After a successful trial this summer, the Landmark will produce and print the next three program guides for the Brookfield Recreation Department. A recent 5-1 vote by the village board approved the agreement.
In the edition published last summer, there was no cost to the village government for the production and printing of the guide because advertising sales exceeded an agreed to threshold which covered the newspaper’s out-of-pocket costs. The Recreation Department chose to mail the booklet to every household in Brookfield and paid the postal service the $1,400 mailing cost.
The agreement between Wednesday Journal, Inc. (the Landmark’s parent company) and the village’s Recreation Department would allow for the newspaper to charge the village up to $1,000 per issue if advertising sales fail to cover direct costs.
“Our first time out of the box, sales were good,” said Dan Haley, publisher of Wednesday Journal, Inc. “That meant the rec guide cost the village nothing.
“It is our goal and our expectation that, based on the positive reception to the first guide, that the project will continue to be cost-free to the village,” he added.
The Recreation Department first approached the Landmark about printing its recreation guides in the fall of 2004 in an attempt to cut costs for producing the publication. Months later, the Brookfield village board voted to have another publication print and distribute the Summer 2005 guide.
After staff complaints about that experience, the Recreation Department again approached the Landmark about publishing and possibly distributing the Fall rec guide. The village’s Playgrounds and Recreation Commission later decided to pay for distribution in order to assure distribution to residents in multifamily buildings.
At the Oct. 10 meeting of the Brookfield village board, Trustee Linda Stevanovich said she wanted more information on how much the village would be spending on the guides and questioned why the Landmark should be given the opportunity over another publisher.
“Why would I vote for something when I don’t know for sure what the cost is?” Stevanovich asked.
“I’d like to know what the cost was to the village before we go ahead and sign a contract for three more editions.”
Stevanovich eventually voted against allowing the Landmark to produce and print the next three recreation guides.
?”Bob Uphues
