HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report - Award Official County NewspaperKITTITAS COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
AGENDA DATE: April 7, 2020
ACTION REQUESTED: Award a Bid & Contract to Serve as the Official County
Newspaper from 7/1/20 – 6/30/21
BACKGROUND: Staff published a Notice of Call for Bids to serve as the Official
County Newspaper beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. Staff published the
Call for Bids and sent a letter with a copy of the notice to the Daily Record and the
Northern Kittitas County Tribune.
Sealed Bids were received from the Daily Record and the Northern Kittitas County
Tribune and were opened on Friday March 20, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. in the Commissioner’s
office.
According to RCW 36.72.075 the county legislative authority shall award the contract to
the best and lowest responsible bidder, giving consideration to the question or circulation
in awarding the contract, with a view to giving publication of notices the widest publicity.
INTERACTION:
Daily Record bid:
Legal Advertising – based on a 6 column format: $8.73 per column inch.
Last years was the same.
Display Advertising – based on a 6 column format: $7.62 per column inch.
Last years was the same.
The display rate pertains to advertising placed in the news section of the newspaper,
which could include (but is not limited to) special primary and general election notices).
According to the Daily Record they have the highest reach and circulation of newspapers
in Kittitas County. Their average paid daily circulation is 4,400. They publish legal
notices five days a week Monday – Thursday and Saturday. Legal notices appear online
at no additional charge and their website averages 142,000 page views a month and is
updated daily. Legal notices are also published on www.wapublicnotices.com through
the Washington Newspaper Publisher Association at no additional charge.
Northern Kittitas County Tribune bid:
Legal Advertising – based on a per column inch for first insertion date is $10.00
and $9.00 per column inch for subsequent insertions of the same legal notice (a
45% discount off their regular advertising open rate). Their single-column width
measures 1.67-inches with 6-columns across per page. (These rates are the same
as last year).
They publish once a week on Thursday and their average total paid circulation is 2,800.
Of that, 2,300 are purchased within Kittitas County, primarily Upper County each week
(ex: mailed to subscribers, local business news stands and vending boxes), thus the public
notices would be viewed by over 7,000 readers each week. The legal notices are also
posted online and at www.wapublicnotices.com each week.
RECOMMENDATION: Approve a Resolution Awarding a Bid for the Official County
Newspaper for the term beginning July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 and to authorize
the Board to sign a Contract between Kittitas County and the Daily Record.
HANDLING: Staff has prepared a Resolution & Contract for your consideration.
ATTACHMENTS: Bid from the Daily Record & Northern Kittitas County Tribune.
Resolution to Award Official County Newspaper.
Contract between Kittitas County and the Daily Record.
LEAD STAFF: Julie Kjorsvik, Clerk of the Board