Monterey County staff presented a proposal to develop a comprehensive policy governing the naming, renaming or removal of names for county‑owned and county‑operated facilities.

Staff referenced existing policies (G48 and G49), the California Government Code and other guidance (US Board on Geographic Names, International Association for Public Participation) and said the county would craft standards covering geographic relevance, cultural inclusivity, donor recognition and required consultation with departments and community partners. The proposal calls for temporary placeholder names during grant or construction phases, public outreach, and clarity around signage and ADA requirements.

Staff estimated the policy development would not require significant direct costs to the county aside from outreach expenses (they offered a rough estimate up to $5,000 for outreach and $0–$10,000 for branding and signage guideline development) and asked for approximately 120 days to develop a draft. Supervisors emphasized keeping the policy simple, protecting community identity, and ensuring that final names come to the Board for review (with the consent calendar as an option for routine actions).

Board members raised questions about donor restrictions, sunset clauses and whether surnames or non‑English names should be treated differently; staff said legal review and coordination with affected agencies would be part of the drafting process. The Board accepted the referral for development and asked staff to return with a proposed policy and implementation timeline.