By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Town Council’s decision to hire Kansas-based firm Civic Plus for $30,000 to design a new town logo and website drew the ire of a member of the Massena Visionaries, a group working to boost small businesses in Massena.

Kurt Wood claimed the board is harming the local economy by using an out-of-state business for the job.

“Why spend $30,000 … when there are two web designers that can do logos right here in Massena … right downtown, right across the street,” Wood said, referring to Northern Computers and Technology and Nathan LaShomb of Forevermore Studios. “Thirty grand would be a shot in the arm for these people."

He later went on to describe it as “a slap in the face.”

Jason Hendricks of H3 Designs also operates as a Main Street-based web designer.

Gray said that they hired the company because they specialize in municipal websites.

“They’ve done them all over the country. We’ve seen their results in other communities just down the road, very nice,” he said.

Councilman John Macaulay said the board is making a list of local businesses and contractors to whom they can go first. He said that state law allows them in instances such as this that hire a “professional service” to skip the bidding process.

“We’re going to have discussions about contracting locally and get a list. We’re going to do better,” Macaulay said.

Things got intense between Gray and Wood several minutes into their nearly half-hour banter. Voices were raised to shouting when Wood suggested that Gray had dodged several locals, including him, to discuss the situation, which Gray denied.

Wood was angered because he says that a local person or business could create a town logo for a fraction of what Civic Plus is charging. Their contract breaks down to $25,000 for the website and $5,000 for the logo.

“Five thousand dollars for a logo is absurd. It’s like paying $100,000 for a Chevy pickup truck,” Wood said. “I’m in graphic design. I created a logo for a restaurant today. I charged them 150 bucks.”

The town had taken the offer for the logo after giving them the initial $25,000 website job.

He said it was cheaper than a Canton firm that does the same job, which he didn’t name but said wanted $28,000.

Macaulay said a part of the problem is businesses don’t market themselves to the board and many of who they hire for town jobs had reached out to them.

“You’ve got to market yourself to the Massena town board,” he said.

Wood countered by noting that many people who do side work such as web design must work a different full-time job because the economy doesn’t support them.