Title
Policy for Dual Naming City Roads and Memorializing Individuals (NB)
The Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Public Works Committee formalized a framework to establish a policy by which the City Commission would consider requests for dual naming a city road or memorializing individuals. This committee is respectfully requesting that the recommended framework be adopted as city policy in these matters.
Explanation
Section 23 of the City of Gainesville Code of Ordinances defines how streets shall be designated and numbered to ensure consistency throughout the City. From time to time the City receives requests to allow a certain street to have a dual name designated to honor an individual. The majority of these requests have been associated with either war veterans that have died in the line of duty or fallen law enforcement officers from the community. However, some requests have been for outstanding members of a neighborhood or the community as a whole. Therefore, it has been suggested that a tiered system be developed for memorializing these lives. It is recommended that dual naming roads would be solely for those who died in the line of duty to either the City or the Nation, and these requests will continue to be handled by the Department of Public Works. Placement of a memorial would be solely for community or neighborhood leaders, and these requests will continue to be handled by the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. It is suggested that a mourning period of one year pass before the neighborhood or community leader's memorial could be acted upon. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs has an administrative procedure in place for handling the placement of memorials. The Recreation, Cultural Affairs, and Public Works Committee in its last meeting recommended that a policy be established for dual naming city roads.
Fiscal Note
Funding for administrative and material costs for the dual named streets would be absorbed by the Public Works department as a part of their normal operating budget.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) adopt a policy to provide posthumous recognition of those who died in the line of duty to either the City or the Nation. The intent is to set forth a policy for establishing the honorary designation (or dual naming) of Gainesville city roads; 2) authorize the City Manager to implement an administrative procedure to carry out this policy in practice.