A proposed ordinance tied to West University Place’s adoption of a public facility naming and dedication procedure was tabled Sept. 28 after City Council members voted 4-1 to set the item aside for a later time.
Two-minute impact
Based on agenda documents, city staff recommended that West U officials either approve the ordinance or provide feedback for potential refinements. Mayor Susan Sample moved to table the subject in lieu of taking a vote, a motion supported by council member Clay Brett.
Council member Kalie Rainsberger voted no.
If approved, the proposed ordinance would have amended a section within Chapter 66 of the city’s code of ordinances and allowed council members to adopt specific standards for what information may be included on the dedication plaques of city properties.
As a result, all existing building plaques in the city would have been removed within a reasonable timeframe, with installation of new signage dependent on the direction provided by West U officials at the Sept. 28 session, Communications Manager Bianca Cuccerre confirmed via email.
Council members and city staff first discussed standardizing the commemoration procedure for public facilities Aug. 17.
What residents should know
The city currently does not have a formal policy for dedicating its facilities and parks. Plaque contents are determined on a case-by-case basis with authorization from West U officials, resulting in many format variations over the years, per the agenda.
Combinations currently installed on different buildings across the city include, but are not limited to, the building’s name; completion year or monument addition; names of elected officials and city staff; names of architectural and general contractor firms; and donation recognition, if applicable.
The draft ordinance, which was molded based on feedback from the August meeting, stipulates that the following information would comprise the new standard format for current and future dedication plaques:
Building name
Date of building completion
“Dedicated to the Citizens of West University Place, Texas”
“Funded by the Citizens of West University Place, Texas”
Donations (City Council would authorize recognition of the donors during the acceptance of the donation)
Agenda details indicate that exemptions from the approved standards and statements may be made through direct action from City Council.
The proposed ordinance would add a definition for what qualifies as a city facility into Chapter 66 of the city’s code, stating that “a facility includes any building, park, green space and real property.”
Public input
Several residents asked council members to forgo the proposal during public comment, opposing the notion of historic plaques in the community being taken down and the costs associated with their replacement.
Jennifer Simmons, a nearly 40-year resident of West U, said many citizens view the existing signage as a source of pride and as relics of some of the city’s most significant milestones, like its centennial anniversary in 2024.
“Shortly, leave the current plaques alone. Let’s not spend time and money on non-existing problems,” Simmons said. “[The current plaques] connect us to our past… These plaques give us a historical connection that generic ones do not. I do not think we need to worry about demagoguery here in West U. The citizens, the voters, are too smart for that.”
What council members are saying
As council discussion progressed, West U officials acknowledged residents’ concerns by reiterating the proposed ordinance’s purpose, which is to adopt a consistent model and language for all of the city’s current and future commemorative spaces.
Mayor Pro Tem John Barnes noted that it was important for everyone to remember the city’s municipal buildings and public facilities were built through the financial investments of West U citizens, not elected officials or the city manager.
“These facilities… exist for no reason other than to make residents’ lives better,” Barnes said. “However, too often in recent years, residents have been made to wonder whether the current officeholder is supporting a project just to get their name on a building or, just as often, whether a former officeholder is proposing it out of the desire to keep their name on the line. The ordinance before us is an opportunity to fix that.”
It was not specified during the meeting when the proposed ordinance would return on a future agenda.
