Residents of Downey spoke out against the proposed revisions to the city’s Facility Naming Policy at last Tuesday’s meeting. Council members also congratulated the Civilian Emergency Response Team program for their response to the Feb. 6 standoff with a Downey resident.

Mayor Bayer proposed a change in the naming policy that said the person for which the facility is named after be deceased for a minimum of five years.

The item was on the Administrative report and was up for discussion; the public could also have a chance to tell the council how it felt about such a decision.

Maria Larken, Downey resident, said, “I am opposed to such an idea. If you are going to honor someone they should be alive so they can enjoy it with their family, then waiting for them to be dead.”

Council member, Kirk Cartozian, said he had quite a different view.

“I think it’s important that a person be deceased. A lot of it is based upon friendships and relationships. It tends to cloud the minds,” Cartozian said. “It clouds the ability to make that decision with relationships; it’s really hard to be objective. It would be less emotional.”

Meredith Perkins, Mayor Pro Tem, said that the last three people they named facilities after were alive and was quick to name another after Barbara Riley died.

“Not one time did we wait until we they were dead and all received a 5-0 vote. The only reason why this is up is because of the last individual that we were going to name something after,” Perkins said.

He also said that he personally would like to consider the policy as it is with no change.

Rick Trejo, Council member, said he agreed with Perkins.

“I won’t support someone being dead for five years. It’s great joy to see a person get the honor.”

Also council member, David Gafin said, “I couldn’t approve this with a five-year minimum. I think it’s a case-by-case basis.”

Other criteria included going through an application process for a facility to be named after someone. The group or person requesting a facility name change would submit an application to Recreation and Community Services Commissio, which would then make a recommendation to the city council for final approval or denial of the application.

In the case of denial, the applicants would have the opportunity to appeal the decision to the city council if they choose to.

Mayor Bayer said that Cities which have a naming policy with a condition that the person be deceased for a period of time believe it takes some of the emotion out of the decision-making process.

The proposed change to the policy for an application process through the Commission is similar to the process several other cities go through.

It is expected that such an application would be two to three pages in length. The application would be reviewed at a noted meeting of the Commission and citizens would be given opportunity to comment on the appropriateness of the application.

The Council voted 3-2 to receive and file the report with council member Cartozian and Gafin voting no.

Also at the meeting, LeeAnn Sears, resident of Downey and a member of the C.E.R.T program, spoke to the city council about the recent early morning stand-off that escalated into a shoot-out later in the day Feb. 6, Super Bowl Sunday.

The program had to open the Barbara Riley Community Center for residents who lived in the area where the standoff with the Downey resident took place. They also offered residents food and drinks, while watching the Super Bowl game in the center.

The residents had to be evacuated from their homes on the 9100 block of Stewart and Gray Road due to gunfire from Daniel Balarie, Downey resident that barricaded himself in his parents’ home and would not come out after shooting a friend in the arm.

Sears said, “all the people who were there didn’t know that such a program existed in their city and were very appreciative that we were there for them during this crisis.”

She also said that people were so relaxed and at first they didn’t know where they were going, being so early in the morning.

The group was also able to offer the kids games from the center to keep them busy while the crisis was happening.

“The C.E.R.T. program can work and this wasn’t a big emergency, but if there was, we would fall right in place in being prepared to help residents,” Sears said.

One thing Sears said she found out from being there was that none of the residents knew who their neighbors were before the incident occurred.

She said that being able to get the residents together during the standoff made the residents get to know their neighbors.

Council members congratulated the C.E.R.T program on a job well done although it was unfortunate the incident had to happen.

Mayor Bayer said, “We have an awesome city that knows how to work together.”

At next week’s meeting an update will be given by the developers on the NASA site at 6:30 p.m. before the regular council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Downey City Hall in Council Chambers.