The Visalia City Council voted 5-0 to choose design #59 as the city’s official logo at their July 15 meeting.
Mayor Brian Poochigian told The Valley Voice that the city council will have a formal unveiling of the logo and recognize the artist at their August 5 meeting. He added that the city’s website soliciting community feedback will also remain open until July 26.
Communication Manager, Allison Mackey, has been managing the website and said they received 139 emails. The feedback included such issues as the colors they liked, images they wanted on the logo or what should not be included on the logo. She also said some of the public requested the city council not choose any of the submitted designs and keep the 1998 logo.
Poochigian told The Valley Voice that the 1998 design is the official legacy logo will be displayed in the city council chambers behind the dais.
The timeline of choosing the logo had been accelerated from the one discussed by the Logo Committee on July 10. The city decided to open the public comment website early on July 12 and closed it a few hours before the city council meeting began.
The city council had the choice of delaying the decision to August 5 if they could not decide, but found the majority liked #59
Council member Emmanuel Soto was reluctant to change the timeline but said, “We have spent enough time on this.” His two favorite designs were #34 and #59.
Council member Steve Nelsen reiterated that none of the logo committee members were enamored with any of the designs and he wondered why the council didn’t just decide to keep the new logo they had already paid for. He said that if this had happened before social media the process would have already been over.
“I guarantee you that if we choose one tonight there will be people stirring the pot and public outcry,” he said. “I may choose one tonight or I may not.”
Council member Liz Wynn suggested they just “rip off the band-aid” and get it over with. “It doesn’t matter which one we pick. People are still going to get angry.”
Wynn liked #59 the best with #34 her second choice.
Vice Mayor Brett Taylor was pleased with the 87 submitted designs and chose 13 that he liked best. All five of the finalists were in his top picks. Out of the final five he chose #56 and #59 because of the colors and the logos also looked good in black and white, which the city will need.
Poochigian said he was relieved to be getting the logo decision over.
His favorites were #56 and #59. “When I think of Visalia I think of the mountains in the background,” said Poochigian.
Because four of the five council members had chosen design #59 Poochigian asked for a motion.
“Lets move forward with #59. It has the mountains, sun, ag, and the Fox placed correctly,” he said.
Wynn moved to adopt #59 as the city’s new logo and to offer a compensation of $1500 to the artists,
Nelsen seconded and the motion passed 5-0.