Advisory Street Re-Naming Committee Report

Home Browse Search

Street Renaming Advisory Committee Report The Street Renaming Committee was initiated by Council Resolution 4443 -15. Committee assignments were made by the Council and the Mayor. Members met and got acquainted in November and December 2015. During that meeting the expectations of Council Resolution 4443 -15 and the November 12, 2015 fetter from the Mayor were reviewed. The expectations from the review are: • Review the impact on residents and :businesses on any proposed route • identify Streets that are potentials to be renamed for Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. • Solicit Public input through several public meetings The committee was briefed on how the current Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. came about. The briefing was provided by Debra Walker, who was an active committee participant from the previous Street Renaming Committee. The following is a summary of her verbal report: Several streets were recommended; a public meeting was held on each street that was recommended, the process was later changed to include a canvas cif the street that was recommended. In addition, the rules also changed during the process from a majority of people in favor of a change to the street name would be changed to where if one person objected no change would take place. The process took a few months to complete and due to personal verbal attacks /threats on the committee and the former mayor. The current street was identified and the name of Dr. King was placed on a street that was 3 blocks in length with no one living on the street. Having been appraised of the past history, it was decided to identify a street to present at the public meetings. Each committee member voted on their street of .choice. The criteria used in selecting a street was one of substantial length, one that would be maintained during the February 2016 meeting. and one that had the potential of future development. A survey sheet (see attached) was developed to capture and document the responses of people at the public meetings. The purpose of the survey was to identify if participants were in favor of a street named in honor of Dr. King, if the recommended street was acceptable or identify a street of their own selection. This method would eliminate the issue of continuous public meetings with changing requirements for each street that was identified. This process was used during the time of the first committee that was established to rename a street for Dr. King. The result was to delay or avoid making a 1