Kawartha Lakes Street, Municipal Facility, and Park Naming Policy: Policy:
1.0 General Responsibilities and Procedures
1.01 The Development Services Department of the City of Kawartha Lakes shall be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of Section 2 of the policy, being Naming of Streets.
1.02 The Community Services Department of the City of Kawartha Lakes shall be responsible for the implementation and enforcement of Section 3 of the policy, being Naming of Parks and Municipal Facilities.
1.03 The Office of the City Clerk, in consultation with the Development Services and/or Community Services Departments, as necessary, shall be responsible for the enforcement of Section 4 of the policy, being Renaming.
1.04 The City of Kawartha Lakes shall keep a Master Name List of all eligible street and facility names not currently in use elsewhere in the City of Kawartha Lakes. This list shall remain attached to this policy and may be sorted by proposed geographic location for the name. As names are added, removed or used, the Master Name List may be amended from time to time by the Office of the City Clerk.
1.05 The Master Name List shall be comprised of suggestions received through staff and public submissions from local residents, developers, etc. and contain a list of eligible names with connections to Kawartha Lakes including but not limited to:
Former elected Members of Council (including from pre-amalgamation municipalities);
Historic or Indigenous uses or persons;
Service Clubs or Organizations;
Geographic significance including local landmarks;
Veterans, as defined by the Royal Canadian Legion ;
Sponsorships or Dedications;
Federal or Provincial Politicians;
Prominent Citizens; and,
Sports Figures.
1.06 Nominations for new names to be added to the Master Name List shall be received by way of a completed application on the City’s website (or otherwise). The application shall contain the proposed name, background to the name, the proposed geographic location for the use of the name, and nominator contact information. The application form will be created and maintained jointly between the Office of the City Clerk and the Communications, Advertising, and Marketing division.
1.07 Each nomination application received by the City of Kawartha Lakes shall be forwarded to a Naming Group comprised of the:
The Mayor;
The local ward Councillor(s) for the suggested community for the name;
City Clerk (or their delegate);
Director of Development Services (or their delegate); and,
Director of Community Services (or their delegate).
1.08 Each member of the Naming Group shall then provide a timely response whether they are in favour or in opposition to the nominated name being added to the Master Name List. If the majority of members of the Naming Group are in favour of including the name on the Master Name List, the Office of the City Clerk shall amend the Master Name List to reflect the change. Following each decision of the Naming Group, the Office of the City Clerk shall notify the nominator of whether or not the name was added to the Master Name List.
1.09 When a suggestion is made for a name already in use, or contrary to other provisions of this policy, the Naming Group shall have the discretion to not include the suggested name as part of the Master Name List. Names may be added to the Master Name List with a caveat that it only be used for a municipal facility if it is already in use for a municipal street.
2.0 Naming of Streets
2.01 All areas that have not been designated as themed developments by the Development Services Department shall use names from the Master Name List. Where a developer is considering a themed development, these street names shall require to be justified by the developer in their planning justification report for relevance and appropriateness and receive approval by Council.
2.02 Names in both themed and non-themed developments shall be determined based on the following criteria, keeping in mind that emergency response concerns are paramount:
Names shall not be duplicates of any other name currently in use in the City of Kawartha Lakes or a nearby neighbouring municipality;
Names shall be easily spelled, read and clearly understood;
Names shall be made up of only letters with no punctuation included (ie. Oneill Lane);
Names of living individuals should not be used; (Deleted by CR2013-400 April 23, 2013)
Names shall not sound similar to existing names (ie. Lynx vs Links);
Names shall not duplicate existing names to the extent that only the suffix is changed (ie. Street versus Road);
Streets shall not be named after existing businesses;
Names shall not insinuate any political reference except where the name of a politician is proposed who was regularly elected under a political party’s banner;
Names which are discriminatory/derogatory under the grounds protected under the Canadian Human Rights Act;
Names of former streets shall not be reused;
Continuous streets shall have one continuous name. Names of existing streets shall be used on new streets which are continuations of, or in alignment with, existing streets, except where street numbering concerns may arise; and,
Indigenous names shall only be used after consultation with the appropriate Indigenous communities to ensure appropriateness, correct spelling, and to honour the heritage of the proposed name.
Notwithstanding Section 2.02 (b), the measure of appropriateness of the Indigenous name will be whether or not the name is easily spelled, read and understood in the local Indigenous community.
Notwithstanding Section 2.02 (c), an exemption will be provided where Indigenous names require punctuation.
2.03 Suffixes to names shall be based on the following definitions:
Street, Avenue, Boulevard – thoroughfare which does not fall under any of the following definitions;
Road – major thoroughfare originally located in a rural setting;
Drive, Trail, Way – winding or curved thoroughfare;
Terrace, Gardens, Grove, Pathway, Heights – minor or short thoroughfare;
Lane, Mews, Close - narrow right-of-way generally used for local service;
Crescent – right-of-way which forms a crescent, having two entrance/exit points onto one thoroughfare;
Court – cul-de-sac with a short entry;
Place – cul-de-sac with a long entry;
Circle – a right-of-way which circles back onto itself;
Gate – short right-of-way providing an entrance to a subdivision; and,
Other suffixes as recognized and defined by Canada Post.
2.04 Notice of the naming of streets shall be provide to neighbouring municipalities where these proposed within a 1 km radius of an abutting upper or local tier jurisdiction.
3.0 Naming of Municipal Facilities, Buildings, and Parks
3.01 It is understood that most existing park property and all municipal buildings and facilities are currently designated by an official name.
3.02 Names shall be chosen from the Master Name List. The name should reflect if possible any direct ties to the location including but not limited to:
Names of individuals, groups, or businesses who have donated the property;
Names of individuals, groups, or businesses who have donated money towards the purchase or development of the property; Location and roads adjacent; and,
Or other choices as referenced in Section 1.05.
3.03 Elements of parks (trails, fountains, squares, gardens, structures) and components of building (rooms, pools, ice pads, galleries, gazebos, shelters, playing fields) should also be named in accordance with this policy.
3.04 To ensure consistent use of facility or park names and to promote their use, every effort should be made to have the location sign visible from the road. Where a component of a facility or park has been named, every effort will be made to have a sign placed on or adjacent to the area to ensure long-term recognition of this honour.
3.05 Where an individual, group or business chooses to make a financial contribution to name or rename a municipal facility, building, or park with a name not contained on the Master Name List, such as request shall be provided with a rationale and will require approval by Council.
4.0 Renaming of Streets
4.01 All requests for renaming of streets shall be made to the Office of the City Clerk in writing and accompanied by the street renaming fee as required by the Consolidated Fees By-law. For street renamings, the request shall contain the signatures of at least three residents representing three (if applicable) addressed properties on the street. The request will be forwarded to Council (or Committee of the Whole) through the Office of the City Clerk accompanied by a joint report between the Office of the City Clerk and either the Development Services or Community Services Departments. This report will include an outline of the request, any costs associated with the request and a justification for the reasons behind the request.
4.05 Requests to rename Streets, Municipal Buildings, Facilities or Parks will be subject to an application fee in accordance with Schedule A-8 to the Consolidated Fees By-law. Upon receiving Council endorsement to rename, this fee will be treated as a deposit against the actual costs of the renaming. The application fee may be refunded to applicant if Council resolves that the name change will significantly increase public safety, or eliminate a derogatory or offensive name currently in use.
4.02 Any costs beyond the application fee for renaming shall be borne by the applicants or group requesting the change and could include:
For Streets,
advertising costs
signage
notification to those affected
notification to utilities and MPAC
notification to Emergency Services
administration including registration of the by-law where required
change in municipal mapping
For Municipal Buildings / Facilities or Parks
advertising costs
signage
notification to utilities and MPAC
notification to Emergency Services
administration
4.03 Renaming of streets shall not normally occur except to:
eliminate duplication of names in the City of Kawartha Lakes;
to facilitate emergency response;
to rename a street segment(s) after a new street has been constructed either by the City or the Ministry of Transportation; or
to replace existing derogatory, discriminatory or outdated names (as determined by resolution of City Council).
Where a renaming application has been received to rename a street or facility due to the reasoning above, City Council may waive all applicable fees.
4.04 Changes to street names must be publicly advertised once at a minimum of three (3) weeks prior to the meeting where the change will be considered, as stated in the Municipal Act and the City of Kawartha Lakes Notice By-law.
4.06 Process to be followed for consideration of a street renaming include the following procedure:
Application is submitted in writing to the Office of the City Clerk accompanied with the application fee, and correct number of applicant signatures.
Office of the City Clerk to circulate to department responsible (ie. street name to Development Services and facility name to Community Services).
Responsible department prepare a joint report with the Office of the City Clerk to Committee of the Whole outlining the request and justification for the change or reasons why the request should be denied.
Recommendation of Committee of the Whole to City Council. The following recommendations are in order.
Refer back to staff or Committee of Council for further research or collaboration with other agencies/community groups.
Deferral of the matter to another Committee of the Whole or Regular Council Meeting.
Approval for staff to begin an appropriate public consultation process with the affected stakeholders.
Denial of the renaming
City Council makes its interim decision based off Committee of the Whole recommendation at the next Regular Council meeting. If denied, return application fee and send letter with Council Resolution.
If approved for public consultation, City Clerk to coordinate with the Communications, Advertising and Marketing division and the local Ward Councillor and establish an appropriate public consultation process that determines the following.
That there is sufficient community demand to rename; and
The most preferred new name for the Street or facility.
In the case of Street renaming, the Public Consultation process shall include one notice via regular mail to all affected property owners that City Council is considering changing the name and shall outline the complete public consultation process.
The Office of the City Clerk will present the findings of the public consultation within three months of the original resolution of Council to the next appropriate Committee of the Whole Meeting.
Committee of the Whole hears any public comments or deputations and make a final recommendation of a new name to Regular Council.
Following the ratification of the Committee of the Whole recommendation at the following Regular Council Meeting, the Office of the City Clerk shall advertise the name change in accordance with the Municipal Act and Notice Requirement By-law (Streets only are legislated) (In the case of a building or park, etc. the same notification should apply).
City Clerk to prepare the necessary by-law and present it to the next Regular Council Meeting after the three week notice requirement.
If By-law passed, Clerk’s office sends out notification to Emergency Services, Canada Post, MPAC, all affected utilities, affected property owners and the by-law is registered where required.
City Clerk to notify staff to have signs prepared and installed.
If By-law is not passed then the application fee is returned.
