DATE: April 8, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Parks and Recreation Department
TITLE: DESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC CITY-OWNED PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES TO ACCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR NAMING AND RENAMING, INCLUDING CESAR CHAVEZ PARK, PER COUNCIL POLICY 100-55, AND WAIVER OF CERTAIN COUNCIL POLICY REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO THE NAMING AND RENAMING PROCESS.
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council designate the Brooks Street Swim Center, Phase IIA Trail at El Corazon, and the sensory garden at El Corazon as facilities for which it will accept applications for naming per City Council Policy 100-55; waive the investigation and hearing requirements in Council Policy 100-55 and designate Cesar Chavez Park for renaming; and waive specified requirements in Council Policy 100-55 to expedite the naming and renaming process.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On May 21, 2003, the City Council adopted City Council Policy 100-55: “Policies and Procedures for Naming and Dedicating City Facilities.” The City has followed this Council Policy when naming newly constructed facilities such as the William A. Wagner Aquatic Center, Luiseño Park, Mance Buchanon Park, and the El Corazon Senior Center. In 2021, for example, the Alex Road Skate Park was named Prince Memorial Skate Park and Rancho Del Oro Park was named Jim Wood Park through the process outlined in the Council Policy. As a separate agenda item today, staff is presenting the Parks and Recreation Commission’s recommendation to name Park Site 1 at El Corazon and the skate spot at John Landes Park, which were designated by Council for naming last year.
City Council Policy 100-55 provides a timeline, procedures, and priority categories for the naming of public parks, recreation facilities, or amenities (“Park Facilities”). The timeline states that in April of each year, the City Council must first designate Park Facilities for which they will consider applications for naming or renaming. A list of facilities designated by the City Council is then immediately submitted to the Parks & Recreation Department, and the Director makes applications available to the public. The public must submit an application by June 1st. The applications received are then referred to the Parks and Recreation Commission in September. The September Commission meeting must be a public hearing, with notice provided 30 days in advance of the hearing date. The Parks and Recreation Commission thereafter recommends up to three names to City Council for approval.
Facilities to be Designated for Naming
With respect to current potential naming opportunities, staff has identified the following sites:
• The City is nearing completion of construction of the Phase IIA trail at El Corazon and a new name is needed for the trail.
• The Parks and Recreation Department has received requests to name a Park Facility after former Lifeguard Chief Ray Duncan who started his career in 1961 as a senior lifeguard at the Brooks Street Swim Center and retired as the Harbor and Beaches Manager after forty-eight years with the City of Oceanside.
• The City partnered with the Friends of El Corazon and North Coast Church to convert an area outside of the El Corazon Senior Center into a sensory garden with walking paths, benches, and native plants. The Friends of El Corazon have expressed an interest in naming this space.
Cesar Chavez Park to be Designated for Renaming
Council Policy 100-55 states that once a name has been selected under the policy, it shall not be changed unless, after an investigation and public hearing, the name is found to be inappropriate. The City Council can then designate the facility to be renamed following the naming procedures outlined in the policy. Given the allegations and reporting that have surfaced regarding transgressions committed by Cesar Chavez, staff recommends that City Council waive the investigation and public hearing requirements and designate this park for renaming. The monument sign bearing his name has been removed from the park. If Council declines to waive the investigation and hearing requirements under the policy, a public hearing would soon be set for a future City Council meeting date prior to designating the park for renaming.
In 1996, the community resource building at the Joe Balderrama Community Park was named after Joe and Lucy Chavez, long-time advocates of youth programming in the Eastside Community. The Chavez Resource Center has no association to Cesar Chavez and there are no plans to change the name.
Waiver of Certain Council Policy Requirements to Expedite Naming/Renaming Process
If City Council designates Brooks Street Swim Center, Phase IIA Trail at El Corazon, and the sensory garden at El Corazon for naming, and Cesar Chavez Park for renaming, the Parks and Recreation Director will make applications available to the public with a June 1, 2026 submission deadline. Staff recommends that the applications received be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission in July instead of September. In accordance with the Council Policy hearing requirement, the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting item would be held as a public hearing with 30 days’ notice provided to the public. Staff anticipates that the Parks and Recreation Commission’s recommendations could be provided to City Council for approval at a City Council meeting in August. To allow this expedited process, staff recommends that City Council waive the existing Council Policy’s timelines so that the Commission can consider the applications in July.
It is within the City Council’s discretion to waive the Policy’s timing provisions and direct staff to pursue an alternative timeline or process for renaming Cesar Chavez Park to further expedite that process.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact at this time; however, if the City Council decides to rename these park sites, there will be a cost to install a plaque, sign, or park monument that commemorates the new name.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Does not apply. Any facilities designated for renaming will be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission pursuant to the timeline identified by City Council.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Does not apply.
Prepared by: Elizabeth Kovar, Division Manager
Reviewed by: Manuel Gonzalez, Parks and Recreation Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Policy 100-55