Council adopts 2025 City of Santa Rosa brand book, amends code for seal and insignia
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Summary
To modernize and centralize trademark and visual identity rules, the council amended city code to remove detailed logo specifications and adopted a new 2025 brand book to guide use of the city seal, logos, colors and accessibility standards.
The City Council voted to amend Chapter 1-4 of the city code to simplify custody and use rules for the official seal and to adopt a new City of Santa Rosa 2025 brand book by resolution.
Assistant City Manager Jason Nutt explained the change removes highly detailed logo specifications from ordinance text and instead references a formally adopted brand book that can be updated without repeating an ordinance change. Communications staffer Bryce Aston presented the brand book—s highlights: updated color palettes aligned to the city—s December website relaunch, explicit guidance for use cases of formal and informal departmental logos, ADA-conscious font recommendations and templates to ensure consistency across departments and with external contractors.
Nut graf: City staff said the code change preserves the city clerk—s custody of the official embossed seal for formal documents while allowing more flexible, administratively managed guidance for logos and branding in a separate, adoptable brand book. Council adopted the ordinance introduction and the resolution adopting the brand book together.
Questions and comment
Council discussed how often municipalities should rebrand; staff said rebranding is uncommon but that the new approach allows administrative updates to logos and accessibility guidance without ordinance amendments. There were no public speakers on the item.
Ending: Council introduced the ordinance amending code section 1-4 and adopted the 2025 brand book resolution in a combined action; the vote was 6-0 with Councilmember Fleming absent. Staff will publish the brand book and distribute standards to departments and contractors.
