The City of Federal Way is expected to choose, by Dec. 7, a newspaper of record.
By law, the city must make its residents aware of legal notices, such as ordinance summaries, public hearings, request for proposals, request for qualifications, request for bids and land use/building notices. This must be done through a print publication. The Federal Way Mirror, the city’s only print newspaper, has been Federal Way’s paper of record since 1999.
The request for proposal (RFP), which was suggested by city clerk Carol McNeilly on Oct. 26 and issued Nov. 1, was unexpected. The city had not shown dissatisfaction in The Mirror’s service. Publisher Rudi Alcott said he would have appreciated the city making him aware that it planned to issue an RFP.
“I just think, over the course of 12 years of business, it would have been common courtesy to give me a call,” Alcott said.
The city issued the RFP to make sure it was getting the best deal for its money, McNeilly said. The city has no qualms with The Mirror as its paper of record, she said.
“We haven’t issued (an RFP) in six or seven years,” she said.
The last time the city council issued a paper of record RFP was in 2003. At that time, there was some discussion among former council member Mary Gates and other council members about whether the city ought to consider a daily newspaper instead of The Mirror’s twice-weekly printing schedule.
This time around, the city kept its options open and tried not to exclude any type of newspaper from the running, McNeilly said. Selection of a newspaper of record will depend on four criteria:
• Responsiveness of a written proposal to the scope of service is weighted at 20 percent of total criteria.
• Cost of service is weighted at 40 percent.
• Publication days are weighted at 20 percent.
• Circulation numbers are also weighted at 20 percent of total criteria.
Alcott is confident in The Mirror’s proposal, and he responded promptly. The Mirror’s circulation is roughly 33,000 households. Alcott’s proposal included the $7.21 per column inch print rate that The Mirror currently charges the city to print its legals, he said. While the rate to print legal ads increased roughly 20 percent 18 months ago, the city, which is The Mirror’s largest legal advertisement customer, did not see a price increase. Compared to prices ranging from $46.45 to $240 per column inch charged by competitors, The Mirror’s price is reasonable, he said.
“We’re not getting rich from this. We’re doing this as a service to the city,” Alcott said.
Public response
Local folks have taken notice of the RFP. Residents Tim Burns and Clara McArthur said it would affect residents’ ability to keep abreast of city happenings. Federal Way residents would feel the financial burden of having to subscribe to a newspaper such as The Tacoma News Tribune to read about the city’s legal actions and intentions, Burns said. Furthermore, if the council were to choose an out-of-town newspaper, it would be contradicting its campaign to shop locally and support local businesses, he said.
“We only have one paper in Federal Way, and to not use that as our official paper would be unconscionable,” Burns said at the Nov. 16 city council meeting.
Impacts
The Mirror has a lot to lose if its status as Federal Way’s paper of record is stripped away. Last year, The Mirror brought in $17,213 from its legal advertising, most of which originates from the City of Federal Way. Legal advertisements make up a small chunk of the newspaper’s revenues. The paper would not likely go out of business if the City of Federal Way printed elsewhere, but the money would be missed and could have a ripple effect on other advertisers if it were taken away, Alcott said.
More importantly, to exist as Federal Way’s only print newspaper, and not hold the title of paper of record, would be embarrassing.
“It’s really about being the newspaper of record in the city we represent,” Alcott said.
As of Nov. 19, the RFP deadline, the city had received only The Mirror’s response. The city council is expected to choose a paper of record Dec. 7.
