Events of Interest in the Week Ahead

The new year is starting out slowly when it comes to city meetings. The Common Council doesn't have its organizational meeting until next Monday, January 10, so this week we are easing carefully into 2022.

• On Tuesday, January 4, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. On the agenda for the meeting is a report about outreach regarding hardscape alternatives to the open space of North Bay for establishing solar arrays. The terms of half the members of the CAC--Hilary Hillman, Tom O'Dowd, David Konigsberg, and Michael O'Hara--expired at the end of 2021, and Gossips has received no word about reappointments. Since appointments to the CAC are made by the Common Council, that may have to wait until after the Council's organizational meeting on January 10. Tuesday's CAC meeting will take place on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting.  
• On Thursday, January 6, at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing on two proposed laws: Introductory K of 2021, which would amend the zoning code to allow eating and drinking establishments to exist in R4 zoning districts, and Introductory L of 2021, which would allow for the honorary naming of city streets. There are a few things to be noted about the two laws. For the law regarding commercial uses in R4 residential districts, the zoning change would apply only to buildings that currently have commercial uses or have had commercial uses in the past and have not subsequently become dwelling units. It would not allow a residential property to be converted into a restaurant or retail store. The second law, regarding the honorary naming of streets, does not allow for streets to be renamed. A street, or a portion thereof, would be given a second, honorary name "to commemorate individuals who have made significant contributions to the community and humanity." The law outlines the following criteria for honorary street naming:

1. The honoree must have made a demonstrable and significant positive impact on the community or contributed to the cultural, economic, educational, intellectual, political or scientific vitality of the community or have made an extraordinary contribution in the service of humanity.
2. The honoree must be a natural person, and no living individual shall be the subject of a proposed dedication, except by unanimous consent of the Common Council.
3. Proposals shall not be for names that could reasonably be considered derogatory, obscene or blasphemous.
4. Honorary designations shall be confined to the right-of-way within the vicinity of the home, organization, or location associated with the honoree.
5. The proposed name may not duplicate or be potentially confused with the name of an official City street name.
6. Each Council member and the Mayor may propose up to two honorary dedications per calendar year except in the circumstance where the naming is upon the request of the Mayor, in which case it shall not be counted as a dedication by the Council member. Dedications by Council members shall be within their respective wards.  

The mayor's public hearing will take place on Zoom. Click here to access the hearing.

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