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File Number: 15-363 <br />After careful review of streets throughout the City of San Leandro, staff identified a section of <br />Hays Street between East 14th Street and Davis Street as an ideal location to rename a street <br />in Officer Niemi's honor. The street currently has no businesses or residential addresses <br />attached to it, yet is located in a prominent, central location. Additionally, this proposal aligns <br />with how several other nearby cities have honored fallen officers in their own communities, <br />including "John Monego Court" in Dublin and "Robert Davie Jr. Drive" in Alameda. <br />Current Agency Policies <br />San Leandro Administration Code Title 1, Chapter 10 "Policy on Naming/Renaming Facilities" <br />allows for the re -naming of City streets, subject to the following criteria: <br />"It is in the public interest to officially name certain City properties and facilities in order <br />to identify them for the public and to celebrate those individuals who have made a <br />significant contribution to the City. This policy recognizes that requests for naming or <br />renaming of facilities most often occur after the death of a prominent citizen ... The <br />following criteria shall be used: <br />(a) In the case of an individual who is deceased, the individual for whom a facility is <br />to be named must be deceased at least one hundred eighty (180) days. <br />(b) The individual for whom a facility is to be named (or renamed) must have been <br />one of the following: <br />(1) Long-term resident of the community or owner of a business in the <br />community who has made significant, notable, and tangible contributions to the facility <br />or property in question or to the San Leandro community at large. <br />(2) Elected official or employee of the City whose accomplishments and <br />contributions to the community clearly demonstrate a commitment over and beyond <br />that which would otherwise be normally associated with the performance of their work. <br />(c) There must be a well-defined connection between the contributions of the <br />individual and the property or facility. <br />(d) In the case of a request involves renaming a facility, the next of kin of the <br />individual for whom the facility is currently named (provided that the person was a local <br />resident) should be notified of the proposed change and given an opportunity for input <br />before the City Council acts upon the request." <br />Staff has reviewed the above criteria and advises that these criteria have been met. <br />Specifically, Officer Niemi passed away in 2005, which exceeds the 180 day requirement <br />outlined in subsection (a), above. Additionally, Officer Niemi ultimately forfeited the remainder <br />of his life while in the line of duty, which far exceeds the contributions to the San Leandro <br />community that would otherwise be normally expected of a City staff person while performing <br />their work. <br />Although not directly required by the above criteria, it should also be noted that staff from the <br />San Leandro Police Department also met with members of Officer Niemi's family to discuss <br />City of San Leandro Page 2 Printed on 6/9/2015 <br />