HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 91-R-26 (1) (1)05/11/2026
91-R-26
A RESOLUTION
Approving Updated Policies and Procedures for the City Honorary
Street Name Sign Program
WHEREAS, certain individuals have contributed greatly to the City of
Evanston through cultural, historic, or humanitarian acts; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to acknowledge the contributions of these
individuals by naming a street or portion of a street in their honor; and
WHEREAS, the City Council previously established a Honorary Street
Name Sign Program to honor these individuals in 1996; and
WHEREAS, there are proposed updates to the policies and procedures of
the Honorary Street Name Sign Program contained in the City of Evanston Honorary
Street Name Sign Application Form, a copy of which is attached hereto an incorporated
therein as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the Evanston City Council believes approving the proposed
updates to the policies and procedures of the Honorary Street Name Sign Program is in
the best interests of the citizens of Evanston,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF EVANSTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS:
SECTION 1: The foregoing recitals are hereby found as fact and
incorporated herein by reference.
Page 1 of 7
91-R-26
SECTION 2: The updates to the City of Evanston Honorary Street Name Sign
Program Policies and Procedures detailed in Exhibit A are hereby approved.
SECTION 3: This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its
passage, approval, and publication in the manner provided by law.
_______________________________
Daniel Biss, Mayor
Attest:
______________________________
Stephanie Mendoza, City Clerk
Adopted: __________________, 2026
Approved as to form:
______________________________
Alexandra B. Ruggie, Corporation Counsel
May 11
Page 2 of 7
91-R-26
EXHIBIT A
Page 3 of 7
City of Evanston
Honorary Street Name Sign Application Form (2026)
PURPOSE OF PROGRAM: Evanston’s Honorary Street Name Sign program celebrates living
individuals who have made significant cultural, historic, or humanitarian impacts to the city.
Request for an honorary designation has to begin with approval/acceptance with the
Councilmember of that ward. Each Councilmember may have one honorary designation
approved each year. Honorary street name signs are displayed for a period of ten years and the
portion of a street so designated is one block long. The program is administered by the Parks
and Recreation Board through the Parks and Recreation Department. Final approval is granted
by the Evanston City Council. The honorary designation expires ten years after its passage by
City Council, at which time the signs will be removed (Resolution 52-R-01). The applicant must
ensure the nominee is aware and willing to accept the nomination.
PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION BELOW:
NAME OF HONOREE:
(as it would appear on the street sign)
PROPER STREET NAME:
INTERSECTING STREETS AT EACH END OF THE ONE BLOCK AREA:
PLEASE CHECK ALL THAT APPLY AND GIVE A BRIEF EXPLANATION FOR EACH OF
THE APPLICABLE CRITERIA. A STREET CAN BE NAMED FOR AN INDIVIDUAL, OR
GROUP/DESIGNATION.
______ CLOSE ASSOCIATION TO THE CITY OF EVANSTON:
______ HISTORICAL IMPACT TO THE CITY OF EVANSTON:
Parks and Recreation Department
909 Davis Street
Evanston, Illinois 60201
www.cityofevanston.org
Page 4 of 7
______ CULTURAL/HUMANITARIAN CONTRIBUTION TO THE CITY OF EVANSTON:
______ GEOGRAPHIC RELATIONSHIP TO STREET OF INTEREST:
______ DISTINGUISHED CAREER BROUGHT TO THE CITY OF EVANSTON:
Please provide supporting documents (i.e., a resume, biographical sketch, newspaper article,
etc.) to verify the applicant has made significant cultural, historic and humanitarian impacts on
the city.
Signature of Sponsoring Councilmember:
Date: _______________________
Applicant’s Name and Address:
____________________________ _______________________________
Phone __________________________ Email: ______________________________________
___Applicant has ensured that the honoree is aware and willing to accept this nomination.
Honoree’s Address: ____________________________________________________________
Phone __________________________ Email: ______________________________________
Name of Responsible Party of Honoree: ____________________________________________
Phone __________________________ Email: ______________________________________
Submit completed form to:
City of Evanston
Parks and Recreation Department
909 Davis Street, Evanston, IL 60201
athompson@cityofevanstonl.org
Page 5 of 7
Honorary Street Name Designation and Retirement Procedure
I. Application and Approval Process
A. Annual Limit: Each Councilmember is limited to sponsoring one approved honorary
street name designation per calendar year.
B. Submit Application: The sponsoring Councilmember must submit a completed
application to the Parks and Recreation Department. The applicant must ensure the
nominee is aware and willing to accept the nomination. Only one street naming per
person is allowable.
C. Board Review: The Parks and Recreation Board evaluates the potential honoree and
develops a recommendation to the Human Services Committee.
D. Council Submission: The Human Services Committee forwards the application to the
City Council with either an affirmative (recommended) or negative (denied)
recommendation.
E. Final Confirmation: The City Council makes the final determination to approve or deny
the honorary street name.
II. Installation and Duration
A. Ten-Year Term: Approved signs remain installed for exactly ten years from the date of
City Council approval.
B. Term Extension: If an honoree passes away during the final year of the term, the sign
will remain for an additional year from the date of death or one year past the original
removal date, whichever is longer.
III. Notification and Removal
A. Six-Month Notice: Parks and Recreation staff will notify the Councilmember, the
honoree, or responsible party, six months prior to the 10-year term end date.
B. 30-Day Reminder: Staff will send a final reminder 30 days prior to the 10-year term end
date.
C. Sign Removal: The department removes the signs. The honoree or responsible party
receives both physical signs. They may choose to donate one sign to Shorefront Legacy
or Evanston History Center for historical preservation. If staff is unable to reach the
honoree or the responsible party using the contact information provided on the application,
the sign will be recycled.
IV. Legacy and Memorialization
A Digital Memorial: At the time of removal, the honoree’s contributions are permanently
memorialized on the city’s Honorary Street Name Sign Retirement Page.
Page 6 of 7
The following criteria shall guide the Parks and Recreation Board’s evaluation of
all nominees.
Close
Association to
Evanston
Lifelong resident or career
(40+ years); "deep roots" and
multi-generational family ties.
13-20 points
Long-term resident (20+
years) with significant
local professional or civic
presence.
8-12 points
Non-resident with
some professional
ties or a brief period
of residency.
0-7 points
Historical Impact
to Evanston
Led, organized, or played a
central leadership role in
historically significant events
that had a city-wide impact or
substantially influenced the
trajectory of the community
(e.g., civil rights actions,
major policy movements, or
transformative civic
initiatives).
13-20 points
Actively participated in
historically significant
events or initiatives that
had a meaningful impact
on a neighborhood,
organization, or
community, but without
serving in a primary
leadership role.
8-12 points
Participated in
historically significant
events in a limited or
supporting capacity,
or whose involvement
had minimal
documented impact
on the broader
community.
0-7 points
Cultural/
Humanitarian
Contribution to
Evanston
Founder/leader of a major
local non-profit, school, or
advocacy group that
transformed the community.
13-20 points
Sustained volunteerism or
board leadership in
community-serving
organizations.
8-12 points
Occasional
participation in
community service or
one-off humanitarian
acts.
0-7 points
Geographic
Relationship to
Street of Interest
The requested block is the
site of their lifelong home,
family business, or primary
place of service.
13-20 points
The requested block is in
the immediate
neighborhood where the
honoree lived or worked.
8-12 points
Little to no physical
connection between
the requested block
and the honoree's
life/work.
0-7 points
Distinguished
Career Brought to
the Evanston
Professionally or highly
recognized at the local level
(educator, business owner,
official) with 20+ years of
service with active local
leadership.
13-20 points
Highly respected on a
national or regional level
while maintaining active
local leadership.
8-12 points
Competent
professional career
with standard local
contributions.
0-7 points
Page 7 of 7