Committee approves honorary street sign program with 5-per-year cap and initial deceased-only recognition

Brianna Boccaccalupo, the city’s management analyst, presented a proposed honorary street sign policy at the Government Operations Committee meeting Sept. 15; the committee approved the program with modifications, including a five-per-year cap and a recommendation that the first two honorees be deceased.

The program will permit applicants to nominate an individual for an honorary sign that is placed beneath the existing street name. The application requires a sponsoring city council member and staff review; final approval rests with the full council, the draft says.

Under the draft, a honoree must meet eligibility criteria: applicants were asked to prefer deceased individuals who resided in the city for most of their lives and to provide evidence (staff encouraged working with the St. Charles History Museum). Staff initially proposed a 20-year placement period for each block-level designation and estimated approximately $300 in fabrication costs per sign; after the 20-year period, the sign would be returned to the applicant. The designation covers one block section, not the entire length of a street.

Committee members raised two main concerns. Several aldermen said they would prefer to allow living honorees so the person — and their family — could attend and benefit from the recognition; staff said they brought the deceased-only approach to reduce politics in early iterations of the program and were open to revising it later. To limit program scale and staff burden, the committee unanimously agreed to a cap of five honorary signs per year (one per ward), with the suggestion that the first two signs under the program honor deceased individuals. The committee also discussed whether applicants or sponsoring aldermen should cover sign costs; staff said the city could absorb initial costs but that frequent demand might require a budget line item.

Committee members asked staff to return with a clarified application, an expenditure plan and the mechanics for sponsorship and installation; staff noted that the council can revise the policy later. A roll-call vote approved the modified program.

Speakers who discussed the item included Brianna Boccaccalupo and multiple aldermen who asked about eligibility, the 20-year period and program caps. The committee asked staff to draft updated policy language reflecting the cap and initial deceased requirement for the first two honors.