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CR 96-56 Nibbles Subscription• demJA 1-(akvatt, Eileen G Harvala Community Relations Coordinator h P K March 19, 1996 96 -56 NIBBLES SUBSCRIPTION Proposed Action Staff recommends adoption of the following motion: Offer the Nibbles newsletter to Hopkins residents and business people on a trial subscription basis of $3 a month for the remainder of 1996, and evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of that service before offering the subscriptions in 1997. Adoption of this motion will make Nibbles available to those people interested in the publication, while recovering the city's postage and printing costs. This is similar to the city's subscription service for meeting agendas and minutes where those who want agendas and minutes must pay for them. Overview The city of Hopkins began publishing a newsletter for its board, commission, and committee members, called Nibbles, in January 1995. Nibbles contains edited information from the weekly city department updates. It also contains summaries of monthly board, commission, and committee meetings and, in re- cent months, recaps of Housing and Redevelopment Authority and City Council meetings. Nibbles is popular, and interest in receiving the publication has expanded beyond the city's advisory boards. Staff is recommending this motion to meet the needs of those interested in receiving Nibbles, and to recover the city's cost for printing and mailing the publication. Primary Issues to Consider • Reason for the circulation expansion • Cost of the circulation expansion • Impact of the circulation expansion o Advertising the subscription availability o Alternatives Council Report 96 -56 Page 2 Primary Issues to Consider Reason for the circulation expansion O Nibbles has evolved into a popular publication, primarily because it contains timely, up -to -date information on activities initiated by the city of Hopkins, or taking place in the city. It currently is the only city publication that contains those updates, and it has a different focus than Hopkins Highlights, which features city programs and services. In recent months, three to five phone calls a month have been received from people interested in receiving the publication. Under this proposal, Nibbles still would be offered free to the city's advisory board, commission, and committee mem- bers in appreciation for their volunteer service to the city. Others interested in receiving the news- letter would need to pay the subscription fee of $3 a month. Cost O It is somewhat difficult to pinpoint the exact costs associated with offering Nibbles on a sub- scription basis. Currently, the newsletter is published in -house and printing costs are fairly minimal. Because less than 200 copies are mailed, however, postage is expensive at about 55 cents per copy, and 70 copies currently are mailed each month. At 200 copies, the city is able to use its bulk mail permit, which will reduce the postage costs. On the other hand, two hundred copies is about the maximum number that can be copied in- house, so printing costs will increase. Currently, there is no way of knowing how many people will be interested in the publication. It is costly to send the publication to all of Hopkins postal patrons. The estimated cost for a 9,001 circulation is about $3,600 per month, or $43,200 a year. As contrast, the bimonthly Hopkins Highlights, restricted to eight pages, is expected to cost $16,891 in 1996. It is estimated that $3 a month will be enough to cover the postage and printing costs of a sub - scription -based Nibbles publication. The plan is to offer the subscription on a yearly basis, so the fee will be prorated for the remainder of 1996. The subscription rate can be adjusted with the historical perspective we obtain over the next few months. Impacts O Offering Nibbles on a subscription basis will have an impact on staff tine, which will need to be monitored over the next few months. Currently, Nibbles is considered a down and dirty publi- cation. It is edited but not nearly as judiciously as the Hopkins Highlights. It is a given that more attention will be given the newsletter as the circulation increases. In January 1996, 20 hours were spent on the publication; in February, 26 hours were spent on the publication; and in March, more than 30 years were spent on the newsletter. The work load for the newsletter already varies with the amount of information from Housing and Redevelopment Authority and City Council meetings. Hopkins Highlights usually takes about 40 hours and, at times, 8 to 10 hours a page, to edit and desktop publish. This is not unusual, desktop publishing is very time intensive. It is not possible, however, to spend that amount of time on Nibbles without redistributing the work load. Nibbles already has consumed more staff time because the city cannot rely on media coverage and has started putting meeting information in this newsletter. Keeping track of the subscriptions, post- age requirements, and printing also will have an effect on staff time. Council Report 9646 Page 3 Advertising o Plans include offering information about the publication and a return subscription form in the May and June edition of the Hopkins Highlights, which will be in the hands of Hopkins postal patrons before the end of April. o The newspapers also will be asked to run briefs about the subscription offer. Alternatives 1. Approve offering Nibbles on a trial subscription basis for the remainder of 1996, and evaluating the effectiveness and impacts of providing the service before subscriptions are offered in 1997. 2. Do not offer the newsletter on a general basis to Hopkins residents and business people. 3. Continue for further information. Staff recommends No. 1. It will be interesting to see, over the next few months, how many people are interested in the publication. By evaluating the service in November 1996, the City Council can decide whether to continue the service in 1997.