Visalia City Council makes tentative logo selection; public comment period remains open

The Visalia City Council selected entry No. 59 as the new city logo.

Although city council voted on which design will serve as the new city logo during the Monday, July 15 meeting, council will wait until the Aug. 5 meeting to make its decision final, as originally scheduled.

Public comment period will continue through July 26 as previously announced.

The logo discussion started with a presentation by Allison Mackey, city public information officer, who provided an overview of the decision making process so far.

What have Visalia residents said?

Mackey again reported that community members were asked to submit their designs for a new city logo, and that 87 logos were received for consideration. At its July 8 meeting, Visalia City Logo Redesign Committee, appointed by the council, narrowed the logo options to five.

Mackey also provided the most recent update, reporting that 139 emails were received by 3 p.m. that afternoon, the first scheduled day of the public comment period, which opened three days earlier than originally announced.

“Comments ranged from notes on colors and images in the logos, to statements that the logo should not be changed from the ‘legacy logo,’” she said.

The legacy logo served as the city’s logo from 1998 to earlier this year. The city sought a new logo because, according to Mackey, the “former logo is difficult to reproduce in many formats.”

What have council members said?

City council members thanked Mackey and the logo committee members before considering closing the public comment period and choosing the new logo at the meeting.

“I hate to change the timeline, but I think we spent enough time on this,” Council Member Emmanuel Hernandez Soto said.

Council Member Steve Nelsen said it was a “shame” about the negative response committee members received during the selection process. He then commented on the attention the community has given to choosing a new logo.

“We have way bigger issues to deal with,” he said, listing the budget, homelessness, litter on trails, parks, water, and staffing issues. “We spent an atrocious amount of time and effort on the logo. One would have to ask on a scale of one to 10 where does it fit. I would say the logo wouldn’t even make the list.

“I guarantee you if we pick (a logo) tonight, there’ll be people stirring the pot, there’ll be public outcry, and we’ll hear the negativity,” he said. “Why don’t we just delay this? I just as soon not make a pick and stall this out, and we can keep using the one we used.”

“We’ve done our due diligence,” Council Member Liz Wynn said. “No matter which one we pick, people are going to be mad.”

The discussion then focused on evaluating the five entries chosen by the logo committee. The city council also considered the amount of compensation to offer the designer of the winning logo, in addition to recognition – if the designer wants to accept either.

Mayor Brian Poochigian noted the vitriol that has been part of the selection process, before suggesting the logo designer may prefer no recognition for their work.

“If they want to remain anonymous, that’s up to them,” he said.

The vote to select logo No. 59 and offer $1,500 in compensation to the designer, along with some recognition, was passed unanimously.

The public can still view and comment on the five logo options through July 26 by visiting www.visalia.city/refresh .

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Visalia City Council makes tentative logo selection; public comment period remains open