LATHROP – If you’re a Lathrop resident you know what the city logo looks like.

It’s likely been on every piece of official mail you’ve received for the last 15 years. It’s supposed to be painted on the side of the city’s massive new water tank – if it isn’t there already.

It’s bright and it’s informative and it’s to the point.

And now the City Council wants to see something a little bit different.

Tonight the group will consider changing the city’s official logo to something much more soft-spoken and much more modern – representing a shift in the growing community and bringing it in-line with the image they want to portray as they plan for the future.

It’s all about crafting an identity.

“Creating an identity includes many factors, of which a slogan and a logo play an integral role,” said the staff report prepared for the council on the topic. “A slogan speaks to who you are; a logo is a visual component of your slogan – your identity. This new identity, replacing a logo designed in the early 1990’s, represents the City of Lathrop today, recognizing our progressive personality yet maintaining our rich history and will be relevant for years to come.”

The proposed slogan, “Sturdy roots for a thriving future,” is slated to be displayed at the bottom of the logo. After working with graphic design artists and coming up with templates that best visually represent what the city was looking for, each individual piece was figured to represent a part of the community or the city’s future goals.

For example:

•The three building blocks that overlap to make up the “L” logo, all of which are in different shades of the same color, “create diversity while maintaining its roots; overlapping of colors are representative of the diversity of Lathrop with its citizens, visitors, businesses and opportunities; individual colors/pieces represent opportunities; together you get Lathrop.”

•The three blocks that are used to make the logo are representative of structure, “carrying the message of sturdiness while maintaining its roots; the three primary shapes are reflective of our city limits from a bird’s eye view; blocks represent community, business and government; all three elements form a strong, stable unit.

The Lathrop City Council meets on the first and third Mondays of the month at Lathrop City Hall, located at 390 Towne Centre Drive. For additional information, or to view the council agenda and packet, visit www.ci.lathrop.ca.us.