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Smyrna council reviews new town logo and usage rules; formal adoption deferred
Summary
Town staff presented a new logo intended to sit alongside the town seal. Council members praised the design but raised concerns about the rollout process, vehicle use, and public merchandising; staff will return with formal adoption language and a usage form at the next workshop.
Town of Smyrna public information officer Heather Kent presented a proposed town logo and draft guidelines that would allow the logo to be used for everyday communications while retaining the official town seal for legal and regulatory documents.
The council discussed how the logo was developed, its symbolism and where the seal should remain in use. Kent said the logo’s brand mark combines a locomotive (railroad heritage), aircraft (military legacy), a tire/wheel (automotive manufacturing) and the state TriStar as a unifying identity element. She told council the seal would remain the authoritative emblem for ordinances, contracts, permits, official minutes, notices required by law and other documents that carry legal weight.
Council members said they liked the design but several criticized the process and asked for more formal involvement in the rollout. Councilman Jerome said council should have seen the logo earlier; another councilmember asked whether council had been part of the design process (staff answered council saw the final design but was not part of day-to-day design work). Dave (staff) said the logo was developed by internal staff with an outside designer and that the cost was about $1,500.
Members asked for clearer, written guidance on where the logo should appear versus where the seal must remain—particularly on town vehicles and for employees who perform official duties. One councilmember suggested that vehicles used for enforcement (codes enforcement, parks, other official duties) should retain the town seal to avoid ambiguity about authority; staff said the guidelines can be revised to reflect council direction.
Council also asked about third-party use and merchandising. Heather Kent said an internal apparel store for employees is proposed first and that any external use would be controlled (file formats, approvals). The town attorney’s office can prepare a municipal-style copyright/licensing arrangement to protect the mark once the council adopts the policy. Staff told council they could bring a formal adoption item and a “seal-style” usage form for the logo to the next meeting or workshop; councilmembers agreed to review the guidelines and recommended returning at the next workshop with the adoption form and any edits.
The council did not take a formal vote during the workshop; staff will present a formal adoption item and revised usage guidelines at a future meeting for council action.
