LATHROP – If it were a business, the City of Lathrop would have one sharp-looking logo.

A proposed block “L” – complete with what was supposed to be the city’s new slogan – was printed onto a mock business card and atop official letterhead so that the Lathrop City Council could see what a modern design would like in the wild.

The only problem was that some of the council members didn’t see a problem with the original logo – designed almost two decades ago – and others thought that the new design was too sterile for a city that is trying to position itself as one of the more inviting in the burgeoning Central Valley.

A freshly-formed subcommittee will look into the best way of incorporating the community into the logo design process, and will report back to the council at a future date.

While the design that was proposed to them prior to Monday’s meeting was a stark departure from the more traditional logo that has graced city letterhead and business cards for years, it was still well-received – the three-piece design, intended to represent community, business and government working together, was something that Councilman Paul Akinjo said that he was a fan of.

But the design, Akinjo said, seemed more like it was reflective of a business rebranding than a government entity – the same issue that Councilman Steve Dresser had.

The cost of the graphic design work that went in to coming up with the logo was already part of the city’s budget.

Councilwoman Martha Salcedo said that she didn’t see a problem with the old logo – which featured a sunrise – and noted that it always brought up warm feelings since it reminded her of the community that she cares about.

Vice Mayor Omar Ornelas – who took issue with the slogan “sturdy roots for a thriving future” – will work with Salcedo to come up with ways to get the community involved with the logo design process. Ornelas said he’d like to see some of the youth community service groups – like youth chamber board of directors, the Youth Advisory Commission and the Interact Club – to offer their input, while the rest of the council championed tapping into the information that was already solicited and turned over to the graphic design artist.

The proposed slogan came from community input that was solicited through a box in the lobby of City Hall. The same subcommittee will reexamine that portion of the overhaul as well, and will bring its recommendations back to the council for future consideration.