Heights hires firm to plug anniversary

Contract capped at $5,000 for Barcelona Group

by Kevin Olsen
staff reporter

The Palos Heights City Council Tuesday unanimously approved Alderman Alan Fulkerson’s (3rd Ward) motion to enter into an agreement with Barcelona Creative Group to help promote the city’s 50th anniversary events.

The city agreed to contract the Palos Heights-based public relations firm to assist the city’s 50th Anniversary Committee by providing professional services in the planning and promotion of events. The cost of the contract is not to exceed $5,000.

The motion was on the agenda at Tuesday night’s meeting in order to release brochures Barcelona has been working on for the 50th Anniversary Committee’s first event, WinterFest, this Saturday at Lake Katherine. (Full event details, Page 7).

Barcelona will also design the city’s 50th anniversary logo and help advertise commemorative events throughout the year, the golden anniversary of Palos Heights’ municipal incorporation in 1959.

The family-owned Barcelona firm recently designed the iconic logo for the Palos Heights Public Library’s 65th anniversary.

The Chamber of Commerce had hired Barcelona’s group to redesign its website, unveiled in recent weeks. Mayor Bob Straz’s re-election campaign has also employed the firm.

Alderman Jeff Prestinario (1st Ward) said he would like to see some kind of advertising agreement with all the city’s sub-committees, rather than just the 50th Anniversary Committee.

“I would like to see that considered in the near future for all these committees,” Prestinario said. “Make one program, consolidate it and make it easier for the committees. The whole thought is to get everyone under one umbrella, one structure.”

Prestinario cited various committees in the city including the Classic Car, Farmers Market, Adopt-a-Pot, Fourth of July festival and parade and Celebrate Fall in Palos Heights committees.

Also Tuesday, Alderman Fulkerson said Channel 4 is testing to see if it can stream videos onto the city’s website. He is hoping the system will be in place by the middle of March.

The videos including past city council, committee and commission meetings and public hearings will be accessible by clicking on the Channel 4 link of the city’s website, palosheights.org. It will also feature past Meet the Merchant shows and other Channel 4 programs, and will be available anytime on streaming video.

This is part of the January 22, 2009 online edition of The Regional.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you. Click here.