HomeMy WebLinkAbout01052000 Perlin Staff ReportSARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY NO.:
AGENDA ITEM:
MEETING DATE: January 5, 2000
CITY MANAGER:
ORIGINATING DEPT.: City Manager
PREPARED BY:
SUBJECT: Status report on publication of a City newsletter
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
None. Receive as information.
REPORT SUMMARY:
Pursuant to direction provided at your October 20 meeting, staff has pursued development of a
City newsletter. The target mailing date for the initial edition is now mid to late February, which
is six to eight weeks earlier than originally anticipated. The primary reason why the newsletter
can be produced sooner than expected is because staff is no longer contemplating using outside
help to write and edit copy. Instead, Beverley Tucker, Program Coordinator in the Recreation
Department, has expressed an interest and willingness to assume this responsibility. In addition to
her having a journalism background, Beverley has experience producing and publishing
newsletters for other organizations to which she volunteers her time.
Each department has developed a list of candidate articles and features for the newsletter. These
were then compiled onto a master list that Beverley and I reviewed and segregated into high,
medium and low priorities (see attached list). Given the space limitations of a four page
newsletter which is what the Council authorized for the initial edition, only the high priority
articles will appear in the first publication. Some of the medium and low priority articles might
then appear in future editions depending upon what other topics of interest might surface between
now and then.
Briefly, it is anticipated that the first edition of the newsletter will feature the following:
· Message from the City Manager
· Information about the March 7 Library Bond measure
· Circulation Element Update
· Implementation of the new Sewage Disposal Ordinance
· Status of pending Capital Improvement Projects
· Summary of current and pending Pavement Management program work
· Voter registration information
· A calendar of events
· A general City telephone directory
· A tear-off reply slip
· Relevant photos and graphics
Beverley will be receiving pertinent facts about each topic from the responsible staff, and will then
conduct interviews to gather additional information that she will then use to write the copy by the
end of January. Editing and graphics work will occur in early February followed by printing and
mailing. A local resident who performs freelance graphics and publications work has agreed to
assist with this project. This individual has offered to produce the camera-ready material that will
be used by the printer for the nominal fee of $50 per page ($200 total). Fricke Press in Fremont,
the same firm that the City of Campbell contracts with to produce their newsletter, has been
approached to do the printing and preparation for mailing, and the details of a contract with them
are still being worked out. Prior to going to press, the contract will be presented to the Council
for review and approval.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The previous estimate to publish and distribute a citywide newsletter was between $4,800 and
$7,200 per issue. Given the above, it now seems likely that the actual cost will be towards the
lower end of this range if not less. Actual costs will not be known until the contract with the
printer has been finalized.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
N/A.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
FOLLOW UP ACTION(S):
Publication of the newsletter will proceed as described. A contract with the printer will be
finalized and submitted to the Council for review and approval.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
Nothing additional.
ATTACHMENTS:
List of candidate articles.