Title
Consideration of Renaming Minors A Field at Overlook Sports Complex to Hope Field, in Memory of Women's Softball Coach, Hope Jaramillo
Recommended Action
I move that Council rename Minors A to Hope Field at Overlook Sports Complex, and direct Staff to proceed with purchase of a memorial plaque and dedication ceremony.
Board, Commission or Committee Recommendation
Parks and Recreation Board considered this matter at the March 12, 2020 Board meeting and took action to support the renaming of Minors A Field to Hope Field and recommend this renaming to Council.
Body
On August 19, 2020, Robbie Harris submitted a petition of several hundred signatures, which at least 25 were verified with addresses to be registered voters of Los Alamos County, calling on the County Council to rename Minors A Field at the Overlook Sports Complex in White Rock as Hope Field in memory of Hope Jaramillo, local resident, women's softball coach and active member of the softball community. The petition language is contained in Attachment A. County Code Article V addresses "Special Recognition of Persons and Historical Events and Naming of Public Facilities." The specific sections (2-421 and 2-422) outline the process that may be used and are shown in Attachment B for reference. In the past, other softball fields at Overlook have been named in memory of individuals, and most recently, the Council approved the naming of a trail in memory of a citizen - a segment of the Pueblo Rim Trail was renamed in 2019 for local resident and trails enthusiast/trails builder Jim Billen.
Councilor Katrina Martin is sponsoring the citizen petition, which was previously brought forward to the Parks & Recreation Board on March 12, 2020 and endorsed; however, the Code requires six months to pass before a County facility (in this case, a softball field) can be considered for naming or renaming after the deceased person. The Code permits the Council to direct Staff to form a Naming Committee and h...
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