The new Portsmouth web site.

In an open letter sent to members this morning, the Portsmouth Business Association objected to the contract for redesigning the Town web site (PortsmouthRI.com) which they allege was awarded without offering local firms the chance to bid. Here's the text, from their e-mail:

An Open Letter to the Town Council and Citizens of Portsmouth:

The Portsmouth Business Association (PBA) would like to formally state its objection to the Portsmouth Town Council’s decision to award a contract without giving local businesses an opportunity to bid.

The Town Council has contracted a website design firm, CivicPlus, based in Manhattan, Kansas to redesign the Portsmouth town website. Local businesses were not notified of this project or were given a chance to bid.

While the town council is not in violation of any rules or regulations, the PBA does not believe that the Town Council has acted in the best interest of Portsmouth residents and local businesses.

The PBA, a volunteer-based organization founded by members of the local business community in 1993, aims to create a positive business environment which benefits both its members and the community as a whole. The PBA believes small businesses are the backbone of a community like ours and should get major consideration in all town decisions.

Respectfully,

John C. Farley, President
Portsmouth Business Association
February 12, 2014

The Kansas-based CivicPlus is described on their web site as a 13-year-old web consulting firm specializing developing solutions for local government.s

Portsmouth's new Town Administrator, John Klimm, has been working with volunteers to produce a weekly cable access half-hour on town issues, and they're now available on YouTube. This week's touches on communication and citizen engagement — worth a look.

According to agendas distributed by the Portsmouth Town Clerk this afternoon, it appears that the candidates for Town Administrator will be going through final interviews this Friday and Saturday at Town Hall. All the meetings are listed as executive sessions under "RIGL 42-46-5 (a) (1)" for "Personnel, Interviews."

The "civilian panel" selected by the Town Council (with each Councilor choosing one representative) will meet at 8am on Friday in the Portsmouth Room, with the professional panel from the search firm downstairs in the Council executive chamber.

Town Council will be interviewing the candidates in executive session in the Portsmouth Room at 8:30 on Saturday, Jan. 7.