More about the logo . . .

First, a clarification . . . 

I said yesterday:

For many years I live and worked in the suburb of Ashfield in the Municipality of Ashfield.

The Municipality covered the suburbs of Ashfield, Summer Hill, Haberfield and part of Croydon. My office is still in Ashfield although I now reside in either Marrickville.

I had originally written "in either Marrickville or Dulwich Hill, depending on which satnav or GPS you use, the dividing line between the two suburbs going down the middle of our road."

I deleted the end part and forgot to delete "either".

I also mentioned yesterday that the Inner West Council was formed by the forced merger of Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville Councils.

Here are the logos of the latter two councils prior to the merger:

I also mentioned yesetrday that the Inner West Council has begun using the new logo, here is the cover of the business papers for the upcoming Council meeting, taken from the Council's website:

35 sq kilometres in area (14 sq miles), 182,000 people in the 2016 census . . . this is the best they could come up with to represent that area?

Who made the decision to change the branding? To adopt the above logo?

One Inner West councillor has placed a Motion before the Council seeking some answers.  This is from the business papers:

MOTION: 
THAT Council receive a full report on the new logo, name of the successful group or person, cost of the logo Meetings, staff time and other resources. Amount to be paid to the successful tender and who decided on the logo for our Council.  

Background 
Councillors have been sent a copy of the new Council logo and were told it was to be made public on the 3 February 2020. Please advise why Councillors were not given the opportunity to comment on or approve the new logo.  

Officer’s Comments: 
Comment from Communications and Engagement Manager:
At the Council Meeting on 26 June 2018, Council resolved that a 9 person panel be established to determine and finalise the selection criteria, brief expressions of interest, make the final decision, oversee the engagement strategy on a new brand. The resolution also stated that Council commence the rollout of the new brand/logo once the panel had made its decision. The panel had representation from Councillors, the community and staff. 

Yay for the Day to that councillor.

Some emails received . . . 

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From Steve M here in Oz:

The end of today’s Bytes says ‘what say you dear readers?’

So say I: A new logo is an irrelevance in the current climate. I am not sure what local governments’ are responsible for but I imagine it will be some of the roads, pre-schools, having great air conditioned offices for themselves, hospital car parks, pavements, the homeless, garbage collection, counting paperclips, sending out needless information and asking for a response which they then ignore, libraries maybe, whatever. Are they all in order... can they afford to sit back and say ‘okay, everything is looking good, now let’s have a look at our logo?’

I think not!

Steve m

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From Tobye in the US:

Hi Otto, even before I got to the comments I thought-“they’ve finally created a logo that is barely legible-endgame? And that all that money could have been put towards something useful like roads, playgrounds etc.”

The “people in grey” need to justify their salaries and existence-ergo endless useless logos and no real progress. Sadly it’s much the same everywhere…we need an update from Shakespeare-“First we kill all the bureaucrats! “

Regards, Tobye  

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From Bruce, a former councillor on Ashfield Vouncil:

My dear Otto

As tempted as I am to start this email with “Oh, what has the world come to….” I simply can’t because this is just a continuation of stupidity and money wasting to sate the egos of supposed ratepayer representatives.

As you will recall Otto, I had a stint on Council in the mid 1980’s when we were known as Aldermen. I never had much of an ego then and I hope that is still true today, however I did have the chance to witness firsthand how the system can corrupt those who quite often go into politics whether it be local government, State or Federal Government for the right reasons and then get “side-tracked” along the way. All too often this occurs because they lose sight of why they started on that road and then concentrate on stroking their own egos with a desire to leave a “lasting legacy” of themselves. Invariably this “lasting legacy” coincides with a waste of money that is not theirs but other peoples. This change of logo is just another example.

Now to a bit of reality. When I was on Ashfield Council I attended numerous openings of public infrastructure and invariably there was a plaque unveiled (very tempted to write “ a plague”) with yours truly’s name on it. What a great honour that was, so great in fact that I can only immediately recall where one plaque is. There must at least be another half a dozen or more floating around the old Municipality of Ashfield but where they are I am buggered if I know. God only knows what goes through a member of the publics mind when they see my name on a bit of brass, I am sure it does not leave a lasting memory etched into their brains. As to the PTB I suggest the same will apply with the new logo

I console myself however with the fact that my name on a bit of brass was merely a drop in the ocean financially speaking. Would I have preferred to see that “drop” put to better use – dam right I would.

Those that replied to the new Council's logo with contrary views are right on the money and what a waste of it that was.

Best wishes from an old Alderman

Bruce

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Thanks Steve, Tobye and Bruce for your comments.