GALT, CA (MPG) - How the City of Galt presents itself to residents, businesses and external audiences was the focus of a $120,000 contract adopted by the City Council at its Feb. 17 meeting.

The contract with Position Interactive, Inc., a Sacramento-based creative content agency, is part of the city’s “Branding Initiative,” an initiative to “define and strengthen” the city’s brand identity. The initiative springs from one of six priorities established in the city’s 2025-2027 Strategic Plan that “focuses on quality of life and on preserving Galt’s small-town charm.”

One challenge to this identity is the city’s use of three different logos, all likely developed at different times in the past, including a logo for the Galt Market. The lack of a cohesive design used on city communications, signage, tourism and economic development materials can create confusion about what the city is and wants to be, Assistant City Manager Amie Mendes told the council during a presentation.

“There really is no consistency or standards in how our logos are applied,” she added.

Position Interactive’s task is to create those standards through input from council, staff and community members.

It’s a four-phase, 8-to-12-month process that includes information gathering and rolling out the developed program.

Phase 1, “Discovery and Community Engagement,” includes surveys and interviews with city leaders, staff, businesses and residents about how Galt is currently perceived and identify community aspirations and values.

Phase 2, “Brand Strategy and Identity Development,” builds on this information to define goals and target audiences along with delivering a city “tagline,” brand story, positioning statement and two to three logos for the city and the market.

Phase 3, “Brand System,” will specifically define how elements in Phase 2 are delivered, such as how the city talks about itself, when and where logos are used, colors, letter fonts and styles for photography.

Phase 4, “Implementation, Guidance and Rollout,” will train staff on applying the new brand effectively, particularly when promoting the city externally for business and tourism.

“We need to tell them why they should be visiting here,” Mendes said.

The not-to-exceed $120,000 in funding is a one-time expense from the city’s General Fund. Any future expenses for the initiative such as business cards, letterheads, logos on city vehicles, signage and other materials will have to be funded through additional budget allocations.

Mendes told council that staff interviewed three companies specializing in brand initiatives. All provided comparable skills and pricing, with Position Interactive standing out for final selection because of its staff training capabilities.

Councilmember Shawn Farmer said he didn’t believe something like this has ever been done in Galt, with logo creation likely being an internal product. Selecting the right company was therefore as, if not more, important than cost.

“There’s more to a good deal than a good price,” Farmer said. “We need to look at this as a business. Galt is a business. Galt Market is a business.”

Echoing a concern made during public comments, Vice Mayor Tim Reed asked if a schedule of payments in the contract also carried a requirement from Position Interactive to deliver product coinciding with the payments.

“What safeguards do we have the work gets done?” Reed asked.

City Attorney Frank Splendorio said the contract requires Position Interactive to provide a detailed timeline of deliverables by March. Failure to produce content according to this timeline could be considered a breach of contract, with terms allowing the city to terminate the agreement.

“You can walk away at any time,” Splendorio added.

Council unanimously approved the agreement. Council also named Farmer and Reed as the two required council members to serve on a citizens ad hoc committee to work with staff on the first three phases of the branding process.

Also at the meeting, council approved a resolution awarding $438,712.35 in California Department of Housing and Community Development Permanent Local Housing Allocation Program funding to Mercy Housing’s Grizzly Hollow facility. According to the staff report, the program provides funding for cities and counties “to help meet the unmet need for affordable housing and increase supply of affordable housing.”

City staff have been working with local nonprofits since 2022 to use the funds for new projects, but have met with challenges. Because of an approaching March deadline, it was decided to turn to existing affordable housing use, and the staff at Mercy Housing conveyed an urgent need for funding to replace heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment in all 54 of their rental units.

Located at the corner of Beaver Parkway and Elk Hills Drive, Grizzly Hollow has 18 detached single-family, three-bedroom, two-bathroom homes as well as 18 duplex buildings with 16 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units and 20 duplexes with two-bedroom, one-bathroom units. Built in 2006, 19 of the units are restricted to individuals with incomes at 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 14 units at 50% of AMI and 20 units at 55% of AMI.

According to 2024 U.S. Census data, Galt’s AMI is listed as $94,393. Mercy Housing’s website notes the average annual income of residents at its California facilities is $19,922.

Mercy Housing senior asset manager Wendy Mertens said the funding would help because rental revenue doesn’t provide enough to cover all upgrades. Mercy Housing has spent about $1 million on exterior needs over the past five years, and now must address interior issues such as HVAC units.