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Resident warns proposed honorary street-name amendment may be overbroad; urges more public dialogue
Summary
A resident criticized proposed amendment language for honorary street naming, saying fees, maintenance requirements and a 10-year sunset clause are unnecessarily restrictive and warning of "function creep." He urged council to seek broader feedback before introducing amendments.
Manuel Gomez, a York resident, used the public-comment period to raise concerns about an amendment to an honorary street-name measure he said appeared likely to be introduced by Councilwoman Queena Washington (referred to in comment as sponsor). Gomez said he appreciated a prior speaker's positive remarks about community recognition but objected to aspects of the amendment language as presented in a "sneak peek."
Gomez said the amendment appeared to add an application fee for honorary street names, to require maintenance and impose a 10-year sunset on honorary designations. He questioned why a dedication meant as a legacy would automatically expire and argued the amendment's language could be so broad that it would make many people ineligible: "Who doesn't have some sort of controversy attached to their name?"
Gomez also urged the council to avoid what he called "function creep"'the practice of introducing a package that serves multiple aims under the guise of addressing a narrower issue. He recommended more outreach and drafting work in committee and warned against copy-and-paste ordinance language from other municipalities without local review.
Ending: Gomez said he expected further introduction of amendment language and asked council members to seek more community feedback before formal introduction; no council action on the matter occurred that evening.
