Carrboro gets a new town logo

Carrboro wants its residents and visitors to “feel free” — and the town is using a new brand to encourage it.

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen was presented with the town’s new slogan, “Feel Free,” and logo at its annual retreat Sunday. The brand, which is in its final stages of rollout, is intended to promote business development, travel, tourism and community events.

Alderman Damon Seils said he wants to make the new logo as accessible as possible to businesses in town to encourage the branding of Carrboro.

The board discussed the possibility of putting the logo on town buses, which would cost $5,000 for materials and $1,500 for installation for one year.

The town has already rolled out For The Love of Carrboro, a promotional event during February that encourages residents and visitors to celebrate Carrboro’s atmosphere.

The town is also in the planning stages of a new website.

Andy Vogel, Carrboro’s information and technology manager, said the town has formed a work group with the sole purpose of designing the new website.

Vogel said the website should be more user friendly than the current site. It will also incorporate opportunities for social network integration, including ways to post to Facebook and Twitter, to email information and to send text messages from the site.

The website will also have more opportunities for subgroups, personalized to neighborhoods or town advisory boards, to have a presence on the site, Vogel said. He emphasized there will still be security for posting.

“We can create a work flow behind all of this so you just can’t post,” he said.

Aldermen also discussed the town’s availability of affordable housing during its retreat.

The board is considering a subsidy program for developers of affordable housing to aid in the finances of building affordable housing units in town.

The Aldermen also said they want to encourage landlords of rental units to join a rental registry for the town so prospective buyers would know what is available.

The board created a subcommittee to focus more closely on affordable housing and the redesigned website. The subcommittee will consist of Aldermen Randee Haven O’Donnell, Michelle Johnson and Jacquelyn Gist.

The subcommittee will also work to create a more efficient system of advisory boards.

“Not many people run for (the Board of Aldermen) anymore,” Gist said. “I think the reason is that when people learn about the amount of time that it takes to do a good job can be daunting.”

Gist said she does not think it is necessary for the Aldermen to attend every advisory board meeting, only significant ones.

The board agreed more community involvement is necessary for a more diverse and effective government.

“I do see that as part of our goal, to engage with people,” Seils said.

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