Batavia committee approves new city logo

Commuters soon could be greeted by a new municipal logo as they enter Batavia's city limits.

The city council's committee of the whole voted 13-1 this week to approve the latest version of a logo that has gone through several changes and much scrutiny. The issue now will move to the full council for a final vote.

"This logo has improved with every draft and the city now has a final polished product to put out in the community," Communications Coordinator Griffin Price said.

The city began looking to update its logo a few years ago, said Alderman Dan Chanzit, who serves as government services chairman.

He said the current logo, which has been used since 1983, didn't "have that wow factor."

But the discussion stalled.

"Fourteen people talking about a logo was just spinning our wheels," Chanzit said. "You can't design by committee."

He credits City Administrator Laura Newman with getting the project back on track.

"We spent all this time, we spent all this work, we spent all this money. To abandon it would have been a waste of time," Chanzit said.

They formed a subcommittee of Chanzit, Scott Salvati and Drew McFadden while working with Price and freelance graphic designer Chris Daleen.

Daleen was hired for his "solid portfolio with extensive examples in government and an excellent work ethic," Price said.

The subcommittee looked at designs and "tore them apart" until they had three versions to bring back to the council, Chanzit said. From there, more changes were made until they had the logo they wanted.

"It was absolutely worth the time," he said. "The input made it better."

While the current logo has the tag line, "City of Energy," the new logo is without one.

"The city did not believe in being married to one tag line moving forward," Price said. "This will allow the city to run public marketing campaigns and use different tag lines as it changes over the years."

If approved, the logo first will appear on Batavia's entryway signs, Price said. Then the logo will be gradually incorporated into other items and uses in the city.

"We'll use up our (current) letterhead," Chanzit said.