Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2015 05 13

Home Browse Search

LCitv0f Louisville PARKS & RECREATION Memorandum To: Open Space Advisory Board From: Joe Stevens Date: April 27, 2015 Re: Memorial Benches on Open Space At the February 11, 2015 Open Space Advisory Board (OSAB) Meeting, OSAB recommended that the City "halt the Open Space Memorial Bench Program and investigate the current bench agreements." Accompanying this memorandum, please find a listing of all memorial benches authorized and placed upon Open Space, a map identifying where Parks and Recreation Department staff would like to see additional benches installed, and a draft of City of Louisville Parks and Recreation Department's Tree and Memorial Bench Program with guidelines for continuing the program on Parks, Open Space, Golf Course, Trails and Cemetery property. Memorial tree and bench programs are popular and widely used by municipal, state and federal jurisdictions across the country. Louisville is no exception. I believe both the memorial bench and tree programs are a cost - effective way to address department needs and a way to instill a sense of pride and ownership within the community. If, however, OSAB wants to eliminate the programs and perhaps go so far as to have staff remove the names on the memorial benches or the benches that were purchased by friends and family, I recommend that you host a public hearing to better evaluate and determine whether or not the community supports your recommendation. This program has been, in my view, handled with dignity, respect and sensitivity with very little controversy except for location(s). cc: Malcolm Fleming Attachments: - Draft guidelines - Map of open space existing and proposed bench locations - Wording on each open space memorial bench 9