TITLE
RESOLUTION CODESIGNATING SW 152 STREET FROM SW 117 AVENUE TO SW 137 AVENUE AS �REVEREND JOHN A. FERGUSON STREET�; URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO CODESIGNATE SW 152 STREET FROM SW 99 COURT TO SW 117 AVENUE AS �REVEREND JOHN A. FERGUSON STREET�

BODY
WHEREAS, Reverend John Alphonso Ferguson was born on July 23, 1923 in Miami, Florida; and
WHEREAS, he graduated from George Washington Carver Senior High School in 1941 and served in the United States Navy for 21 years during World War II and the Korean Conflict; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Ferguson graduated from Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia in 1947, and the Union Theological Seminary in New York City in 1954; and
WHEREAS, he and his wife Anita had five children, three boys and two girls; and
WHEREAS, in 1964, Reverend Ferguson founded the Second Baptist Church in Richmond Heights; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Ferguson served with distinction for 36 years as Pastor of the Second Baptist Church, retiring in September, 2000 when he was designated as Pastor Emeritus; and
WHEREAS, from an initial membership of 53, the Second Baptist Church grew under the leadership of Reverend Ferguson to a congregation of more than 800 members by the time of his retirement, with the congregation now numbering approximately 1,400; and
WHEREAS, in addition to leading the growing community of parishioners at the Second Baptist Church, Reverend Ferguson served on the School Desegregation Committee established by federal Judge Clyde Atkins and the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board and by chairing the Richmond Heights Community Development Corporation; and
WHEREAS, on August 23, 2000, the Miami-Dade County School Board named a high school in southwest Miami-Dade County in Reverend Ferguson�s honor, John A. Ferguson Senior High School, located at 15900 S.W. 56 Street in Miami; and
WHEREAS, Reverend Ferguson died on July 26, 2012 at the age of 89; and
WHEREAS, SW 152 Street from SW 117 Avenue to SW 137 Avenue is a county road located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, and SW 152 Street from SW 99 Court to SW 117 Avenue is a state road located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, this Board would like to honor the memory of Reverend John A. Ferguson and his contributions to the lives of many people in this community by codesignating SW 152 Street from SW 117 Avenue to SW 137 Avenue as �Reverend John A. Ferguson Street�, and by requesting that the Florida Legislature codesignate SW 152 Street from SW 99 Court to SW 117 Avenue as �Reverend John A. Ferguson Street�; and
WHEREAS, this proposed codesignation is located in County Commission District 9, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Having considered this matter at a public hearing, codesignates SW 152 Street from SW 117 Avenue to SW 137 Avenue as �Reverend John A. Ferguson Street.�
Section 2. Urges the Florida Legislature to codesignate SW 152 Street from SW 99 Court to SW 117 Avenue as Reverend John A. Ferguson Street.
Section 3. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit certified copies of the resolution to the Governor, the Senate President, the House Speaker, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade State Legislative Delegation, the United States Postal Service, the Traffic Signals and Signs Division of the Public Works and Waste Management Department, the Zoning and Platting Division of the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources, the Miami-Dade County Police Department and the Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue Department.
Section 4. Directs the County�s state lobbyists to advocate for the issue identified in Section 2 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2013 state legislative package when it is presented to the Board.