City secretary outlines options after Focus Daily ceased publication; Council leans toward daily legal notice paper

Brandy Brown, City Secretary, told the Council that state law requires the city to designate an official newspaper annually and that Focus Daily — the paper the city has used in recent years — stopped publishing on Dec. 11.

Brown and several neighboring city secretaries researched seven local newspapers and narrowed the options to three publications that meet state requirements and serve Glenn Heights: the Ellis County Press (weekly print, daily online), the Rambler (weekly print and online), and the Daily Commercial Record (daily print and online focused on legal notices). She said the Ellis County Press submitted a formal written proposal and would email its online edition to subscribers at no additional cost; the Rambler had been in talks to absorb Focus Daily but negotiations ceased; and the Daily Commercial Record publishes legal notices daily but relies on paid subscriptions for broader online access and lacks staff writers — it primarily republishes materials submitted by contracting cities.

Brown said City staff who prepare timely agenda items, bids and requests‑for‑proposals prefer a daily publication because weekly papers can miss short deadlines; Planning and Public Works staff were described as needing more timely publication options. Councilmembers discussed tradeoffs: weekly community papers may match the former Focus Daily format, while the Daily Commercial Record offers daily legal notice capability and could deliver physical copies to city facilities for public access.

Brown asked Council whether staff should solicit formal proposals and provide recommendations by email; Councilmembers signaled preference for a daily publication to support procurement and legal‑notice timelines. No formal designation or vote occurred during the work session; Brown said she will return with recommendation(s) and proposal details.