Huntsville considering Naming Rights of municipal facilities
Huntsville General Committee directed staff to prepare a draft report for a policy for naming and sponsorships of the Town’s facilities, in the May 24, 2023, meeting.
The goal is to elaborate on the existing policy that allows sponsorships and dedications on some town property, such as benches, which would provide an additional source of revenue for the Town.
The report will provide clear direction to the Committee regarding what a new program could look like, regarding what can be named, fees, whether the naming would be for a finite amount of time, and whether there would be a public naming process.
Mayor, Nancy Alcock, advised to have information about what is available to name before committing to a public process. She said, “I don’t know if we want to set up a whole process if there are only a couple of facilities.”
Councillor, Helena Renwick indicated the naming “happens organically” and concurred with Alcock. She said, “Public input can open a can of worms and create a need for something not necessary.”
Councillor, Scott Morrison expressed, “The goal is to have public input for putting the policy in place, so it would still happen organically in some instances in the process, such as an outdoor facility.” He suggested a public naming process might not be required for small things, and added that trails and parks might be good items for naming.
Councillor, Monty Clouthier, recommended the Town have a naming committee “to work on it and get structure first and see what we can do, then the public.”
CAO, Denise Corry, advised that it’s not just buildings that can be considered for naming items, the Town can “dedicate meeting rooms, change rooms at the arena… How deep does Council wan to go? It doesn’t have to be a whole building.” She gave examples, such as individual base ball diamonds and snack bars.
Alcock said, “Today the motion is asking to develop a policy around this. There are lots of layers. We do have opportunities ahead of us, so we do have to have a policy in place.” She added, “We’re asking for a development policy for the whole corporation for now.”
