The Ravalli County Commissioners awarded the county’s legal publishing contract to the Bitterroot Star last week. The Bitterroot Star submitted a sworn statement of publication showing an average circulation of about 7,200 per issue. Its bid was the lowest at $2.00 per 100-word folio for the first insertion and $.50 per folio for each subsequent insertion. The Ravalli Republic submitted a sworn statement of circulation showing an average circulation of about 3,200 per issue. The Ravalli Republic bid was $2.85 per folio for the first insertion and $2.70 per folio for subsequent insertions. Last year the bid was awarded to the Republic despite the fact that the Star submitted a lower overall bid.
Commissioner Jeff Burrows wondered if the fact that the Star only published on Wednesday was a problem. The Commissioners’ Administrative Assistant Glenda Wiles said that it did cause a little problem, but nothing that could not be handled. She said when the daily paper changed its publication days to Wednesday through Sunday it also caused a similar problem but also nothing that could not be handled with proper foresight. She said that she could work around the glitches with either paper and that both papers were very accommodating and easy to deal with.
Commissioner Suzy Foss said that she would like to hear from some department heads, especially the Clerk and Recorder and the Planning Department.
Clerk and Recorder Regina Plettenberg said that her office had no problem with the weekly publication. “I do most everything on Wednesday,” she said, “It is not a problem.”
County Planner Kevin Waller said that there were problems with scheduling and delays with the Legacy Ranch subdivision application and approval when the county was using the Bitterroot Star.
Commissioner Greg Chilcott noted, however, that those problems were with the subdivision review process itself and not with the publication of the legal advertising and Waller agreed. He said he thought publication in the weekly would be OK.
Flood Plain Administrator Brian Wilkinson said that a lot of times it doesn’t matter, but in cases of emergency, if the timing was wrong, a person could be delayed for a few days by having to wait for the weekly publication.
Commissioner Greg Chilcott said that he was under the impression that in an emergency the work could be done right away and the permit could be obtained later.
Wilkinson said that was true. He said the problem actually was not with emergencies, exactly, but in those cases that were not deemed an emergency, but in which urgency was an issue.
“It’s not a common thing, but sometimes a few days can make a lot of difference,” he said.
Commissioner Suzy Foss said that she didn’t think it was a fair bidding process since the Bitterroot Star was a non-profit and giving its papers away. Although Bitterroot Star publisher Victoria Howell, who was present at the bid opening, corrected Foss, telling her that the Star is a “for profit” entity, Foss was apparently unconvinced.
“This isn’t a fair bidding war,” said Foss. “I know you say you are a for profit company and you say you do it with advertising, but I don’t believe it.” She said she had done some research and that it is not possible to publish a newspaper without charging for the paper.
The Commissioners voted 3 to 2 to award the contract to the Bitterroot Star. Commissioners Foss and Ron Stoltz cast the dissenting votes.