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Joe Steinfeld, 850 Main Street, Redwood City, asked the Council why this is so complicated. The purpose ofthe official newspaper is to let people know what items of interest are coming up before the City Council. Mr. Steinfeld referred to the 35,000 direct mailing done by the Tribune, and suggested that the two Council people who received the benefit of the mailing should not be allowed to vote. Mr. Steinfeld made reference to the Brown Act and violations regarding mailed notices. In response to Mr. Steinfeld's comments, City Attorney Schricker advised that the Brown Act and mailing notices had nothing to do with public announcements in the official newspaper. City Attorney Schricker added that there is such a great disparity in paid and unpaid circulation, the Council might ask if there has been verification of the paid circulation figures. The disproportion between the total circulation of each newspaper is quite significant and the Council might have thought about whether one newspaper would reach a lot more people and be more effective as an official newspaper. If the Council wanted to look at that issue, the Council would need to have findings supportive of ignoring the paid circulation mentioned in the Charter. The Charter states two or more lowest bidders, by implication there must be some higher bidders, and there is room for discretion. The Council has to fill in the gaps. In response to Councilwoman La Berge's questions regarding the level of service this past year with the Tribune, City Clerk Jorgenson described her concerns regarding the unavailability of the Tribune in Redwood Shores, and a few other minor problems involving invoicing. Leonard Sbrocco described the Tribune's efforts to distribute the paper in Redwood Shores including the Tribune's policy of mailing newspapers to anyone from the Shores who requested it, the three solicitations for Tribune service in the area, and described current deliveries to company cafeterias and the Belmont Safeway, and have asked permission to put papers in the lobby of Oracle and V erifone. John Mooney, 980 Pleasant Hill Road, Redwood City, stated he had raised the issue of objectivity with the publisher of the Almanac when he was also a candidate for Council, and Mr. Distefano did prove himself to be objective. Mr. Mooney advised that lots of times people have to wear more than one hat. Mr. Mooney said that being on the Council can gain you business or more often lose you business. Mr. Mooney added that you cannot control what people perceive. If Mr. Distefano becomes a candidate, the Council could raise a concern at that time. Ginny Pestoni Hughes, 18 Admiralty court, Redwood City, told the Council she and her neighbors in Redwood shores consider the Almanac "our link to Redwood City" and she didn't know the Tribune was available in the Shores. Mrs. Hughes stated she looked upon Mr. Distefano as an honest and knowledgeable man and the Council should separate his two roles. Mrs. Hughes said, as a Redwood Shores resident, the Redwood City Almanac is the City's official newspaper. Regular Meeting Minutes MINUTE BOOK NO. 52 Page No. 475 December 19, 1994 Page 12 ." +-."-...-. '.~--,-+-----_. --.---.------ ...----..,----.-------., ,._--~.------