The Norman City Council’s oversight committee discussed new procedures for renaming streets at its Nov. 8 meeting — here’s what that means for efforts to rename DeBarr Avenue.
A new street naming procedure, part of a recommendation by the oversight committee that will next move on to a council study session, would allow new avenues for a street name change to be initiated.
A mayor, three city councilmembers or the city’s Human Rights Commission could initiate a street name change if a street name is deemed “derogatory” or “offensive,” per the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance.
The council already voted to change the name of DeBarr Avenue by June 1, 2018 — as the street is named for a former national KKK chaplain, Edwin DeBarr — after efforts failed to get 75 percent of adjacent property owners to agree to a name change.
How soon could DeBarr Avenue get a new name, then?
March 2018, Councilmember Kyle Allison said at the meeting.
The city council could pass the new street name procedures before Christmas, Mayor Lynne Miller said. The first council meeting in January could then formally initiate the street renaming process for DeBarr Avenue under the new renaming procedures, she said.
Here’s a step-by-step rundown of how the new street renaming procedure would go if initiated by the mayor, council members or the Human Rights Commission:
Step 1: The mayor, three council members or the Human Rights Commission can initiate a street name change if the name is determined to be offensive or derogatory by Norman’s anti-discrimination ordinance.
Step 2: The council would consider whether to initiate the process to review a street name.
Step 3: The city clerk’s office would “make every effort” to contact and solicit names from surrounding property owners, residents and other affected parties before taking any action.
Step 4: The request, along with any proposed new street names, would be forwarded to Public Works staff. At this step, Public Works would determine whether proposed new street names could be duplicates, vulgar or confusing for emergency services, and whether the proposed change meets U.S. Postal addressing standards.
Step 5: The proposed name change would be placed on the agenda of the Community Planning and Transportation Committee.
Step 6: Notice via mail ahead of the consideration of the name change at the Community Planning and Transportation Committee would be sent to affected property owners and tenants. The community at large would be notified through the Norman Transcript.
Step 7: The City Council would consider a recommendation from the Community Planning and Transportation Committee at a regularly scheduled meeting.
Step 8: If the City Council approves the resolution for renaming a street, the city clerk will file the resolution with the county clerk, and Public Works would be responsible for signage changes and notifying tenants and property owners of the change.
