Memorial and gift policy and procedure

Memorial application click here

CITY OF SALIDA
Parks & Recreation Department Memorial and Feature Donation Program

Background
Memorials and gifts augment Salida Parks and Recreation Department properties and facilities. Historically, the Department has accepted these donations without a formal written policy. Although the City Council has policies that outline the criteria and conditions for the donation of real property these policies do not apply to memorial donations within the City’s Parks and Recreation system.

Guidelines are also needed for the sustainable management of site-appropriate amenities, so as not to detract from the visual aesthetics of the surrounding environment or place an undue burden on the City.

Purpose
Cities play an important role in commemorating people, history, and ideas central to a society’s sense of identity and value. The purpose of Salida's Memorial and Donations Procedures is to establish guidelines for the consistent decision-making process related to the acceptance, placement, and long-term maintenance of public requests for memorial donations in City-owned facilities, parks, natural areas, and trail systems.

Existing memorials and features
Up to the creation of this policy, these features were not standardized. They were often purchased by the “memorializer” and donated to the city for placement in a requested area. This has led to non-standardized benches, plaques, etc. being placed in areas that are inappropriate for the feature and require City resources for installation and maintenance.
Pre-policy, memorials in Salida consist of:
    ● Plaques
    ● Trees
    ● Benches
    ● Rocks
    ● Bronze statues
    ● Water fountains

The Parks and Facilities Manager will inventory, date, and maintain a listing of all existing commemorative benches, plaques, and other memorials that have been installed prior to the adoption of this policy.

Unless otherwise agreed to in writing, all memorials that have been installed prior to approval for this policy shall be maintained for a twenty-year (20) period commencing January 1, 2023 and then removed as needed for additional space or other needs.

Types of Memorials
Post -Policy memorials types will be determined by the Department of Parks and Recreation, follow a standard, and be ordered by staff. Current available features will be presented to interested parties for them to choose from; these options include:

•  Small

         o Bench with Plaque
         o Tree with monument and plaque
         o Rock - 2-3 ft.
         o Others as determined by staff

• Large

        o Rock > 3ft.
        o Statue
        o Monument
        o Water fountain (drinking and ornamental)
        o Others as determined by Staff

The most frequent requests are benches and trees; however, the City may add additional items of need to the parks and trail system or that may appeal to differing donors.
Locations

Current Memorial trees, plaques, and benches are recorded in the City’s ArcGIS software as a shape file. Additional Memorials will be recorded in this same shape file.
Appropriate memorial locations are finite. Most requests are for memorials in Riverside park or along the river trail. There are not enough appropriate locations in Riverside park or along the river trail for the current requests. City staff will develop a list of available sites that requestors can choose from.
The final decision on the placement of memorials will be made by the Parks and Recreation Department.

Costs of Memorial Items
The cost of participating in the Park Memorial Program will be specific to the item selected. The City will calculate a cost that encompasses the cost of the item, site preparation, and installation costs along with a reasonable maintenance cost. The City will price the items to cover costs only, this is not a proposed revenue stream.
● Bench (plaque and installation) - Based on current market cost recovery and set in the annual fee schedule
● Tree with monument/rock - Based on current market cost recovery and set in the annual fee schedule
● Rock (2-3ft) - Based on current market cost recovery and set in the annual fee schedule

Installation and Maintenance
City staff will install and maintain all memorial items.
Damaged or stolen benches or other memorials will be replaced only once in the ten-year period. The City will pay for the cost of the replacement. Additional replacements of a bench or plaque will be subject to review by the Director of Parks and Recreation.

Removal or relocation
Memorials will be removed after 10 years, as per the explanation in the application process detailed below. If the Memorial must be removed/moved for operational efficiency or capital improvements; the appropriate individual will be contacted to explain the situation and offered the opportunity to choose another site to assume ownership of the memorial.
If the individual wishes to remove the memorial, they must contact City Staff (Administration, the Director or Manager of the Department of Parks and Recreation) to develop a plan for removal. Memorials may not be removed without prior planning and consensus between staff and the appropriate individual.
At the City’s sole discretion, the memorial once placed may be relocated at the City’s expense to another location.

How Donors Are Recognized
For each memorial item donors receive a 6” x 9” bronze plaque that allows up to 60 characters and a maximum of three lines). Messages are recommended to say “In Memory of (name), In Honor of (name), or Dedicated to (name)” followed by a date or event. Inscriptions are subject to approval by the City. Plaques are fastened to the bench or placed in the ground near the item, flush with the level of the ground.

Approval Criteria
The Salida Parks and Recreation Department may limit memorials to promote resource management and sustainability of natural landscapes. Applications will be evaluated by Staff, the PROST board, and, when appropriate, the City Administrator’s Office in regard to the following criteria:

• The integrity, natural and architectural features of parks, natural areas, and facilities will be preserved and not detract from a user’s experience.
• Design specifications will be compatible with existing management and operations plans.
• Memorials cannot have a commercial appearance or corporate label.
• The general relationship between the “memorializer”, the memorialized, and the Community.
• While Small memorials may commemorate an individual or event, the subject of a large memorial must demonstrate a high level of significance by meeting at least one of the following criteria:

         o The person or group has made an outstanding contribution to the cultural, political or social development of the City of Salida, the State of Colorado, the United States of America, or the international community.
        o The site or event is historically or culturally significant and/or represents an important and unique City or civic anniversary.

• Commemorative plaques installed on memorials must be for an individual or a purpose that is non-controversial with text that is appropriate for display in a public place, and approved by the City. Text that in any way markets a product or service shall not be permitted. The Parks and Facilities Manager will approve the text, order the plaque, and provide for installation.

Memorial Application Process
1. Apply online through the Parks Department webpage on the City website: cityofsalida.com

a. Small feature applications:
    i. The application deadline is August 31.
    ii. Applications are reviewed annually in September by the PROST board.
    iii. Applications are considered on a first come first serve basis.
    iv. 4 memorials are approved for installation the following spring and summer.
    v. The City has the authority to deny requests for memorials that commemorate a person, event or place that is already memorialized elsewhere in the City or for any reason agreed upon by staff and the PROST board.
    vi. If the City deems it beneficial, additional memorials can be approved.

b. Large feature applications:
    i. Applicants wishing to install a large memorial (Rock > 3ft., Statue, Monument, Water fountain (drinking and ornamental), or Others as determined by Staff) at a City park or recreation facility shall submit an application, including a conceptual plan, to the Parks, Recreation, Open Space and Trails (PROST) Advisory Board for review. The Advisory Board shall forward all completed applications for large features, along with their corresponding recommendations of approval or denial to the City Administrator's Office, which will take all comments into consideration when making a final recommendation regarding whether the application should be approved or denied.
    ii. If the PROST Advisory Board and City Administrator recommend approval of the application, the Parks Department shall proceed with the development of an installation and management agreement between the City and the applicant, which will require the approval of the City Council.
    iii. Should the PROST Advisory Board and City Administrator not approve the application, the applicant may appeal this decision to the City Council at a public hearing following customary procedures administered by the Office of the City Clerk.

2. The Parks and Facilities Manager contacts the applicant to consult on Department needs and applicant’s wishes for location and memorial type.
          a. The Parks and Facilities Manager discusses locations in the parks and trail system for potential sites. Sites can be existing structures such as benches converted to memorial benches or in a new designated location. Check the database of maps with potential memorial locations: Salida TBD
           b. The proposed site/location is consistent with and does not interfere with the Parks System Plan, or an approved master plan for the site. The proposed location will not compromise the aesthetic integrity or interfere with the unique or cultural character of the area.
          c. An applicant must demonstrate why the selected site is appropriate. There must be justification for the memorial being in that location. Where appropriate, preference will be given to co-location of new memorials within a site of common interest.
          d. Consideration will be given to existing uses of the proposed location, with a goal of preventing the memorial from disrupting appropriate public use of City park and recreation facilities.
          e. At the City’s sole discretion, the memorial once placed may be relocated at the City’s expense to another location.

3. The approved applicant signs a 10-year agreement with the City for the City to install and maintain the memorial.

4. At the ninth year or at the end of its useful life (whichever comes first), the memorial will be removed unless the requestor has contacted the City and begun the renewal procedure by paying an appropriate fee as determined by current market analysis and cost recovery for materials, administration, staff, and loss of available memorial spaces to re-institute the contract for 9 more years.

•  If the Donor does not contact the City by the end of the ninth year, the plaque will be removed and stored for one year at the Park Operations office with the intent to return to the owner if requested.
• If the Donor contacts the City after the ten-year period has expired and the plaque/memorial has been removed, the City will have no obligation to honor the site or structure as a memorial and the plaque will become the property of the City.
   

City staff, appointed, or elected recommendation/donation
City staff, appointed, or elected officials may also provide a memorial to recognize an individual or organization that has made an unusual contribution, service, or gift to the City. These requests will be reviewed by City Administration and City Council.
 

Exceptions
● Applications for memorials not provided for by this memorial policy must be approved by City Administration based on review and recommendation from the PROST Board.
● City Administration may additionally require City Council approval.
● City Council will be the final source of appeal for any disputes regarding this program