(Lyn's note: Please feel free to send us any pictures you'd like included.  If your photos are for sale, let us know and we will put them under that category.  We have a special section for that purpose, and have just added some art as well.  Check out Tom Baker's photos for sale.  He's the photographer who took that gorgeous photo in the Carefree Gardens Photo Contest that was both the judges' first pick and the public favorite.  It's now featured on the Town of Carefree website, and will be the cover of the 2014 Gardens calendar that will be for sale later this summer at Carefree Town Hall.  If anyone would like to buy a print of any of Herbert's photos, all profits will be donated to one of the local non-profit organizations.)  Here's the link to this week's Pictures of the Week.  Check out the photos Herbert took at Carefree Bistro.  The place is beautiful and the food is fabulous!

http://carefreetruth.com/Carefree_Truth/Photos_8-18-14.html

Dear Lyn,

I want to thank you for posting the video of the DFL Photo Awards Ceremony.  Since we are in MN all summer, that was the only way we could enjoy those amazing photos and marvel at our amazing local talent.

Cheers,

Linda P.

 

Lyn, if the city is still open for bids on this we will save them a ton of money and we actually have some incredible tools that can stream the day to day operation on back end for the city.

It is funny we actually develop much of the software and tools these other companies use like analytics and designing.

Gary Endres

 

 

 

Sorry, but I find this amazingly un-local. 

Steve Woods, Tech 4 Life

Not sure I would trust my website algorithms and exclusive custodial care to this company.  It appears to be a privately-held company based in India.  Not a lot of information about it on the Internet.  I wonder if any due diligence was conducted insofar as gathering testimonials or comments from other companies/municipalities in the U.S. that have conducted business with this outfit.  That very basic, very essential question (it seems to me) was apparently not asked by members of the council.  Just Mr. Neiss' word that Carefree would be in good hands.

Fred Groszkruger

(Lyn's note: I passed the above 3 emails on to Gary Neiss, who passed them on to Jim Keen.  Here is Jim's reply to all of us.)

Lyn, et. al.

Key parts of the current Town of Carefree website were developed by a local person. Unfortunately our experience was that this person developed important parts of the website and then moved out of town. Because of this experience the Town of Carefree decided to engage a known company with a track record of developing websites for government entities. Carefree is very concerned that any developer will be around for years to come to provide support for the website. Civic Plus offers the Town of Carefree significant credentials that offer assurance of persistence into the future.

Carefree did the following steps to identify such a company:

1. •We looked at other city and town websites that we liked. 
   

2. •We called Arizona cities/towns and got feedback on how they liked the service and support that they received for their websites and the cost of that support.
   

3. •We investigated Web services under the Federal and State Contracts available to us and vendors who provide government websites. 
   

4. •We contacted companies that we liked their web designs.
   

 We chose Civic Plus because:

1. •The website redevelopment price could be spread over 3 years of service if needed. 
   

2. •The price was lower than the other companies website design, hosting and support services.
   

3. •They are available through our State Contract via this federal contract.  They are a certified GSA Schedule Contract Holder (GS-35F-0124U) for the United States Federal Government as an Information Technology Services provider (SIN 132-51) under the IT Schedule 70.
   

4. •The cities and towns that currently use them, like their service and response.
   

5. •1,700 state, county, cities and towns utilize their products.
   

6. •Since 2001 they have consistently provided these services to State, County, Cities and Towns. 
   

As for the email about the company being in India.

I have Icon Enterprises Inc. dba CivicPlus as being incorporated in Kansas and located in Manhattan, KS. 
From BusinessWeek.com

Company Overview

Icon Enterprises, Inc. designs, develops, and manages community engagement systems to connect people with government in North America. Its services include content management system, Website consulting, Website design, training, and support system; and customer support services, such as automatic software and module updates, and technical support, as well as review of site logs, error messages, servers, router activity, and Internet. The company also provides online and online phone training, citizen, e-government, human resources, administrative, communication, design, site structure, and support services; and widgets/stand alone products, which include Website and eGovernment tools, including government content management system, interactive, public notification, mobile apps, and economic development tools.

Icon Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 1994 and is based in Manhattan, Kansas.

Detailed Description

317 Houston Street

Suite E

Manhattan, KS 66502

United States

Founded in 1994

Key Executives for Icon Enterprises, Inc.
Ward Morgan
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Deb McNew
Vice President of Marketing & Operations
Marla Brandon
Director of Accounting
Brian Rempe
Director of Technology
Jeff Wheeler
Director of Human Resources

It is a privately held corporation.

Thanks

Jim Keen

Accountant/Assistant Town Clerk
Town of Carefree, Arizona

Thank you for the update and clarification re: the seeking of testimonials from other municipalities/businesses and the confusion over the country of origin of Civic Plus.  A search of the Internet for CivicTechPlus suggests a company based in India.  However, I did not look beyond the third page of the Google search.

Fred Groszkruger

 

My initial response is that it's very sad to see that the government of our small town of Carefree is bigger than it's people and it's business's (which is the town).  

Why should anyone else in town bank on face to face relationships when our town ignores this in it's selection priorities?  

If I follow your example, the next time people come knock on our door asking for donations to promote Carefree (Christmas Festival comes to mind), I should refer them to a federal government approved contractor, grant or loan.  

For my Carefree house and my Carefree business, we will continue to error on the side of loving our neighbors.    When that is the town of Carefree,  you will always receive the very best that we ALL have to give.  When you are ready for that, please come see us.  

Steve Woods, Tech 4 Life Compters, LLC

          Tech 4 Life 

Country Doctor Service, For Your Technology!

Steve Woods                         480.488.0773

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