By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
The City of Parsons decided to not move forward with a resolution proposed by Council Member Tim Turner that would have directed City Manager to oversee the redesign of the City Seal. The matter was brought before the Parsons City Council in open session.
Turner stated that his reason for bring the matter before the board hinged on the current seal’s portrayal of the Tucker County Courthouse. “There is a resolution to change the design of the seal,” Turner said. “If you look at the seal, it’s the County Courthouse. We don’t conduct business in the County Courthouse.”
The Council was divided on the issue with some members stating that the Seal should reflect the history of Parsons and what contributed historically to the City and others stating the Seal pictured only the historic section of the Courthouse complex, but that it is the most identifiable building in the city. “We are the County Seat of Tucker County,” Council Member Tim Auvil said. “That is the oldest historical structure in our town.”
City Administrator Agnes Arnold stated that she did not feel comfortable being tasked with the redesign as well as said that she is not a graphic designer. Turner said that his resolution, if approved, would only direct her to oversee the redesign process. “I don’t think it should be me,” Arnold said. “I’m not graphics. I don’t feel like that should be on my plate to do that.”
Arnold also said that the current Seal is on all City letterhead, documents, official communications and equipment. Arnold also stressed that should the resolution pass, there would be significant cost accured in not only the design process, but in replacing all current Seals on the City’s equipment, buildings, websites, letterhead and other official communications. “I do want to express the expense we have in supplies,” Arnold said. “We have our maintenance shop up there has the current seal. I just want to throw that out there that it is going to be very expensive and wasteful to the current supplies that we have…It’s on all of our information.”
Turner stated that he felt the Seal should reflect the building that business is conducted in. “Their’s the Courthouse. It’s not the City’s,” Turner said. “The City does not conduct business there. The City conducts business here. We have the building named after Mr. Rosenau and I feel that it should be on its Seal. Not something that we do not own, nor where we conduct business.”
Council Member Melissa Jones said that she felt the current seal image better represents Tucker County. “That building right there represents Tucker County,” Jones said. “I understand that it is a historical place and it’s been on there for a long time, but I think that we need to have something to distinguish Parsons.”
The Council debated over what the wishes of the late Mayor Charles W. “Bill” Rosenau would have been, as well as what the wishes of the Roseanu family were on the subject. Mayor Bruce Kolsun stated that he felt that Rosenau served under the current seal and that is the one that should remain. “In my opinion, his dad served under that Seal,” Kolsun said. “I think we need to keep the seal because that is what where his dad served.”
Jones suggested that the redesign of the Seal would be an opportunity to showcase young local artists. “I think this would be a good opportunity for our young artists in Parsons to depict something to go in the middle that represents Parsons. Be it the Railroad Trestle or be it this city hall,” Jones said.
Auvil made a motion to remove the agenda item. The motion was passed. The next meeting of the Parsons City Council will be held December 5 at the Charles W. “Bill” Rosenau Municipal Building located at 341 Second Street in Parsons.