ITEM: 5.3 AWARDS - PRESENTATIONS - ORGANIZATIONAL BUSINESS - Clark Arneson, City Manager
Title
DESIGNATE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR 2013
Background
State Law requires that the Council designate a single newspaper as its official newspaper. Minnesota Statutes 331A.02, Subd. 1, defines the qualifications for a newspaper to be designated as an official newspaper.
A proposal has been received from the Blaine-Spring Lake Park Life as well as the Anoka County Record. In the past we have received proposals from both the Blaine-Spring Lake Park Life and the Sun Focus. However, on June 1, 2012, the Blaine-Spring Lake Park Life newspaper and the Sun Focus merged into one newspaper. This change was a result of the January 2012 merger of ECM Publishers and SUN Media, the two companies who publish the respective newspapers. Up until the merger, the Blaine-Spring Lake Park Life was a paid mail circulation newspaper. As of June 1st, it became a free carrier delivered newspaper, distributed to over 16,500 homes.
According to the Owner and Publisher of the Anoka County Record, John M. Kysylyczyn, the paper has met the criteria to be an official legal newspaper and is a "new media" newspaper with its primary method of distribution being online. The entire newspaper is available free of charge on the website, with the option of a subscription rate of $50/year for a print edition.
Listed below are the comparisons of the two proposals which were received.
|
Blaine Life |
Anoka County Record |
Publication Cost: |
$10.75 (per col. Inch) |
$5.94 (per inch) |
|
$10.25 -electronically |
Same as above |
|
submitted |
|
Frequency: |
Weekly - Friday |
Bi-weekly - Thursday |
Deadline |
Wednesday - noon |
Wednesday - noon |
Primary Distribution |
Home delivery |
Online |
Recommendation
By motion, designate the official newspaper for 2012.