Opinions wanted on community brand

LIMA - The effort to brand Allen County is about 125 surveys shy of moving to the next phase.

Lima Allen County Chamber of Commerce President Jed Metzger and other organizations of the effort to design a brand for the county are hoping to get another 125 people to the Chamber Web site to fill out a survey. The 25-question survey is a way to make sure the broader community is involved in the process, Metzger said.

"We really need input from all of the Allen County community. This is a countywide initiative, and we want to make sure everyone is included," Metzger said.

The surveys will go directly to North Star, the Tennessee-based community branding group hired to come up with a brand for the county. In the not-too-distant future they will present the information compiled from the surveys and other community interviews to the local steering committee. The process is overseen locally by a 10-person subcommittee and a broader, 60-person steering group representing the community. North Star representatives are also studying other communities they consider Allen County's competition.

Metzger said he hopes to have the brand established by May so it can be included in the Ohio Department of Transportation planning for changes to the Interstate 75 corridor. That project may begin quicker than originally expected. It has been included on the state's list of projects to fund with the recently approved federal stimulus plan.

"We want to at least have something for ODOT to work with when they begin their design," Metzger said.

Metzger said he has completed raising money to cover the $84,000 bill for the process. The city has agreed to put in $25,000, the county added $5,000, and the rest came from the county's economic development groups and the local business leaders who make up the Allen County Visionaries.