How much will it cost to implement a new town seal in Natick?
Editor's note: This story has been updated to report that the designer of the proposed new Natick seal is Sebastian Ebarb. His name was misspelled in an earlier version.
NATICK — Town Meeting members will have a chance to vote on a new town seal, after a rigorous redesign process was undertaken by the town when it was deemed the current seal was culturally offensive.
The new seal, which was developed by an appointed committee that was created by a 2020 Town Meeting article, features a picture of the Pleasant Street Bridge over the Charles River. Town Meeting, which begins Tuesday, will vote whether to approve the new seal.
The new logo was created following a survey conducted by the Town Seal Review Committee, which polled residents on what they thought was an important and accurate depiction of the community.
Why is the old Natick town seal being replaced?
The old seal, which depicted Puritan missionary John Eliot speaking to three Native Americans who are sitting cross-legged in front of the preacher, has been labeled offensive by Natick indigenous tribe members.
According to the survey, which was completed last year, the most prevalent interests from respondents were for the new seal to depict nature and local history. The seal was designed by Sebastian Ebarb, an indigenous graphic designer who lives in Wayland.
'Historically inaccurate': Natick Town Meeting forms committee to study town seal
How much money will replacing the town seal cost?
If Town Meeting approves the new seal, the town will fund to change the town’s embossers — the devices that stamp the official town seal on documents — to include the new seal. The cost is estimated to be about $5,000 and will be paid from the Town Clerk’s Office budget. Further implementation of the new seal will be up to the purview of the Town Administrator’s Office, and may require additional funding.
The old seal is everywhere
The old seal can be found throughout Natick. It's on every street sign, with the town Finance Committee estimating it would cost about $322,000 to install a logo-less replacement. The seal is also part of the Natick Police Department’s logo, meaning it's on all police uniforms and badges.
The seal is also on all public works vehicles, recycling containers, park and recreation vehicles, machine equipment and more. In total, the Finance Committee has estimated it would cost about $691,000 to remove the old seal from all visible aspects of the town.
Dam in disrepair: Ripping debate has ensued over Natick spillway's future
Natick Communications Director Jay Poropatich said the town will have to closely examine the most practical way to remove and replace the old seal, if the article is approved.
“When you look across the amount of town seal work that has been done across other communities, it starts with the embosser and then the conversation broadens to something like a DPW truck — can someone really see the town seal as it’s passing by on a moving truck? Or does the town need a different logo to signify the Town of Natick,” Poropatich said. “Once the seal is voted on, we will pick up the next steps to figure out what is the most appropriate way to phase out the old seal.”
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Natick Town Meeting to vote on proposed new town seal
