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Item No: 7H MOUNDS � T� Meeting Date: October : C 2009 VType of Business: Council SW Administrator Review: City of Mounds view Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: Heidi Steinmetz, Economic Development Specialist Item Title/Subject: Resolution 7517, Approving "See for Yourself" as the New Tagline for the City of Mounds View Background In May 2009, after the Mounds View Economic Development Authority (EDA) reviewed 35 tagline ideas created by Risdall Marketing Group and City staff, the City decided to solicit more tagline ideas from the public. From July to September 2009, community members submitted 82 ideas to the City. Of the 117 total tagline ideas, the EDA chose "See for Yourself' at the October 12, 2009 EDA meeting as the new tagline for Mounds View. Discussion The City Council formally unveiled the new City logo to the public at the April 25, 2009 Town Hall Meeting. As such, the City Council may wish to unveil the new City tagline to the public per the attached resolution. The selection of the tagline "See for Yourself' by the EDA on October 12, 2009 was the culmination of many months of coordinated effort to find a slogan or catchphrase that would capture the essence of the City in just a few words. Subsequent to the EDA's tagline selection, staff conducted an Internet search to ascertain whether anyone else is using the tagline "See for Yourself." While it was not an exhaustive search, staff did find that the State of New Jersey has a very similar tagline, "Come See for Yourself." The attached article describes New Jersey's process in selecting their tagline, which they did in 2006. Last Wednesday, the Star Tribune ran the attached article highlighting Mounds View's process and revealing the "See for Yourself' tagline as supported by the EDA. Subsequent to the Star Tribune article, staff has fielded phone calls and e-mails from residents who have expressed a less-than-positive reaction to the tagline. Attached are three of those e-mails. Some have argued the tagline does not represent Mounds View and does nothing to describe Mounds View or its values. The Council may want to consider the public's comments before formally adopting the new tagline. Recommendation The City Council should make their tagline decision per resolution. As such, I have attached Resolution 7517 for the Council's consideration. If the Council believes the EDA's proposed tagline does in fact adequately succeed in capturing the essence and character of the City, then the Council should adopt the resolution. Because adopting a new tagline is not a time-sensitive action, the Council is under no obligation to move immediately forward with an approval. This is especially true if the Council desires to receive additional feedback from the public about the proposed tagline.