COEUR d'ALENE - The city of Coeur d'Alene is moving forward with adding a communications position to help City Hall share up-to-date, accurate information with the public.

A subcommittee Monday didn't favor adding the contracted role, but it will go before the City Council next week to determine if the city will create a media relations position to spread its word.

The city budgeted $65,000 for the part-time, non-benefited position at a rate of $65 an hour when it adopted its 2013 fiscal year budget last month. Around $45,000 of the total would be for wages.

It was created after a pair of administrative positions were eliminated, one of which handled communication aspects for the city, such as press releases.

Pegged to fill the spot, City Administrator Wendy Gabriel said, is Kristina Lyman, a former journalist, communications vice president and consultant.

"I think it's a great opportunity for the city," Lyman said. " I think being able to communicate better with their residents is something they'd ultimately like to do, and I can help them do that."

Gabriel said Monday that Lyman's experience, which she gained working in Michigan, New York and Phoenix, will be an asset to the city.

"The fact that she is not tied to any other agency or business, so she comes in neutral and fresh" was a draw, Gabriel said.

The contracted position will handle communication in various formats, from press releases to social media. One of the goals of the position is to prevent misinformation from circulating around the community when city projects are happening.

As the city was pitching the communication position during the budget process, City Council members Mike Kennedy, Woody McEvers and Deanna Goodlander pointed to the McEuen Field project as an example of how a communications coordinator could have helped the city. They said so much incorrect information was spreading online regarding the project that the city had a difficult time catching up and correcting it all. A communications coordinator dedicated to info sharing could have prevented much of those headaches, they said.

But City Council members Steve Adams, Ron Edinger and Dan Gookin didn't favor the idea. They said city projects and the council should speak for themselves, and Gookin said it wasn't up to the city to "spin" the topics.

Ultimately the budget, with the communications position included, passed four votes to three, with Mayor Sandi Bloem breaking the tie.

Any other $70 million enterprise or business has a communications position, and the city should too, she said at the time.

"We need to sell our product every single day," she said.

But on Monday, the General Services Committee panel didn't favor adding the position.

Kennedy made a motion recommending the city do so, but neither Adams nor Edinger seconded the idea. That means it will go to the council at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16 without recommendation.

Lyman said part of the job could be to streamline a format where citizen input can go straight to the City Council.

"I definitely think it's important to be proactive instead of being in a position where you're responding," said Lyman, 41. "A lot of that misinformation can be avoided."

Lyman has earned several awards for her work as a journalist and editor, ranging from in-depth reports on mortgage fraud, serial killers in Phoenix and the impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on youth, according to her resume.

The Hayden resident also taught journalism courses at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and worked in communications for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. She is the owner of Lyman Communications in Coeur d'Alene after moving here two years ago.

Idaho statute, Title 67, chapter 28, exempts professional services contracts with independent contractors from going out to bid.

Spokane, a city with a population of around 210,000, has had a communications position for 15 years. Spokane P.I.O. Marlene Feist earns $89,000 for the benefited position. Post Falls also has had a benefited communications position for 15 years. Its pay range is between $40,222 - $56,311, and is held by Kit Hoffer, according to the city of Post Falls.

Officials at the city of Lewiston said they don't have a communications position but have considered adding one.