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Ulster County approves $50,720 travel-guide printing contract; staff explain ad revenue, print run and distribution
Summary
Committee approved a $50,720 amendment with Offset House Inc. (DBA Catamount Color) to print the county travel guide. Director Lisa Berger described the 75,000-print run, ad-revenue design arrangement with Flint Media, distribution partners and sustainability specifications; legislators asked whether local printers had bid.
The Ulster County Legislature committee on March 10 authorized a contract amendment of $50,720 with Offset House Inc., operating as Catamount Color, to print and deliver the county travel guide.
Lisa Berger, identified in the meeting as Director Berger, provided a detailed explanation of the travel-guide contract. She said the county issues an RFP specifying a 75,000 print run and that Flint Media handles guide design for $49,000 under a revenue‑share arrangement: "last year they had $44,000 in ad revenue, and we round up paying $4,766.05 for the design of the travel guide," Berger said. Berger added that the county participates in "I Love New York" matching funds (roughly $58,000), which the county must match, and that the design and printing costs are accounted for when claiming those matching funds.
Berger described the delivery and distribution model: the contracted printer delivers portions of the print run to distribution partners (examples cited include Getaways on Display and CTM Media) and sends a share to the county for local distribution. She reported per‑partner delivery numbers during the meeting (printer delivered 20,000 to Getaways on Display, 20,000 to CTM Media, North Country Distribution receives roughly 16,000 and ~19,000 are delivered to the county for local distribution). Berger noted that "distribution" in the contract refers to delivery logistics (the county counts delivery as part of the contract scope).
Legislators asked whether local vendors bid for this work. Berger said there were three respondents to the RFP and none were local; procurement staff explained bid notices are posted via Empire Purchasing Group (bidnetdirect.com) and that additional vendor outreach lists can be maintained. Procurement staff also said sustainability standards (recycled paper, soy inks) are part of the county's specifications and can limit which vendors meet requirements; Catamount, which the staff said is based in Vermont, met the county's sustainable purchasing specifications.
On audience metrics, Berger said the travel guide's online content receives about 200,000 annual visitors and that some sales and tracking details are maintained by the sales team; she offered to follow up with specific QR-code tracking numbers.
The resolution was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.
Why it matters: The travel guide supports county tourism promotion and uses a mix of ad revenue and county matching funds; procurement choices and sustainability requirements shaped vendor selection and prompted questions about local vendor participation.
Next steps: Staff offered to provide additional tracking information and to circulate bid-notification guidance to interested local vendors.
