Commemorative Naming Policy
Policy EBS-64
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To obtain copies of the official policy or to request a policy not on this page, please contact the Office of the County Clerk at clerks@norfolkcounty.ca or phone 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK, extension 6269. You can also submit an online information request form.
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- Approval Date: August 26, 2014
- Approval Authority: Council Resolution No. 11
- Effective Date: August 26, 2014
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide the criteria, conditions and an application process for the commemorative naming of county assets and roads.
Definitions
County assets: Municipal Property, Buildings, Park Elements, and Settlement Areas.
Procedures for Naming County Assets
1. Names that meet the County’s criteria for commemoration will be considered for Council approval. Names which will be considered shall be in reference to:
i. Natural Features – reflecting prominent natural features of the general area in which the entity resides.
ii. Geographic Location – reflecting prominent geographic location within Norfolk County.
iii. Historic Place Name – reflecting a prominent historic location within Norfolk County.
iv. Outstanding Resident/Group – name of Norfolk County residents or community groups who contributed to the area and/or the well-being of its residents. Submissions may include a) original landowners or pioneers or b) individuals who have contributed to the quality of life in the municipality through heroic actions, sports, recreation, culture and community involvement.
v. Outstanding Canadian – individuals who have received national and/or international recognition for significant contributions to Canadian society.
*Commemorative names incorporating names of living people shall not be considered
2. Norfolk County residents or organizations within the County may submit a commemorative naming application form to the Development and Cultural Services Department. This form is attached as Appendix A.
Applicants are required to submit along with the form:
i. Background information concerning the rationale for consideration of the request.
ii. Biographical information if named after an organization or an individual.
iii. Documentation including letters from organizations and individuals providing substantial support for the request.
iv. Documentation of consent for the commemorative naming by the family or estate.
3. The Development and Cultural Services Department will review this form for compliance with:
3.1 Naming Standards.
Names should:
i. Be a maximum of two words, excluding descriptive terms, i.e. park, library, etc.
ii. Not exceed 20 characters long.
iii. Not use hyphens, commas or punctuation.
iv. Not resemble those of any other county building name used in Norfolk
v. Not be discriminatory, derogatory or political in nature.
vi. No new names shall begin with the use of "Old" and "New" as a base name.
vii. Not incorporate product, trademark, or copyright names.
viii. Not be difficult to pronounce
ix. All names shall be of the commonly acceptable spelling, according to a standard Canadian English dictionary.
3.2 Necessity of renaming guidelines
i. Submitted commemorative names for facilities will be evaluated against the current name. Commemorative names shall be declined if current names comply with the criteria in sections 1 and 3.1. If the submitted name adds a prefix or suffix to the current name, it shall be allowed.
4. If the suggested commemorative name complies with section three, the Development and Cultural Services Department may introduce the application within a staff report to the Council-in-Committee. Norfolk County Council is the final authority on the naming of any municipal assets.
Procedures for Naming County Roads
5. The renaming of roads is governed by By-law 2007-192. Applications to rename roads must comply with both this policy and the by-law.
6. Suggested road names must comply with sections 1 and 3.1 of this policy.
7. Applications to change road names must be submitted to the Civic Addressing Coordinator. Applications shall be submitted with the required documentation as outlined in section 2. The applicant must also submit a petition signed by at least 51% of the affected owners showing support of the road name change.
Sponsorship and Donations
8. Naming rights in the case of sponsorship and donations shall be delegated according to Norfolk County Policy EBS-44. This policy states “naming rights” of a corporate asset or event may be authorized through the documentation of contractual agreements. To avoid potential issues with “naming”, before any naming agreement is signed, the Senior Management Team is to be notified and must agree to the specified name and term.
Cost
9. All costs associated with the signage shall be covered by the applicant.
Contact Us
ServiceNorfolk
50 Colborne Street South
Simcoe, Ontario
N3Y 4H3
Phone: 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK, extension 0