Title
a. Receive a status report on the Board Referral 2021.25 “East Garrison Street Renaming”; and
b. Provide appropriate direction to staff.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a status report on the Board Referral 2021.25 “East Garrison Street Renaming”; and
b. Provide appropriate direction to staff.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
East Garrison is a subdivision located off Reservation Road, between Blanco Road and Davis Road. East Garrison was brought to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in phases, with the Final Map of Phase 3 accepted by the Board at the December 12, 2017 Board Meeting. As part of the Conditions of Approval, proposed street names were submitted in compliance with the conditions. The names submitted were reviewed pursuant to the County Policy, last amended January 13, 1987.
On November 16, 2021, the Board added Supervisor Root-Askew’s Referral No. 2021.25 to the County Board of Supervisors’ referral matrix. Please see Attachment A for the Board Referral.
At the January 11, 2022 Board Meeting, Staff presented the Preliminary Analysis Report to the Board of Supervisors (please see Attachment B). As noted in the Preliminary Analysis Report and the Board Referral, community members have expressed concerns about the names, the street naming process, and requested the County undertake a renaming as appropriate. The current process does not include any evaluation of name appropriateness.
As stated in the Preliminary Analysis Report, one of the first steps undertaken by Staff was identification of potential streets subject to the scope of the Board Referral. Staff researched street names using internet research of historical references; in addition, Staff conferred with the Monterey County Military and Veterans Affairs Office (MVAO) and the Defense Language Institute (DLI) historian. The list of potentially impacted streets is included as Attachment C.
There is much involved on a private property owner's end when a road is renamed. Specifically, personal information that the County does not have control over, such as the Drivers' License, banking information, etc., would need to be updated, among other things. To aid a property owners' understanding and help ensure they are fully informed, Staff is creating a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) information sheet/brochure and webpage. To help disseminate the message, Staff proposes to present this to the East Garrison Community Services District Advisory Committee (EGCSD AC) and ask for their assistance in directly sending to the property owners along the streets in Attachment C.
In spite of the information that is to be provided, there may be property owners who do not wish to have their street names renamed. Rather than compel them to change the street name, Staff recommends a voluntary approach, by providing the standard street renaming petition to the property owners on the affected streets. That way, it is a collaborative effort that is voluntarily initiated by the affected property owners, with sufficient understanding of the ramifications. Pursuant to the current Monterey County Fee Resolution, effective August 21, 2021, the renaming fee is approximately $3569 per street. If all the property owners on the affected streets in Attachment C consent to renaming their street, the total cost would be approximately $43,000. Staff conferred with the Budget Office, and the only available revenue source is the Cannabis Assignment.
Another challenge is the revision of the process of renaming streets, to ensure it is compatible with other existing policies, such as the Monterey County General Plan. Community engagement is also an important aspect. The level of Board involvement also needs to be considered - Recently in 2021, the United States Congress created “The Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America”, more commonly referred to as The Naming Commission. The County Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department is charged with street naming and numbering. Staff suggests having the HCD consider adding a similar committee appointed by the Board of Supervisors for the naming of streets as an amendment to the Street Naming Policy.
Staff recommends proceeding with the information and petition process and working on amendments to the Street Naming Policy through HCD. Upon petition completion, tabulation of the counts would be conducted by HCD to determine the number of streets that have majority approval to be renamed. This tabulation would result in the total amount of fees to be requested from the County.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrative Office Budget & Analysis Division has been conferred with on this topic. This item will be presented to the East Garrison Community Services District Advisory Committee at their next available meeting.
FINANCING:
The potential total cost is approximately $43,000, assuming that all the streets are renamed. The General Fund funding source that is available is the Cannabis Assignment. The Cannabis Assignment Balance as of March 21, 2022, is $14,659,049 and if used to fund this project, it would reduce the balance to $14,616,049.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The recommended action supports the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives for Administration. These services will allow the streets in East Garrison to be renamed and allow a more thorough evaluation of the street naming approval process.
__Economic Development
X Administration
__Health & Human Services
__Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
Approved by: Randell Ishii, MS, PE, TE, PTOE, Director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks
The following attachments are file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Board Referral No. #2021.25
Attachment B - Preliminary Analysis Report presented January 11, 2022
Attachment C - Matrix of Affected Streets
Attachment D - Board Order for Road Naming and Numbering