Lompoc introduced a new city logo at its last City Council meeting and gave the first reading of an ordinance that would make it illegal to use the logo without permission.
The change to the new logo comes 17 years after its last update, which was Aug. 15, 2000. It is meant to reflect that the city “looks to keep up with the times and provide the best in services possible,” said Lompoc Administrative Analyst Laura Candy, who presented the new logo to the City Council at the Feb. 7 meeting.
The ordinance attempts to address usage issues in the digital age, where someone can simply click and drag the logo from the city’s website and use it for their purposes.
According to City Administrator Patrick Wiemiller, unauthorized uses include anyone using the logo for personal or promotional matters where there’s no connection to the city.
“It’s to try to avoid confusion the public might have if we have no connection to it,” Wiemiller told the Sun.
There have been several instances where the city’s logo has been taken off the website and used elsewhere on the web. In one example, according to the city agenda report from Feb. 7, an unaffiliated payment processor used Lompoc’s logo, falsely suggesting that the company was an approved partner with the city. Wiemiller wasn’t specific about what vendor it was.
For the city, the logo is an important marketing tool. The new logo depicts the word Lompoc, with the left side of the name shaded in the color burgundy to signify the city’s wine industry. The right side is green to symbolize the agricultural industry. A sun rises between the “M,” which represents rows of fields, while a rocket flies over the lettering, conveying Lompoc’s connection to Vandenberg Air Force Base and the aerospace industry.
Candy called it “simple and unique with a true contemporary flare.”
“The city logo is a fundamental marketing tool that instantly identifies the city and depicts a meaningful picture of recognition, therefore needing to be updated occasionally,” Candy said. “A modern logo also cultivates an image of an organization’s culture and the embracing of up-to-date practices.”
The up-to-date practices also include First Amendment exceptions, according to David Snyder, a lawyer and executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, a San Rafael-based nonprofit that advocates for free speech and government transparency.
At first glance, Synder said the ordinance doesn’t address any First Amendment exceptions, such as if the logo were to be used for journalistic or educational purposes.
When asked, City Attorney Joseph Pannone said using the logo in a newspaper wouldn’t violate the ordinance, which considers any unauthorized use a misdemeanor. But still, Snyder said it appears to be “significantly overbroad.”
“Any law that restricts private speech has to be narrowly tailored to the government’s interest,” Snyder said, meaning exceptions should be carved out in the ordinance, such as when a blogger wants to use it on his or her website. “It bars any use of the city’s logo. The chances that it’ll be held overbroad are evident.”
Snyder added that the city does have an interest in protecting its logo, but that too should be specific in the ordinance.
Passage of the second reading came after press time. However, the new ordinance goes into effect 30 days after the second reading.
This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 2, 2017.