City of Marshfield and TriMedia Reach Settlement Agreement
The City of Marshfield and TriMedia LLC have reached a settlement agreement and the case is now closed. Mayor Bob McManus endorsed the agreement on March 2.
The City of Marshfield took legal action against the private company in September 2019, claiming a breach of contract by invoicing the city for services that it “should not have had to pay for under the terms of the contract and for services that were not provided.” In July of 2020, TriMedia filed a counterclaim with Wood County Circuit Court for a non-disclosed amount, claiming that the City breached the agreement.
In records obtained by OnFocus, during a deposition on September 23, 2020 City Administrator Steve Barg affirmed that the payments made to TriMedia had been approved through the proper channels and the budget approved by the Common Council had not been exceeded during the term of the agreement.
“Though we believe we were entitled to compensation outlined in the agreement, we felt it was best for the city and the community that we reach an amicable agreement with the city. I’m glad to have this resolved and our business back to focusing on what matters most,” said Branden Bodendorfer, owner.
TriMedia provided communications services for the City from May 2016 to March 2019, after entering into a “Cable Access Coordinator Agreement” after acquiring Vidcom, LLC. When the owner of Vidcom passed away and TriMedia acquired the company, the Common Council approved TriMedia to assume the same agreement and responsibilities that Vidcom had held.
The coordinator agreement outlined core services that TriMedia was to perform, including recording and live streaming public meetings, maintaining an office presence for public access, advising a cable committee, and operating an electronic community message service, among other responsibilities.
The City now has its own communications department and directly employs a communications director and media specialist.
According to Wisconsin Circuit Court records, the City of Marshfield is currently involved in ongoing legal cases with Haas Sons Inc and Marshfield Clinic.
Disclosure: TriMedia is the parent company of OnFocus.
We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!
