ROCKLAND — The City of Rockland's website redesign bid has been awarded to Tourmaline Incorporated, according to Rockland City Manager James Chaousis II, in a news release. Tourmaline Incorporated is based in Rockland, and is one of the collaborative companies operating from Rockland Steel House at 711 Main Street. Tourmaline Inc. is co-founded by Jo Lis and Nathan Davis.

Twelve web development companies responded to the bid process including companies as far west as California and one from Nova Scotia, Canada. There were two Maine based companies including Tourmaline Inc. Bid prices ranged from $49,000 to $15,000 depending on the complexity of the services included in the proposals. Tourmaline Inc. was awarded the contract for $18,000 and will also deliver some IT services specified in the proposal.

Lis and Davis discussed the delivery timeline during the contract meeting. The website will be delivered in approximately 24 weeks. This means that the City will have a new website experience after the New Year and a new presentation platform for the FY2017 budget.

City Manager, Jim Chaousis said in the release, "The City budget is the most delicate and deliberative policy discussion every year. Based on last year's process, the discussion needs to be improved to prevent poor information from diverting the conversation. The City website should become the central point of information rather than news media, which is topic specific."

The City and Tourmaline Inc. also discussed how this new business relationship can work towards the "Smart Start Rockland" initiative. Rockland recently received a $50,000 grant award from the U.S. Small Business Administration in the Startup in a Day program. Rockland's winning application described the "Smart Start Rockland" concept design. Tourmaline Inc. will likely be awarded this project because of their active involvement with the city regarding web development but the two projects would be administered separately, according to the release.

Dates for a public launch of the website and any workshop sessions will be announced by the Project Manager, Jim Chaousis, at a future date. ‘The City is extremely excited to announce that a major contract with lots of public exposure will go to a local business with community interest,’ according to the release.