The North Platte City Council again tabled discussion about developing a website for the Historic Preservation Commission.

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They put the item on the back burner at their last meeting as well. Specifically, the council was not comfortable with awarding the contract to create the site to Art Cottage, Incorporated until some muddy language in the contract was revised.

At the heart of the issue was section 14 of the terms of agreement. It states, “Rights to photos, graphics, source code, work-up files, and computer programs are specifically not transferred to the client, and remain the property of provider.”

Second Ward representative Don Kurre took issue with the idea that Art Cottage would own the rights to any photographs that were posted on the website.

City Planning Administrator Judy Clark stated her belief that the copyright did not extend to photos provided by the city. She also noted that after the matter was tabled at the last meeting the city reserved the right to modify the website in the contract.

“That’s not what it says,” Kurre stated. “This is important stuff. Copyrights are important stuff.”

Judy Pederson, Second Ward, asked Clark if the city had personnel already on staff that could handle the assignment.

Clark answered yes, at the library, but that they had reported they were too busy for the project.

The Third Ward’s Dan McGuire had said that he had been getting mixed signals about whether or not the city could handle the web site construction, and that he would vote against awarding the contract to an outside company.

Jim Parish, Second Ward representative, wondered what server the website would be hosted on.

If the provider hosted the site, Parish said, it could become problematic if the city wanted to change directions or if Art Cottage were to go out of business.

Clark responded that the city would host the site on its servers, and simply contract the construction, and possibly maintenance of the website.

Despite Clark’s assurances, the council voted to table the item 7-1, with Parish against.