Council awards printing contract to Chronicle

DAYTON–The City Council heard discussion and awarded the city legal contract; and approved Resolutions 1542, 1545, and 1546 at the June 11 meeting.

The City granted the 2024 public notice publishing contract to the Dayton Chronicle, the newspaper of record for Columbia County, after a hearty discussion over requirements and access.

The Council awarded the City legal contract to the Dayton Chronicle by a 4-2 vote.

Bids were submitted by two area newspapers, Dayton Chronicle, the Columbia County paper of record, and The Times, a paper of record in Walla Walla County. Based off the bids submitted, the city attorney recommended The Times as its bid, in his opinion, fit the proposal's request whereas the Dayton Chronicle did not.

Councilperson Laura Aukerman had a concern with his reasoning. She stated that two or three years ago, one of the publications did not put their bid in exactly as given, but the lawyer said it was fine then. "So, I am a little bothered by that just because it should be fair with both, what's right is right and what is wrong is wrong. I have a little concern with that."

Councilperson Shannon McMillen argued the Dayton Chronicle did specify the required information. The request for the bids was to include first publication fees as well as second and third publication fees. The Times listed out their fee options individually whereas the Dayton Chronicle listed the fees for "first publication and subsequent publication fees," McMillen said.

Another point of concern was which publication was least expensive. Councilperson Teeny McMunn stated that The Times' bid came in lower, but Councilperson Aukerman stated it would be redundant to use The Times as the paper of record and then continue to advertise in both papers, resulting in double the fees.

Council member Jim Su'euga also pointed out that circulation should also be a consideration. The Waitsburg Times is a paper of record in Walla Walla County and may not reach as many Columbia County or Dayton City residents as the Dayton Chronicle would, he said.

The Council would have liked to have more information from both publications, but waived further inquiry as the current contract expired June 14, 2024. They proposed to expand language for the next contract year in 2025. The motion was made to grant the contract to the Dayton Chronicle, and passed without a unanimous vote 4-2. Aukerman, Patras, McMillen, and Su'euga voted in favor of the motion. McMunn and Smith voted against it. Kyle Anderson was not present at the meeting.

The council approved Resolution 1542 to adopt the 2024 Update of the Cooperative Parks Master Plan; Resolution 1545, authorizing an amendment to class IV work crew master agreement between the Washington State Department of Corrections and the City of Dayton; and Resolution 1546 to transfer ownership of County property to the City of Dayton. The property is the strip of property with the bathrooms at Flour Mill Park which will be purchased by the city for $1,500. This motion was passed unanimously.