Neil Thornbury, left, receives a proclamation from Glasgow Mayor Harold Armstrong, at the first Glasgow City Council meeting since March 9, 2020. The meeting was held inside Glasgow City Hall on Monday, April 26, 2021. Everyone in attendance wore masks and remained socially distant.
(BRENNAN CRAIN/WCLU NEWS)
GLASGOW, Ky. — The Glasgow City Council met Monday at Glasgow City Hall for the first time since March 9, 2020.
The pandemic stopped most in-person meetings, but some committee meeting resumed throughout the last year.
The council approved a Tennessee-based marketing and branding firm at its Monday meeting.
The Glasgow City Council hired the Kentucky League of Cities in 2019 to complete a strategic plan for the city. Several public meetings were held to gain insight into community concerns and visions. That plan was compiled and later released in September 2020.
One of the first steps in KLC’s plan recommends a “brand” for the city’s development efforts.
The Strategic Planning Committee heard from six branding companies in early 2021 before recommending ChandlerThinks LLC.
“You must understand, this is a branding project,” said Terry Bunnell. “If the city undertakes spending money for a sign or banners or one thing or another, that’s left up to the city on this. This is just pertaining to the branding project.”
A numbering system was devised by the committee during a March 3 meeting. The company was ranked at the top of most committee members’ selections.
“This is the first component when we look at our strategic planning,” Bunnell said.
The company demands a $29,770 base fee. $15,000 of the fee will be covered through privately raised funds from the Glasgow-Barren County Community Foundation.
“We’re happy to be involved in this and allow individuals and businesses to make contributions to the foundation and those contributions will be earmarked back to this project 100%,” Bunnell said.
Bunnell reinforced to the council that the contract will not be signed until half of the fee is raised. Once $15,000 is raised, the company will then be engaged. The council approved unanimously the hiring of the company.
The firm expects to devise a branding package in three months.
In other news, an audit firm was selected by the council relating to the Glasgow Electric Plant Board. Eight council members supported the hiring of Carr, Riggs and Ingram audit services.
Councilperson Terry Bunnell abstained due to a “business relationship.”
Barren County’s longstanding healthcare provider was also recognized.
T.J. Regional Health was recently recognized as one of the top 100 rural and community hospitals in the United States.
Harold Armstrong, Glasgow mayor, presented Neil Thornbury, T.J. Regional Health CEO, with an official proclamation. The CEO proudly accepted the certificate.
