Council Finance Committee Approves $1.5 Million DIA Operating Budget

[thelakelander]

An operating budget for the DIA was approved by the council's finance committee.  However, $200k for a COO was not.

The committee approved a $1.5 million operating budget for the DIA, which will fund CEO Aundra Wallace's salary, a senior project manager, a project manager and an executive assistant, along with travel and marketing expenses. Wallace had requested a $1.7 million budget, which included funding for a fifth position, a chief operating officer, which was cut.

full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/jacksonville-city-councilmen-skewer.html

[thelakelander]

Interesting. Any web builders around? What's the going rate for a world class website these days?

OED Executive Director Ted Carter struggled to answer questions from both Crescimbeni and Councilman Matt Schellenberg during the hearing.

Carter told the committee that Jacksonville is "under marketed and under branded," and that investors and executives aren't as aware of the city as they should be.

A "world-class website" that could cost as much as $100,000, Carter told the board, could help change that.
"Do you consider yourself a thrifty person? I need a really thrifty director," Crescimbeni said to Carter. "The $100,000 for a website doesn't even come close to being on the same bookshelf of dictionaries that meets that definition."

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/jacksonville-city-councilmen-skewer.html

[JayBird]

I watched the council mtg online from this and thought Crescimbini was being pretty harsh at times, but I don't the specifics of the relationship among them. Later, when they said they wanted someone who was "thrifty" and that certainly wasn't a $100,000 web site they retracted saying it was figurative, that it would more likely be around $25,000. Of interesting note, when Crescimbini announced funding the DIA with $1.whatever someone off camera murmured "that's generous"

[FSBA]

Interesting. Any web builders around? What's the going rate for a world class website these days?

OED Executive Director Ted Carter struggled to answer questions from both Crescimbeni and Councilman Matt Schellenberg during the hearing.

Carter told the committee that Jacksonville is "under marketed and under branded," and that investors and executives aren't as aware of the city as they should be.

A "world-class website" that could cost as much as $100,000, Carter told the board, could help change that.
"Do you consider yourself a thrifty person? I need a really thrifty director," Crescimbeni said to Carter. "The $100,000 for a website doesn't even come close to being on the same bookshelf of dictionaries that meets that definition."

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/jacksonville-city-councilmen-skewer.html

I know a few people in the IT field. $100,000 sounds accurate if the city licenses a whole bunch of software and just hires somebody to put the pieces together. On the other hand if you hire somebody who knows whats they're doing, they could assemble a similar website using open source components for a fraction of the cost.

[Cheshire Cat]

Interesting. Any web builders around? What's the going rate for a world class website these days?

OED Executive Director Ted Carter struggled to answer questions from both Crescimbeni and Councilman Matt Schellenberg during the hearing.

Carter told the committee that Jacksonville is "under marketed and under branded," and that investors and executives aren't as aware of the city as they should be.

A "world-class website" that could cost as much as $100,000, Carter told the board, could help change that.
"Do you consider yourself a thrifty person? I need a really thrifty director," Crescimbeni said to Carter. "The $100,000 for a website doesn't even come close to being on the same bookshelf of dictionaries that meets that definition."

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/jacksonville-city-councilmen-skewer.html

Wow, seriously?  100K?

[JayBird]

Interesting. Any web builders around? What's the going rate for a world class website these days?

OED Executive Director Ted Carter struggled to answer questions from both Crescimbeni and Councilman Matt Schellenberg during the hearing.

Carter told the committee that Jacksonville is "under marketed and under branded," and that investors and executives aren't as aware of the city as they should be.

A "world-class website" that could cost as much as $100,000, Carter told the board, could help change that.
"Do you consider yourself a thrifty person? I need a really thrifty director," Crescimbeni said to Carter. "The $100,000 for a website doesn't even come close to being on the same bookshelf of dictionaries that meets that definition."

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/jacksonville-city-councilmen-skewer.html

Wow, seriously?  100K?

Again, not the full picture about that $100k, here is the Biz Journal recap for those who missed the vid

A "world-class website" that could cost as much as $100,000, Carter told the board, could help change that.

"Do you consider yourself a thrifty person? I need a really thrifty director," Crescimbeni said to Carter. "The $100,000 for a website doesn't even come close to being on the same bookshelf of dictionaries that meets that definition."

Carter later clarified that he wouldn't spend $100,000 on a website, but that he was answering the question of what it would cost. He said the work could likely be done for $25,000 to $50,000.

http://m.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/29/jacksonville-city-councilmen-skewer.html?ana=e_jac_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2013-08-29&u=TRw0oGj+1To03lfSCUuPGg02a8ea14&t=1377798203&r=full