In this file photo from July 22, 2016, players in The Hardwood Classic AAU basketball tournament fill courts at Sports Pavilion Lawrence.

The Lawrence City Commission has officially opened the way for private dollars to fund improvements or additions to the city’s parks and recreation facilities.

Commissioners unanimously approved the Parks and Recreation Sponsorship Policy at their meeting Tuesday, while also addressing concerns about using private funds for public purposes. Commissioner Matthew Herbert said he would rather use money from a private entity before coming to taxpayers and demanding more of their money.

“Now that I have a kid of my own, I see the impact that Parks and Rec has on the quality of life that we offer,” Herbert said. “If we have a way here to maintain Parks and Rec financially in spite of budgetary concerns, I’m going to be in favor of it. I’m not trying to come off as some kind of pro-corporate commissioner up here, but at the end of the day, we have to pay our bills.”

The policy is for business relationships and does not cover donations or honorary naming, such as the McGrew Nature Preserve or Watson Park. The policy lays out guidelines for program sponsorship and naming rights for recreation centers, playgrounds, outdoor sports complexes, trails and other facilities. Sponsorships can also go toward supporting Parks and Recreation programs, or smaller features such as park shelters or benches.

Sponsored naming rights have been the most contentious aspect of the policy, and a community survey — completed by about 60 people — indicated that those respondents generally supported the idea of sponsorship for the Parks and Recreation department, but about half did not approve of sponsorships tied to naming rights or permanent signage. The commission also heard public comment at the meeting, and Lawrence resident Michael Almond said he understood that the city was trying to ease constraints on its budget, but he was concerned that it was a “slippery slope.”

“At various levels, corporations are inserting their money into the public sphere, and they want something in return,” Almond said. “…We’re feeling the pinch here in Lawrence, we’re trying to figure out how we’re going to make ends meet, we see the corporate money out there. We have to consider, though, what is it that that implies when we put the name of a corporation on whatever city facility we think of.”

Commissioner Mike Amyx said that additions made to the policy that give the commission sole discretion over naming rights for city parks and facilities addressed those concerns. Amyx also noted a provision that prohibits sponsorships that “may adversely impact the mission, image and values and goals of the City of Lawrence.”

“I think that (provision) speaks to a lot of the things that you have concerns about –and that the final decision rests with this body on a number of those big-ticket items,” Amyx said.

The naming rights section also states that the commission shall take into account the best interests of the city when reviewing proposals. Commission approval is also required for sponsorships that generate $25,000 per year or more for the city or last longer than five years.

Some Parks and Recreation sponsorships are already underway, the most prominent of which is a seven-year, $50,000 sponsorship by Lawrence Memorial Hospital at the city’s newest recreation center, Sports Pavilion Lawrence. Last year, revenue from sponsorships and donations for the Parks and Recreation Department totaled about $115,000, which includes revenue from various ads in the department’s activities guide.

In other business, the commission:

• Conducted an appeal hearing for a nuisance notice issued by city staff regarding a wood-fired furnace located at 1501 Learnard Avenue. The furnace is used to heat greenhouses on the property, and staff issued a nuisance notice because of the amount of smoke it created. The commission directed city staff to work with the greenhouse operators to resolve the issue, including an agreement to use a different heating method next winter.

• Met in executive session for 60 minutes to discuss matters protected by attorney-client privilege. Mayor Leslie Soden said the commission had no statement to make at the time regarding the executive session.