Policy for Benches & Donor Form

Policy/Procedure: Public Memorial Donation Acceptance and Management Guidelines Date Adopted or Implemented: 06-26-2017 Resolution Number (if applicable): N/A CITY OF SAUGATUCK 1. The purpose of this Policy is to establish guidelines for consistent decision-making related to the acceptance, placement, and long-term maintenance of requests for memorial donations in City-owned facilities, parks and spaces. 2. Gifts of enhancements have historically augmented the City’s public facilities and programs. A municipal determination to accept (or not) donated permanent memorials on City property is a form of government speech and the City controls the messages sent by memorials on its property by exercising final approval authority over their selection. Moreover, guidelines are needed for sustainable management of site-appropriate amenities because the City’s property can accommodate only a limited number of permanent memorials (which interfere on a permanent basis with other uses of public space) and so as not to detract from the visual aesthetics of the surrounding natural environment or place an undue burden on the City. 3. For purposes of this Policy, the following words shall be defined in the following manner: Memorial – Plaques, benches, and picnic tables. Unrestricted – Having no restrictions or obligations placed on the design, use or placement of a memorial. 4. The review of a memorial donation proposal will be guided by the following management philosophy: a. The protection of the natural environment is a high priority. To this end, the City will strictly limit memorials accepted in order to promote resource management and sustainability. b. The integrity, natural, architectural and historical features of City property must be preserved and memorials may not detract from a user’s experience. c. Design specifications will be solely determined by the City and compatible with existing management and operations plans and capabilities. d. Memorials are recognized to have the effect of conveying a message on behalf of the City.

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5. All proposals for a memorial donation will be evaluated by the City according to the following: a. Whether placement of a memorial on City property is compatible with the existing City master plan, City ordinances, policies and any applicable capital improvement plan requirements of the City. b. Whether the memorial will be compatible with any existing operational plan, and any associated design constraints, of the City space involved. c. Only memorials that relate directly to the history of the City or which recognize persons with longstanding ties to the Saugatuck community will be permitted. d. Whether the memorial will detract from or overpower the aesthetic, scenic or architectural values of the existing environment. e. Whether the memorial will be constructed of materials that meet the design and maintenance considerations of the City as applied by the City Manager. f.

Memorials will be reviewed in terms of aesthetics, history and local culture.

Memorials cannot have a commercial appearance or identification.

Memorial donations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

6. Processing of donation requests will be initiated by the donor contacting the City Manager to share ideas and then submitting a completed Memorial Donation Agreement Form to the City Manager including the following information: a.

Who or what is being memorialized

Type of memorial desired (i.e., bench or picnic table)

Value of proposed donation

Final decisions on the acceptance, placement and installation of memorials will be made by the City Council or its designee consistent with this policy. 7. The City Manager will review and determine the appropriateness of the proposal as measured by the approval criteria. If recommended by the City Manager, the memorial donation proposal will be placed on a waiting list. 8. Thereafter, when the City, in its sole discretion, determines to make improvements to public parks, rights of way or other City space, the waiting list maintained by the City Manager will be reviewed to determine if a proposed memorial donation would be suitable for such improvements. 9. Where a planned improvement is found to be suitable for a proposed memorial donation, and after approval by the City Council or its designee, the City Manager will

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contact the first person on the list to determine whether the person wishes to make a donation for the improvement. a. The City will make reasonable attempts to contact the prospective donor according to the information provided by the prospective donor. It is the prospective donor’s responsibility to notify the City of any change in their contact information and the City will not be liable due to a failure or inability to provide notice. b. The City will first attempt by telephone or email to notify the first prospective donor on the waiting list with the particulars regarding the planned improvements. The City shall leave a message if possible and the prospective donor will have 48 hours to return the call or email. c. If the City is not successful in contacting the first prospective donor as described above, the City will contact the next prospective donor on the waiting list and follow the above guidelines, and will continue this process until a prospective donor has been reached and who has agreed to make the donation. The City shall notify the prospective donor of any conditions which may include, without limitation, design modifications. 10. When the person contacted as set forth above agrees to the donation, arrangements shall be made to accept the donation and install the memorial. Donations must be paid within thirty (30) days of notification and prior to placing a memorial on City property. 11. In the event of a determination to accept a memorial, the City Manager will finalize the Memorial Donation Agreement Form between the City and donor and submit it for execution. 12. The executed Memorial Donor’s Agreement Form must be received before installation of a memorial may proceed. 13. The City shall be responsible for the installation and reasonable maintenance of the memorial. 14.

Once installed, the memorial becomes City property. 15.

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The City does not guarantee permanency of the memorial.

Memorial Donation Agreement Form DONOR INFORMATION

Donor Name(s) _________________________ Address / PO Box _____________________________ City ________________________State _________Zip _______________Phone __________________ E-Mail ______________________________________________________________________________ HONOREE’S INFORMATION Honoree’s Name(s): ___________________________________________________________________ Honoree’s Connection to Saugatuck: (e.g. Resident, long-time visitor, etc.) ______________________ Requested Memorial:  Park Bench  Picnic Table  Other: _____________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Amount of Donation: $ ___________________ Memorial gifts to the City of Saugatuck are considered outright and unrestricted donations. The City of Saugatuck does not guarantee permanency or acceptance of a donation. The donor declares to have read the Policy Regarding Public Memorial Donation Acceptance and Management Guidelines and under stands and agrees with the conditions set forth in this Policy. Donor Signature:

Date:

OFFICE USE ONLY: Donation:  Accepted  Denied (Reason) _______ __________________ __________________ Donor Notified (Date): _______________ Monetary Form (Cash / Check No.): __________________ _________________________________ Donation Amount Received: __________ ___________ Date Received: ___ __________________ Notes: _____________________________________________________________________________ City Manager Signature: ___ _________________ _________________ Date: _________________

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