By Kris Leonhardt

MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Common Council delayed authorizing Request for Proposals (RFPs) for cable access coordinator services with the city.

The move came during the Aug. 14 council meeting, due to the creation of a communications committee which was formed to explore options for city communications and make a recommendation.

“At the same time as we have (the consideration for RFPs), there has been a recent communication committee that was put together to take a look at our overall communications with the city,” said Mayor Bob McManus, who is on the committee. “The evaluation from that, there are two parts to it. The first thing is: do we continue to use cable access coordinator service – in essence sub it out – or do we do like many of our other cities have done locally and get a communications appointee or director. So, that is what is being discussed in this communications committee. Which route do we go?

“We’re not even to point yet where that recommendation is ready to be brought out, because we are still evaluating. We are evaluating financials; we’re evaluating what a potential job description would be. Now we do think that we are going to have that in a relatively short period of time.

“So, Alderman (Tom) Buttke thought, ‘Why are we going to put this out for RFPs to go to a coordinator – a cable access coordinator? Why are we going to do that when we are still in discussion on which route we are going to go?’”

Buttke, who is chair of the city’s Communications Committee, expressed his apprehension to approve the authorization for RFPs with the results of the committee’s recommendation coming so soon.

“We hopefully will be done by Aug. 27,” Buttke said. “We hope our meeting will be done, so we don’t even know what direction for sure we’re going with any of that yet. I mean this is sort of why are we having the committee if you’re going out for proposals on something that we haven’t recommended yet?”

Buttke moved to delay consideration of the RFP for one month, with Alderman Tom Witzel amending the motion to delay until Sept. 25. Both motions passed 7-3, with Alderpersons Chris Jockheck, Rebecca Spiros, and Gordy Earll voting no

The current cable access coordinator contract with Tri-Media will expire on March 31.