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RESOLUTION R-1718-82: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING THE STREET NAME CHANGE PORTION OF THE CITIZENS RECOGNITION POLICY FOR THE CITY OF NORMAN.
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BACKGROUND: In 2008, Council adopted Resolution R-0809-60 which sets policy, among other things, for street renaming. After working through a request to rename a street to Deans Row Avenue, Staff was asked to assist Council with amending the 2008 Policy to give Council some flexibility if the name of a current street is considered to be offensive or derogatory. Staff is now forwarding an amendment to the policy adopted by Council in 2008, the Citizens Recognition Policy, to City Council for consideration.
DISCUSSION: The power given to a municipality to open and close streets impliedly includes the power to name and rename streets. 10A McQuillin Mun. Corp. § 30:15 (3d ed.) (footnote omitted). The power given a municipality to open and close streets also impliedly includes the power to determine the procedure to name and rename streets.
Section 36-101 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma Statutes recognizes the power of Oklahoma municipalities to regulate and control the use of streets, roads, and other public ways. Pursuant to this power, Council, by resolution, adopted a procedure for permanently changing current street names. The procedure for permanently changing a current street name, adopted in Resolution R-0809-60, requires a petition containing signatures of at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the property owners adjacent to the street being changed. This process is retained in the proposed amended policy for most street renaming requests.
The proposed amendments add a new process that ultimately permits a majority of Council to change the name of a street if the name is determined to be offensive or derogatory as measured by the Civil Rights and anti-discrimination policy of the City set forth in Section 7-101(a) of the City’s Code of Ordinances. The proposed amendments also clarify which property owners are eligible to petition the City to change the name of a current street or are required to receive notice if a name change is initiated by City Council.
The Council Oversight Committee in its meeting on November 8, 2017, discussed and reviewed the amended street renaming policy. In a study session on December 12, 2017, City Council reviewed the amended street renaming policy and indicated that amended Policy should be placed on an Agenda for formal consideration.
RECOMMENDATION: Based on the above information, Staff forwards for consideration the added process for renaming a street when the existing street name is determined to be derogatory or offensive as measured by the City’s Civil Rights or anti-discrimination code provisions. The added process is proposed to be put in place an amendment to the Citizens Recognition Policy originally adopted in 2008 by Resolution R-0809-60.