The great logo debate
Sue Brooks September 28th, 2008
The comments about the lack of opportunity for local tendering I believe are fairly made. I do however acknowledge that Council was keen to establish itself in terms of identity and with the adoption of portfolios this project was portfolio driven and used suppliers that the Maryborough City Council has successfully used in the past. While I totally agree that using local providers and suppliers is always preferable to not doing so, I will ask more questions about how we can ensure that future activities do provide the opportunity for local competition. There have been new businesses established locally since 2004 and I believe these businesses should be given an opportunity to ’strut their stuff’.
Councillors are chairperson of one portfolio only and are members on others but can attend any portfolio meeting that they wish. I agree that the breadth of activities undertaken by Council does make it difficult for any one Councillor to be very closely involved with every portfolio so we do need to share responsibility and concentrate on our own portfolio area primarily. I also am keen to review the way in which the outcomes of portfolio meetings are reported publicly as I believe this is an essential aspect of ‘good governance’.
Even though it is now 6 months since March and the formation of this new FCRC, I often still feel like we are very ‘new’. Staff are finally settling into their permanent roles and so are the Councillors I believe. But there is always room for improvement in the way we do things. Councillors and Directors are busily involved with our corporate planning and this process will help guide the way we deliver on our aims and commitments.
I also wish to say that I believe we have a team of very responsible, hard working and honest staff who work in a very responsible and honest manner. I also believe the challenges of amalgamation have been huge but that everyone is working towards achieving a united, competent and efficient Council that provides a high quality service to our community.
- Comments and questions
- Comments(4)
Sue,
Yes it has been a steep learning curve for all our NEW councillors, not so bad for the experienced ones.
However, I would have thought that being presented with an option eg the new logo. Questions such as
what were the others like? How does the price equate with the other tenderers? Can we see the other options etc?
This is not rocket science, just good business practice.
Sorry Sue, but thems me thoughts.
Sadman
Fair comment Sadman. Sue
Hello Sue,
I have been reading the great logo debate comments with some interest. It is my experience, after nearly 12 years in the design and manufacturing industry in Hervey Bay, that the council, be it the old HBCC or the new FCRC are all tarred with the one brush…
I have submitted quotes and handed out cards etc to many of the councilors to absolutely no avail. It is like a brick wall of stubborn heads in there, as we don’t even get a call to find out out prices or designs, or get ask a question. Far be it that someone experienced in the industry would know more than they!
Interesting too, as on more than one occasion a Brisbane company has sent work to me to be produced here in Hervey Bay, so that it can be sent back to Brisbane to be delivered back to the Council. Great to know that our local idiots are handling our dollars in the most efficient manner. And no, I don’t buy the statements about portfolios, that’s just snob talk for I can’t be bothered doing the research locally.
Also interesting that on many occasions I have sat and listened to councilors blar on about supporting their local community and businesses from a Chamber of Commerce meeting, only to find out that their own work is being shipped out to other companies away from Hervey Bay to be produced/designed etc.
It is with humbleness and also a sense of pride that my company accepted Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in design and manufacture from ASGA (The Australian Sign & Graphic Assoc). The awards are not given lightly as it is a competition of all in our industry from Australia and New Zealand. We have taken the awards in various catagories now twice, but that apparently isn’t as good as the “try hards” that didn’t even get an honorable mention from Brisbane or other out of area places, that our council use for their work.
Sorry, for my bluntness, but the new FCRC is nothing more than a revamp of the past,and will continue to waste locals time and money while they have the attitude of “we’re not good enough here for them”. It seems that to be a councilor you have to take a course in wasting money to be eligible for election.
As for the design of the new logo for council – sorry, but I’d like to meet the 4th grader who took the step, given some encouragement he/she could turn out to be quite good in design, but for now we leave the comment that it needs some work…
Ken
Hi Ken. I will do what I can to ensure that local businesses are given every opportunity to compete for Council business. I understand that this does happen already within the tendering process as I often see local companies quoting for work alongside non local companies.
I take your comments seriously and will undertake to find out exactly how printing requirements etc are handled now that we are the FCRC.
One of the real issues Council must face is that while individual Councils would previously (pre amalgamation)have potentially used 4 different suppliers to provide printing etc services, now that we are one organisation we would be looking for one supplier for a specific one off product or service. In other words the provision of business cards would now most likely be from one supplier.
I apologise for not personally taking a closer interest in the development of our new logo and branding. I will endeavour to take a closer interest in signage, printing and design issues in the future to satisfy myself that the process is fair and financially responsible so that our community receives good value for money. Cheers, Sue