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City hopes new logo, tagline will attract visitors to remain
by Rick DeClue · News · December 01, 2016


The West Branch City Council reached a consensus Monday on a new city logo and accompanying tag line to be used in an effort to promote and bring growth to the city.


After a six-month effort led by Jonathan “Jonny Stax” Stacks, head of Jonny Stax Presents, Inc., the logo shows three red cedar trees and a graphic wavy red line representing Wapsinicon (Wapsi) Creek simply identifying the City of West Branch, Iowa.

From a list of six finalists, the tag line is “Welcome Home.” The finalists were selected by the Grow West Branch committee made up of area business leaders and residents who will continue to work implementing the city’s promotion strategies. Stacks said the tag line, unlike the logo, is something that can change every couple of years.

For council member Brian Pierce, the selected logo will “just look better on the side of the (city) trucks,” he said. The rest of the council and Mayor Roger Laughlin eventually agreed.

From this logo/tagline core, the council considered a list of 10 specific strategies moving forward.

City Administrator Matt Muckler told the council that several items could be pursued immediately using a combination of city staff working with Grow West Branch and others, plus current budget dollars set aside for things like signage.

He said these priorities could include development of a shared calendar for the city, the Hoover Complex, the West Branch Community Development Group and city schools, as well as creation of a central social media site with links to virtually any local business, organization or event.

Muckler suggested the council might then look at the next set of proposed steps that would require funding from the fiscal 2018 city budget to be developed over the next two months.

These could include such things as signage near the east and west bound exit ramps on Interstate 80 to direct people into town, development of a promotional video and the creation of welcome baskets for new residences.

Council member Colton Miller also said, “we’ll need money for new letterhead and to paint those trucks.”

“Today, people get off the interstate and see Casey’s, Kum & Go and McDonald’s,” Stacks said of the ramp directional signs. “They think that is West Branch. We want them to come down the hill to see all the things that are available in the city.”

He said a video is key to anyone looking at West Branch online. Building on the recent aerial video of the city, it could include pictures of Hoover Hometown Days and Christmas Past, plus a general city pictures involving the mayor.

Muckler said other strategy suggestions may take longer to implement or attract financial support as budget priorities as the city continues a multi-year effort to bring growth to West Branch.