Motion to approve a 3 year agreement for $1,000 per month with Development Delivered for Economic Development website, ebook, eblasts, hosting, and maintenance
On the agenda for approval tomorrow night at the Council meeting.News report per News Trib states The city of Peru will launch a new economic development website to potentially connect with 13,000 developers around the country.
Alderman Dave Potthoff of the Accounts and Finance Committee told the council Wednesday that the committee heard a proposal from MCS Advertising and Bob Vickrey, director of community development. It would cost the city $1,000 a month to link off the city website to an economic development website that would tout the city’s economic development strengths, such as manufacturing and retail districts and zones with incentives such as tax increment financing.
33 comments:
Will MCS and Bob Vickrey be at the meeting tomorrow night to give a presentation?
It was given to the Finance Committee and I believe that is all you get. This looks like a local agency, google the name and it seems that the company is located on Progress Blvd.
I believe that is almost three times what the service should cost, and maintenance of the site and linkage should be minimal. Once we get a clear picture of all this entails, we can send a few quotes from top agencies and web developers to the trib and see if they print it.
That does not even touch on the questionable need for this service at all. Why such a lengthy contract?
Is a pickleball three year tryout the minimum to evaluate any new decision?
Oglesby needs to be on this interweb to. Is peru going to help or just be greedy?????
Put on the brakes and back up a couple of blocks. Its great to make progress in looking for new business but it is more important to take care of the business which is already here. Presently Peru is doing a lousy job of satisfying its present business structure and the city assistant building inspector with his comment to a bussinessman and the Mayor not returning a phone call cost Peru a major development. The window to this development was closed last Friday. Shame, Shame, Shame. Now another city is definitely going to get it but it will not be Peru which had it locked up with a minimum of cooperation from this present administration. Two days later they want to spend $1,000/month on the unknown when they just threw away the sure thing.
Isn't MCS in that building next to where Crafter's Village was and isn't Mr. Vickrey an owner of that building? Just curious!
10:40 AM
Somehow I would not be surprised. That is the way things are working in Peru, in the dark room.
The man of many hats has to make money somehow. I guess all 5 of his "jobs" and all 10 of his properties aren't enough!
REAL DEVELOPERS WITH MONEY DON'T VISIT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITES PEOPLE!!! Maybe that's what Vickrey and his related-party cronies are telling you. If you want companies to take a serious look at your city, you go out and find them! Network with a few large corporations, join federal and state business associations, and throw together a great incentive package. Isn't that what Vickrey's $30,000 "volunteer" paycheck is suppose to cover? And now you want to pay him more "since he is just a volunteer?" If you honestly believe that his new $1,000 a month expenditure will bring businesses to Peru, I've got an igloo construction company in the Sahara desert you might be interested in.
A full featured site , with a flash 90 second commercial and full form inputs, should be around 2900 tops, with a self maintenance update feature and little or no monthly fees if under the current City of Peru domain.
So I am guessing 33 K to the slush fund. Not bad for a days BS.
Nice to see we have all these marketing experts in Peru. Maybe they should develop the Marketing plan instead of complaining about everything.
Not a marketing expert. Just able to check with several web development firms and put together an RFQ. That's a big city designation for Request for Quotation. You don't need to do it much around here if you get your drinking buddy to come up with a nice round number like 1000 each month and make sure you multiply it by 36, knowing most folks around here don't bother to calculate it out. Not to high as to raise any eyebrows, 1000. I am sure the line items on the quote are extremely detailed and just accidentally come out to 1000.
I wish there was a link so I could view this web page. I googled "Development Delivered" and came up with goose eggs. Somehow I think using a local firm is not going to achieve the desired results. I think we should use a firm with experience and a proven track record in municipal economic development. But I guess we are stuck for three years now. I hope there is a non performance clause in the contract so we can get out of it when the new Mayor takes over. Just another bit of "crony capitalism."
April is just around the corner, hopefully most of these guys will be replaced. Right now all they are doing is acting busy so they get re-elected. I am sure most people can see through this.
Once a prospective developer sees that big inflatable rat, you'll never see them (developers) in town again. Many already know we have a union goon reputation.
Don't forget that beautiful location off of Route 6. It reminds me so much of Berlin...IN 1945! We should photograph it after the first snow, it will be so picturesque.
4:39 So true. Thank God we have some intelligence out there when it comes to good business practices if we want to survive another 20 years. Had a horrible experience with MCS, and yes, I think we could do much better elsewhere if a website is even our answer. I don't believe an economic development website brings business to the Illinois Valley. Hasn't worked yet! Remember, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Seems to be lacking lately, you agree? I just can't believe how stupid we are if we fall for this BS again and again and again.
12:11 AM
I believe that this is a project created by Bob Vickery who has been working with this firm for about 1 year to develop this program for the city. Remember that Vickery is our Community Development Director and is considered a volunteer but has a nice budget to work with to cover his expenses. And since Vickery is the developer of the idea, I am sure he has been in close contact with the mayor who said nothing pro or con last evening. It was funny for Ald. Ankiewicz who does not use a computer to promote this with his yes vote.
The aldermen also agreed to continue meeting each week and I was told that it no longer matters how often they meet because they are no longer being paid per meeting but per year.
9:58 PM
I was wrong, they did give a presentation but it must have been a last minute thought because the presentation was not on the agenda, only the vote to take on this expense was on the agenda.
The only thing that has been gained since Vickrey has been our Community Develoment Director has been his own personal gains. Oh and I forgot Olive Gardens!
As a young child I can remember watching a dog chasing its tail. It is quite a hilarious sight. As a adult I find the Peru City Council meetings to be very similar. Do you remember The Little Rascals and that real chunky kid picking on everyone? What was his name and what was the dogs name?
Once he wins the election for Circuit Clerk, maybe he will run for Mayor, Alderman, and Treasurer of Peru. All at the same time. We have a real asset in Bobby V. Only a few more offices and he will be a world record holder. Go Bobby! Go!
Oh... but don't forget about that whole U of I Board of Trustees thing...
Wasn't V released from the U of I board? Does anybody know the background behind that situation?
The University of Illinois clout scandal resulted from a series of articles in the Chicago Tribune which reported that some applicants to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) "received special consideration" for acceptance between 2005 and 2009, despite having sub-par qualifications. The series began on May 29, 2009. An investigatory committee appointed by Illinois governor Pat Quinn was formed a few weeks later. The controversy led to the resignation of B. Joseph White, president of the University of Illinois, who oversaw the three campuses in the University system, and Richard Herman, chancellor of UIUC. The scandal eventually spread to include evidence of graft by members of the Board of Trustees, resulting in the resignation of seven of the nine members.
Mr. Bobby V. knows how to scratch a back. Ever since he got fired from the Board of Trustees he has been searching for the perfect government posisition. Perks and pay without all that pesky work.
Oh God, please don't give him access to anymore. Our livelihoods can't take it.
So who got the Vickrey special consideration discount?
Spanky was a primary character, portly, (memory) showed his fist a few times to drive home a point.
Pete the dog - had a ring around the eye & was painted on.
The Little Rascals
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278213
And before the U of I 'dumping' there was the Illinois Gaming Fiasco which caused Gov. Ryan to send him to U of I. Smelled of a coverup at the time.
What is it with the Vote for experience? The only thing Vickrey is experienced at is running for office.
Lois - Can we find any articles on the internet in regards to V's relationships with Gaming and U of I?
Apparently Gov. Ryan was pushing the Emerald gaming license even though criminal types were going to be part owners (or maybe because). BV was head of the gaming commission and word got out. The license got killed and Ryan moved BV to U of I. Draw your own conclusions.
Also, you can contact Ray Long of the Chicago Tribune. He handled most of the investigation into the Emerald license. That was the Rosemont fiasco.
Post a Comment