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The Badin Town Council paved the way forward at Tuesday’s meeting for street names in town to be changed.

With a 4-0 vote, the council approved a new ordinance for street names. Deloris Chambers was not in attendance at the meeting for personal reasons.

As in previous drafts of the ordinance, new street names may not be an individual or family name, include a direction or be more than 16 characters.

“Names must be easy to pronounce and should effect a positive connotation. Names duplicating or sounding similar to existing names will be rejected,” according to Section 3 of the ordinance.

Words starting with “old” and “new” will not be allowed, and names have to comply with guidelines from various local and federal organizations. Those include the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), Stanly County 911 and GIS, the U.S. Postal Service and Census Bureau, and county regulations.

Name change proposals will be submitted to the county 911 service for review and may be deemed “inappropriate” or one which “would interfere with public safety or emergency services.”

Fees for the name change will include advertising a public notice in the SNAP, certified mail notifications to landowners, new signage including street signs and “any costs associated with street name change.” Those costs will be paid by the petitioner.

Should a street name change be initiated by the town, no fees will be charged.

Ultimately, the Badin Planning Board would make a recommendation to the town council, who would decide for or against adopting a resolution of intent to change the street name.