Committee approves multiple honorary namings and bench/plaque dedications to forward to council

The committee unanimously agreed to forward several honorary naming and bench/plaque requests to City Council for formal adoption, including an honorary street naming for the late Brian DeQuincy Newman and multiple park bench and plaque dedications.

Reverend McDonough summarized Newman’s role in late-stage votes on the Bull Street redevelopment and urged the body to honor him. "It was Brian Newman who cast that deciding vote," he said, noting Newman’s role in what the speaker described as a major local project. The committee agreed by consensus to the honorary street naming and directed staff to carry the report to council.

Applicants or their sponsors also described bench and plaque requests for other honorees. An application listed "Bill/William Fincher" (application spelling varied in the record) for a bench at Mays Park; Peter Brown and Tyler Baylor were listed as sponsors. Members of the Columbia Literary and Dramatica (transcript: "Dracula") Society spoke in support of a plaque to honor Joyce and Don Jackson for civic and cultural contributions. Another applicant described a bench and plaque honoring Annette Bodey for her work supporting Columbia Police Department K9 vests; that bench is proposed for the Paw Path/Saluda Riverwalk area.

Staff said the process is to "motion this out at your report period during city council" and then have legal draft a resolution for final adoption. No formal council vote on the dedications occurred at the committee level; all items were forwarded by consensus to the City Council for a final vote.