only for the purpose of purchasing and planting of
trees, and for purchasing and installing furnishings approved by the City. Actual purchase
and installation shall be done by the City or by contractors working for the City, not for a
private entity.
B. Memorials shall be self supporting, e.g., all costs related to a memorial shall be at the expense of a
donor(s), including installation, repair or replacement, if necessary. The City will perform
simple routine maintenance (e.g., tree trimming) and cleaning of donations and memorials.
However, the City is not responsible for replacing items, including plaques, due to excessive
wear, damage or loss. If a tree dies or furnishings age to the point of being a visual eyesore or
hazardous to use through wear or damage, the City will remove the memorial. The City will
attempt to contact the donor to inform them of the planned removal. The donor may replace
the item and/or plaque at their own expense.
C. Any native tree that is mutually agreed upon by the donor and City staff is acceptable. Use of non-
native trees is discouraged.
D. Memorial tree(s) and bench(es) are permitted at appropriate park sites or other public areas,
provided that the location does not interfere with normal use of the area chosen (e.g., playing
fields) and is mutually agreed upon by the donor and City staff.
E. Memorial tree(s) and bench(es) are permitted to memorialize a departed family member or friend,
or, at the discretion of the City Manager or Commission, to commemorate a special event.
Plaques listing commercial entities that could be perceived as advertisement are not
authorized.
F. Memorial donations may be recognized by use of a memorial plaque which will be displayed near
the donated tree(s) or on the donated bench(es).
G. A ceremony or gathering at the time of a tree planting is permitted, but must be arranged in
advance with City staff.
H. The City does not guarantee tree survivability and is not responsible for replacement should a tree
die from any cause, including vandalism.
I. City staff shall maintain a record of each donation. The record shall contain all pertinent
information such as the name of the person being memorialized, location, and type of tree,
donor's name and contact information for use in the event the memorial requires
maintenance, etc.
AGENDA ITEM # 8F
NOVEMBER 23, 2009
Standard memorial plaques shall be used to promote consistency in cost, size, type, and mounting,
with plaque language approved by the City.
The City will provide residents with a list of recommended park benches or other furnishings for
memorial use. This list shall include a description of each item and color photo. At the request of
staff or the City Commission, the list of recommended benches for memorial use will be reviewed
and amended as deemed necessary.
Public memorials going beyond the simple plaque discussed above may be authorized by the
City Commission.