Title
Report regarding a resolution naming the large playground at Westborough Park in Memory of Anne Waters. (Sharon Ranals, Assistant City Manager)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that City Council receive a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission and adopt a Resolution to name the large playground at Westborough Park after Anne Waters.
Body
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
Two residents have submitted requests to honor Anne Waters by naming a public facility or amenity in her honor. Frances Luster submitted a request on March 17, 2021, to name the Westborough Recreation Building in her memory. Richard Garbarino submitted a request on March 25, 2021, endorsing the Council’s action on March 24, 2021, to rename the Westborough Recreation Building in honor of Alice Peña Bulos, and suggesting that Anne Waters is also deserving of recognition. He proposed that, “perhaps naming the playground would be appropriate.” Both requests are attached.
Administrative Instruction Section 1, #4, which defines policies, responsibilities and procedures associated with naming of City facilities, was updated in 2005. In accordance with the policy, the Waters request was forwarded to the City Council Ad-Hoc Naming Committee, which is comprised of Mayor Addiego and Councilmember Nicolas. The Committee met on May 10, 2021, and reviewed the request. As specified in the naming policy, the Committee forwarded the request to the Parks and Recreation for consideration. The Commission agendized the issue at a regular public meeting on May 18, 2021, and voted unanimously to forward the recommendation to City Council that the large playground at Westborough Park be named the Anne Waters Playground.
In order to meet the criteria for having an amenity named for an individual, the policy requires that the following conditions be met:
The individual, their family or a community organization has made exceptional contributions to the City, including one or more of the following: a) financial gifts; b) public service as an elected official; c) public service as a community volunteer; and d) long term sponsorship agreements. There must be a well-defined connection associated with the contributions of the individual or community organization and the City facility.
The significance of the contribution from the individual/organization needs to be evaluated in terms of the service impact of the City facility.
Individuals and organizations that have made contributions of regional or community-wide significance may be considered for name of facilities that serve the region or community. Individuals and organizations that have made contributions of areas or neighborhood-wide significance may be considered for naming of facility that serve areas or neighborhoods within the City, including recreational facilities and amenities within City parks.
Anne Waters is qualified for consideration to have an amenity in the Westborough area named for her on the basis of her many years of public service as a community volunteer, and her strong connection with the Westborough neighborhood and park. Mrs. Waters served on the Cultural Arts Commission and as Chair of the Westborough Swimming Pool Fund Raising and Advisory Committee (WSPFR&AC). She advocated for the recreational needs of the residents in the Westborough area, and was instrumental in the allocation of funds for the construction of the Westborough Recreation Building. Although the goal of building a swimming pool adjacent to the Recreation Building did not come to fruition, Mrs. Waters and the WSPFR&AC conducted several fundraisers and worked hard toward this ambitious goal. When the committee dissolved, they donated the funds in their account toward the renovation of the Westborough Park playground.
Mrs. Waters enrolled in the Public Administration Master’s Degree program at San Francisco State University to become better equipped to navigate the public sector. She served on the Cultural Arts Commission for a number of years, and participated in the selection of a number of pieces of public art, including the Millennium sculpture on Westborough Boulevard; Safe Haven in the Orange Memorial Park Sculpture Garden; and the Prometheus Brings Fire to Man mural at the Caltrain Station, among others. As a strong African-American woman who was an active volunteer focused on improving the community, Anne Waters was an inspirational role model. She was consistently kind, thoughtful, positive, and collaborative in her interactions with her fellow Commissioners and staff.
Given the fact that the Westborough Recreation Building has been re-named in honor of Alice Peña Bulos, the Parks and Recreation Commission supported Richard Garbarino’s suggestion of naming the Westborough Playground in honor of Anne Waters. If approved, a framed photo of Mrs. Waters and information about why the playground was named in her memory will be placed inside the Alice Peña Bulos Community Center (formerly the Westborough Recreation Building). A bronze plaque will be installed on the wall of the playground to commemorate the naming. A reception will be scheduled for her family and friends to celebrate the naming.
FISCAL IMPACT
The anticipated fiscal impact is the cost of the interior description Mrs. Waters’ contributions, the bronze plaque for the playground wall, and reception refreshments. Total estimated cost is approximately $2,000, which would be absorbed by the Parks and Recreation Department’s operating budget.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
Acknowledging and celebrating community members who have made a difference in South San Francisco is embedded in Priority #3: Quality of Life and Priority #6: Community Connections.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that City Council receive a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Commission and adopt a Resolution to rename the large playground at Westborough Park after Anne Waters.
Attachments:
1. City Administrative Instruction, Section 1, #4
2. Letter from Frances Luster, March 17, 2021
3. E-mail from Richard Garbarino, March 25, 2021