Salt Lake County crafting building name-change guidelines

Salt Lake County leaders want to keep politics out of honoring the dead.

The Salt Lake County Council is crafting an ordinance that would create guidelines on renaming a building.

The move comes after two recent name changes. In September, Republicans and Democrats were at odds over renaming the Salt Palace after former Gov. Calvin L. Rampton, a Democrat who died weeks before the name-change debate.

Then on Tuesday, the council unanimously voted to rename the Kearns Senior Center for former Sen. Ed Mayne, D-West Valley. Mayne died Nov. 25.

Councilman David Wilde supported the senior center name change, but urged the council to establish some sort of guidelines to make cool-headed decisions possible.

"There are a lot of emotions — people feel very strongly after a fellow just died," Wilde said. "Maybe it's good to take some time and think about things."

Wilde on Tuesday asked the Salt Lake County Council's legislative subcommittee to start crafting an ordinance. He said he would like to set up a citizen committee that could study the issue and make recommendations to the council.

Taylorsville has a similar ordinance, and Wilde wants to use it as a model for Salt Lake County leaders as they come up with their own.

The city has a naming committee that convenes at least three months prior to renaming a public place. Among other things, the ordinance only allows the city to honor local government officials who have been out of office for a minimum of five years.

Also, only individuals who made "exceptional contributions to the city" will be considered. To be considered "exceptional" signifies that a person has donated or contributed a significant amount of money to acquire or develop a public place, or provided significant volunteer services.

Councilman Joe Hatch said he would like to see Salt Lake County pass a similar ordinance.

"What has happened was instead of taking an opportunity to honor and making it an incredibly noble thing, it seems to get hung up on the politics of whatever policy is out there, and that's unfortunate," Hatch said. "I want (an ordinance) when we do this regardless" of party.

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