Sponsor: County Manager's Office
Title
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Contracts with Press Publications, Inc. and Northwest Publications LLC dba St. Paul Pioneer Press for 2021 Newspaper Publications
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Recommendation
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1. Award a contract to Press Publications, Inc., 4779 Bloom Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN 55110, as the designated Official Newspaper for the following Ramsey County publications:
• Official proceedings of the Board of Ramsey County Commissioners and all notices for the year 2021 in the Vadnais Heights Press at a cost of $4.97 per column inch for the first insertion, and $4.97 for subsequent insertions.
• 2020 Financial Statement in the White Bear Press as the other newspaper of general circulation located in a different municipality in the County than the Official Newspaper, at a cost of $12.52 per column inch and $12.52 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
• List of Real Estate Taxes Remaining Delinquent on the first day of January 2021, in the Vadnais Heights Press at a cost of $5.09 per column inch for the first insertion, and $5.09 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
• Notice of Expiration of Redemption in the Vadnais Heights Press at a cost of $4.21 per column inch for the first insertion, and $4.21 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
2. Authorize the Chair and the Chief Clerk to execute the contract with Press Publications, Inc.
3. Award a contract to Northwest Publications, LLC, dba St. Paul Pioneer Press, PO Box 64831, Saint Paul, MN 55164, as the designated Official Newspaper for publication of Ramsey County’s 2020 Financial Statement in the Pioneer Press at a cost of $6.30 per column inch and $6.30 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
4. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the contract with Northwest Publications LLC dba St. Paul Pioneer Press.
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Background and Rationale
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Annually, a competitive solicitation is released for official publication services required of Ramsey County for the subsequent year. Minnesota Statutes require various official publications of Ramsey County and define the requirements of official newspapers as indicated below:
Minnesota State Statutes Chapter 395 of the 1990 Legislature, which amends Minnesota Statute §331.A.02, Subd 1. Requirements for a Qualified Newspaper, and Minnesota Statute §331A.04 require the following:
• publication of a political subdivision’s pubic notices, including the official proceedings of the county board, in a qualified newspaper of general circulation in the county with its “known office of issue” within the political subdivision.
• the publisher must also do its typographic, composition, and presswork in Ramsey County.
• awarding of the contract is to be made at the county board’s first regular session each year.
Minnesota Statute §375.17 requires Ramsey County’s 2020 Financial Statement is to be published in the newspaper designated by the County Board as the Official Newspaper for such publication, and in a newspaper of general circulation located in a different municipality in the County than the Official Newspaper.
Minnesota Statute §§279.09-279.10 and 279.13 as amended requires publication in the newspaper designated annually by the County Board the List of Real Estate Taxes Remaining Delinquent on the first day of January.
Minnesota Statute §281.23 as amended requires publication of the Notice of Expiration of Redemption for the County of Ramsey.
For the year 2021, two proposals were received in response to the Request for Bids. The awards are required to be given to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. New this year is a split in the awards being given to the two proposers, based on the lowest bid per publication type included in the solicitation:
Press Publications, Inc. 4779 Bloom Avenue, White Bear Lake, MN 55110, bid according to specifications contained within the Request for Bids document, including payment of prevailing wages when doing the County’s work under the resulting agreement, and will provide the following Ramsey County publications to be published in the Vadnais Heights Press, designated as the Official Newspaper for:
• Official proceedings and other public notices - $4.99 per column inch, and $4.99 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
• 2020 Financial Statement in a newspaper located in a different municipality - $12.81 per column inch and $12.81 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
• List of Real Estate Taxes Remaining Delinquent - $5.10 per column inch for the first insertion, and $5.10 for subsequent insertions.
• Notice of Expiration of Redemption - $4.21 per column inch for the first insertion, and $4.21 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
Northwest Publications, LLC, dba St. Paul Pioneer Press, PO Box 64831, Saint Paul, MN 55164, bid according to specifications contained within the Request for Bids document, including payment of prevailing wages when doing the County’s work under the resulting agreement and will provide the following Ramsey County publication to be published in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, designated as the Official Newspaper for:
• 2020 Financial Statement - $6.30 per column inch and $6.30 per column inch for subsequent insertions.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☐ Well-being ☐ Prosperity ☐ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Designation of an official newspaper to publish the official notices including the proceedings of the County Board, the County’s Financial Statements, and the List of Real Estate Taxes Remaining Delinquent is an annual organizational action. The decision is based on a competitive solicitation process and procurement policies requiring the award to go to the lowest responsible bidder. The decision has minimal direct impact on addressing racial equity.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Informing the community of this action provides transparency in the selection process, which is determined based on a competitive solicitation and procurement policies. The Official Newspaper provides transparency and information to the community, in the form of minutes and hearing notices, about the proceedings of the County Board initiatives that are important to the community.
☒ Inform ☐ Consult ☐ Involve ☐ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Funds are available in the 2021 supplemental budget.
County Manager Comments
Minnesota Statutes state that the contracts for publication of the Board’s official proceedings, the financial statement and the list of real estate taxes remaining delinquent shall be set annually at the first regular session of the board in January of each year.
Last Previous Action
On January 7, 2020, the County Board awarded a contract to Press Publication for publication of public notices, including board proceedings for Ramsey County in the amount of $4.99 per column inch for the first insertion, and $4.99 for subsequent insertions (Resolution B2020-008).
On January 7, 2020, the County Board awarded a contract to Press Publication for publication of the 2020 Financial Statement in the Vadnais Heights Press as the designated Official Newspaper (in the amount of $12.81 per column inch and $12.81 per column inch for subsequent insertions Resolution B2020-009).
On January 7, 2020, the County Board awarded a contract to Press Publication for publication of the 2020 Financial Statement in the White Bear Press as the other newspaper of general circulation located in a different municipality in the county than the Official Newspaper, at a cost of $11.76 per column inch and $11.76 per column inch for subsequent insertions (Resolution B2020-010).
On January 7, 2020, the County Board awarded a contract to Press Publication for publication in the Vadnais Heights Press as the designated official newspaper of the List of Real Estate Taxes Remaining Delinquent at a cost of $5.10 per column inch for the first insertion, and $5.10 per column inch for subsequent insertions (Resolution B2020-011).
Attachments
1. Solicitation Tabulation
2. Notice of Intent to Award - Press Publications
3. Ramsey County Procurement Contract - Press Publications
4. Ramsey County General Contract/Agreement Terms and Conditions - Press Publications
5. Notice of Intent to Award - Pioneer Press
6. Ramsey County Procurement Contract - Pioneer Press
7. Ramsey County General Contract/Agreement Terms and Conditions - Pioneer Press