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DONATION POLICY
for
CITY PARKS
EFFECTIVE: October 11th, 2022
PURPOSE
The City of Muskegon adopts the following policy in order to formalize the process and procedures
surrounding donations to the Parks Department.
GOALS
The City of Muskegon maintains this policy with the goals of:
• Providing amenities within the park system that are a benefit to all users
• Offering residents and visitors a means to create a memorial
• Creating a sustainable and uniform policy
• Spreading the donations to underserved areas of the city
GENERAL RULES & OUTLINE
The Director of Parks and Recreation or their proxy will serve as the lead point of contact for the city on
all donation requests, installations, and follow up.
Donation requests will be accepted and reviewed year-round. Installation of approved donations will be
seasonally limited at the discretion of the staff representative.
Donation types, costs, locations, term, and timeframe are outlined in the sections below.
PRE-EXISTING DONATIONS
Donations that existed prior to this policy will remain in place until such time that they require
replacement. That time shall be established at the discretion of the Parks and Recreation Director based
on the condition of the donation and the expected life of that donation. At such time that the Parks and
Recreation Director determines a replacement is necessary they will attempt to contact the original donor
and offer them an opportunity to renew their donation in accordance with this policy. If the original donor
is unable to be contacted or they decline to renew the donation opportunity will be offered to a new
donor.
DONATION TYPES
Donation types are as classified below. Types 1-4 are standardized items, with Type 5 allowing for
consideration of alternatives on a case by case basis:
1. Bench set on a concrete pad
2. Tree of an approved species
3. Paver/Plaque with inscription along boardwalk/walkway
4. Brochure (monetary donation to support creation of a comprehensive park brochure)
5. Other donations considered on a case by case basis
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DONATION COSTS
Donation costs for donation types 1-2 will be specified by the Parks and Recreation Director at the time
of the request and will include the full cost to purchase, install, and maintain the donated facilities
throughout the expected life of the donation.
Donation costs for donation type 3 will be specified by the Parks Supervisor and will be a standardized
cost per foot donation to sponsor and support the long-term maintenance and replacement costs
associated with the boardwalks and walkways throughout the park system.
Donation costs for donation type 4 can be any monetary amount to support the creation and printing of
a comprehensive park brochure for all city parks. Once sufficient funds are reached donors will receive a
printed copy with other copies created for general sale/distribution to promote the park system.
Brochures will include a recognition section for all donors involved in the process.
Donation costs for donation type 5 are determined on a case by case basis.
Type 1 donation requests that are approved for locations within the parks of Beachwood/Bluffton
neighborhood will be charged double the actual cost as outlined above. The additional proceeds
generated will be used to provide matching amenities to parks in other areas of the city that have not
traditionally received as high of demand for donations.
Donation costs (except Type 3) do not include a plaque. Plaques may be permitted on certain donation
types; however, the purchase of the plaque shall be the responsibility of the donor. City reserves the right
to approve the material, content, and size of any plaques. City will install donor provided and City
approved plaques as a part of the donation cost.
In instances where there is extensive mutual interest in a particular investment City staff (within the
confines of the appropriate level of purchasing authority) may negotiate with a donor to partner on a
particular donation. These instances will be handled on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Park
and Recreation Director.
DONATION LOCATIONS
Donor can request their donation at any location within the city park system, or any location within the
city right-of-way.
Location requests within the park system will be reviewed and approved by the Parks and Recreation
Director on a case by case basis.
Location requests within the right-of-way will be reviewed and approved by the Parks and Recreation
Director and the Engineering Department on a case by case basis.
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DONATION TERM
Donation term will be specified by the Parks and Recreation Director and will be variable based on the
type of donation, location of the donation, and the expected life of the donation.
During the term of the donation the City will be responsible to provide reasonable maintenance and care
for the donation to sustain a usable condition.
Donors are encouraged to partner with the Community Foundation For Muskegon County to establish a
perpetual care fund for donations that are intended to exist in perpetuity. The Parks and Recreation
Director should be consulted in these discussions to assist in establishing the life cycle cost of a particular
donation that is desired to remain in perpetuity. Donations provided with a perpetual care fund will be
considered automatically renewed at the end of the original and any subsequent terms.
Any damage caused by an Act of God (including floods, storms, wind, lighting, hail, or other comparable
natural disasters) during the term of the agreement will void the donation term. The original donor will
be offered an opportunity to renew their donation in this instance. If the original donor declines to renew
the donation opportunity can be offered to another party.
At the first cause for replacement of a donation after the expiration of the donation term the original
donor will be offered an opportunity to renew their donation. If the original donor declines to renew the
donation opportunity can be offered to another party.
DONATION TIMELINE
The timeline for any given donation request can be variable based on the seasonal demand of the Parks
Department staff responsible for the review of requests. In general, the process will follow along these
lines:
Step 1 – Prospective donors need to make contact via email with the Parks Department staff to express
their interest in initiating a donation. Inquiries can be made at ([email protected]) and
should include the type of donation requested, a description of the location with photo, and the donors
contact information.
Step 2 – Parks Supervisor will review the inquiry and provide a preliminary response to the donor
indicating a preliminary acceptance of the donation type and location along with any conditions that
apply. The response will include a price, and term for the donation based on the above guidelines along
with a copy of the memorandum of understanding.
Step 3 – Donor must return the memorandum of understanding along with payment to the City to indicate
their acceptance of the terms.
Step 4 – Parks and Recreation Director will proceed to procurement and provide the donor with a
preliminary schedule based on the estimated procurement date and seasonal availability to provide the
city obligations.
Step 5 – Parks and Recreation Director and Donor can attempt to work together on a specific installation
date, however this can’t always be guaranteed to succeed.
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Memorandum of Understanding – Park Donation
The City of Muskegon Parks Department will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Name / Phone / Email
effective upon _____________________________.
Date
The City of Muskegon Parks Department will order, install and maintain a donation of
_____________________________________________________________________________________
to be located __________________________________________________________________________
for the term of __________________________ and for a cost of _______________________________.
During the term of the donation the City will be responsible to provide reasonable maintenance and care
for the donation to sustain a usable condition.
Any damage caused by an Act of God during the term of the agreement will void the donation term. The
original donor will be offered an opportunity to renew their donation in this instance. If the original donor
declines to renew the donation opportunity can be offered to another party.
At the first cause for replacement of a donation after the expiration of the donation term the original
donor will be offered an opportunity to renew their donation. If the original donor declines to renew the
donation opportunity can be offered to another party.
The Parks Department retains final say in the donation location which will be coordinated with the donor
prior to installation.
CITY STAFF USE ONLY: APPROVED / DENIED
NAME/TITLE:_________________________________________________________
DATE:_____________ FEE:_________________
NOTES:______________________________________________________________
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