Politics & Government

Questions of Cost Tie Up Search for New City Logo

The city's decades-old logo is outdated and needs to be replaced, officials say.

How much will it cost the city to create and implement a new city logo? The answer has city officials tied up in knots.

Last Monday, the Inver Grove Heights City Council balked at a plan presented by Assistant City Administrator Jenelle Teppen to implement a new city logo for Inver Grove Heights, citing the cost of the proposal as the reason for their reluctance.

But Teppen, who presented the council with two possible designs at the work session last week, says any expenses included in her plan would be "minimal."

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It isn't the first time that the subject of the city's logo has caused hand-wringing on the part of the council. Several months ago, city staff brought the proposal before the council, which instructed staff members not to hire a professional firm to design the logo. The city's logo is roughly 40 years old, doesn't include the city's name and has been the subject of many complaints, Teppen said. In addition, the current logo isn't copyrighted.

To keep costs down, Teppen requested help from the graphic arts department at Dakota County Technical College. They connected her with a student willing to create two logo designs for a nominal fee of $50.

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While the creation of the possible logos was relatively inexpensive, Councilor Dennis Madden expressed concern last week that the process of replacing the old logo on city stationary and vehicles would cost to much to be practical.

Teppen's response? Don't actively replace any old stationary or vehicles, simply phase them out slowly as the city transitions to a new logo.

The answer seemed to allay many of the worries of Madden and the other council members, who directed staff to ask the student to refine both proposed designs at the work session. The total cost to replace the city's logo isn't yet known; One of the two logos has an additional color in it, which may add to the expense of printing it in color if the council approves use of that design, Teppen said.

Once the proposed logo designs are refined, the council may open the proposed logos up to public comment before voting to approve a design.


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