Entity Staff Report - 8/23/2021CITY COUNCIL OF SALT LAKE CITY
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COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
CITY COUNCIL of SALT LAKE CITY
TO:City Council Members
FROM:Brian Fullmer
Policy Analyst
DATE:August 17, 2021
RE: Honorary Street Name Recognizing Pastor France Davis
The Council will be briefed about a proposal to add the honorary name “Pastor France Davis Way” to the
block of Harvard Avenue between State Street and Main Street.
The congregation of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church along with the Mayor’s Office propose adding the
honorary street name. Pastor Davis served the congregation for more than forty years. In addition, Pastor
Davis has provided significant community service. Among his many roles serving the broader community
are:
o member of several state and local boards
o Core Commission Member of the City’s Commission of Racial Equity and Policing
o provided counsel to community leaders
o adjunct faculty member in the University of Utah’s Ethnic Studies Program
The Attorney’s Office noted while the proposed honorary street name is not a permanent change, the asset
naming ordinance in City Code has a list of prohibited names for permanent asset naming. Included in the
list are “the name of a religious leader, unless such leader is recognized solely for the leader’s civic
contribution.” The Mayor’s Office stated the proposed honorary street name is to recognize and honor
Pastor Davis for his contributions to the community.
Goal of the briefing: Review the proposed honorary street name, determine if the Council supports
moving forward with the proposal.
Item Schedule:
Briefing: August 17, 2021
Set Date: August 17, 2021
Public Hearing: August 24, 2021
Potential Action: August 24, 2021
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POLICY QUESTION
1.Is the Council supportive of the proposed honorary street name?
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Pastor Davis received numerous awards and honorary degrees for his service to the community including:
o Utah Humanities Council’s Governors Award for contributions in the Humanities
o Days of ’47 Committee’s Pioneers of Progress Award
o Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters and Degrees from Salt Lake Community College, Dixie State
University, Utah Valley University, Weber State University, and Snow College
Using the previous honorary street name (Harvey Milk Boulevard in 2016) as a guide, staff proposes the
following process:
Submit proposed honorary naming to public for feedback.
Be clear Council is seeking feedback (it’s not a vote).
o Mail notification about the proposed honorary naming to property owners abutting the
street which would be affected. (Mayor’s Office to contact abutting property owners)
o Welcome any comments via email, phone, written letters, etc.
Hold a public hearing.
Council will vote to approve or deny the request.
The Administration estimates a total of $288.00 to produce and install two street signs at the State Street
and Main Street intersections with Harvard Avenue. Costs for the signs and installation will be donated to
the City.
There are currently several City streets with honorary names (e.g., Martin Luther King, Jr. (600 South), Cesar
Chavez (500 South), Rosa Parks (200 East), John Stockton (300 West – a state road), Karl Malone (100 South),
Harvey Milk (900 South)).