ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JERRY ENGLER
Former mayor Max Hayen introduced his co-worker, Laura Blossom of Infinitec, on Monday to make the third bid for providing a city Web site received by the Marion City Commission.
Blossom offered the city a main Web site module setup for $795, plus annual hosting and maintenance fees of $50 monthly, $600 total.
She said the Marion County Web site, which her company set up, offers a “good idea” on what the city could expect. Infinitec’s clientele includes 23 counties total, she said.
The charges would include training for city personnel, unlimited phone support for the first 30 days and five hours of phone support the rest of the first year, the ability for new input, including text and photos, and possible inclusion of such services as completing building code permits and on-line payments to the city.
Commissioner Jim Crofoot asked, “We would supply you the basic verbiage, and you would slap it in, and make it look pretty?”
Blossom replied that the company would do so, provided the information was presented in an electronic format.
City Administrator David Mayfield said that proposal probably would be the final one to be received.
Mayor Eloise Mueller said she needed time to go back to “absorb” what had been presented in this and earlier proposals.
Commissioner Larry McLain suggested the commissioners should rely heavily on advice from Police Chief Michel Soyez, who will look at the plans with Mayfield.
Crofoot suggested that an earlier presentation appeared to do more in offering creative help to the city, and this plan might require the city to be more proactive in writing its own material.
He added, though, that Infinitec has an advantage in being a company that can replace personnel representing it rather than being a family or individual operation that could desert the city if something changed for one individual.
Soyez advised commissioners to keep in mind that proposals have varied according to the megabytes of space offered and inclusiveness of services offered.
Mayfield said they needed to make sure they are “comparing apples to apples.”
Mayfield said that Wednesday he and Mueller will be attending a U.S. Department of Agriculture rural conservation and development meeting in Marion to consider economic development issues.
Marty Fredrickson, street superintendent, said the city normally sends nine truckloads of solid waste totaling about 26 tons weekly to the transfer station, but during cleanup week last week, it sent 34 truckloads, totaling about 102 tons.
He said the cleanup crew also picked up 80 to 85 large appliances for white goods.
The commissioners approved a request from Fredrickson to extend regular tree dump hours on through November because of the late leaf fall this year. It will be open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
Mueller said the city needs volunteers from among its citizens to take positions on the many committees and boards the city has. She asked that citizens who would volunteer to call the city office with their interest, and the city will call them back when committee vacancies occur.
Mueller said the city relies heavily persons who will make a sacrifice of time to help.
The volunteer assignments include the Auditorium Advisory Board, the BaseballSoftball Commission, the Recreation Commission, the Cemetery Board, the Parks Board, the Economic Development Advisory Board, the Marion Appeals Board, the Marion Planning Commission, the Library Board, the Marion Airport Authority, the Marion Historical Museum Board, the Marion Historical Museum Board, the Marion Historical Preservation Board, and the Marion Housing Authority.
The commissioners approved paying warrants for $12,515.11.
