CLEARFIELD – Despite some debate at Wednesday’s regular meeting, board members of the Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority voted to accept the lowest bid from Lunar Cow Design, Inc. of Akron, OH to produce its 2011 Travel Planner.
Board members Nancy Micks, Hildred Rowles, Jane Elling, Greg Sheehan, Terry Malloy, Missy Rummel, Ray Savel and Lynda McCracken voted in favor. Board members Joe Kendrick, John Sobel, Tom Grice and Wilson Fisher cast the opposing votes.
Prior to the board vote, Micks pointed out that they had designated Malloy, Rowles and Grice to serve on a committee to review the submitted proposals for the planner’s printing. She said they came to a standstill with the review process, and it was being brought forth for board discussion.
Malloy said they received two bid proposals for the 2011 Travel Planner. He said Mediavision of Clearfield submitted a proposal in the amount of $42,800. However, he said they received the lowest bid from Lunar Cow Design, Inc. for $42,352.
Each year, Malloy said they determine areas upon which they can improve the travel planner. He indicated he picks up samples from other Tourism Promotion Agencies (TPA) and reviews them for ideas.
“We want to get better and better. I look at them and say, “why can’t we do that,” he said. He said they want to offer a travel planner that is “eye-catching” to local visitors.
As a local businessman, Grice said he places a lot of fliers in travel publications that are similar to their planner. He said he’s drawn to the “local touch” that’s offered by a hometown printer.
“I know a lot of things can be easily fixed by the Internet or over e-mail. But I just like local,” he said. He said he received positive and professional references about the work of Lunar Cow Design, Inc.
He reported he’s heard the CCRTA has experienced issues with a “timely delivery” from Mediavision in the past. From Mediavision’s end, he said he also learned they didn’t receive materials from the CCRTA in a timely fashion either.
Grice said he wasn’t on the board then and only stated facts he learned during the committee’s review process. He said he believed either Mediavision or Lunar Cow Design, Inc. could produce a quality publication. Rowles said he agreed with both Malloy and Grice, stating they need a quality travel planner. He said they need to provide the best that they can produce to visiting tourists.
Malloy then proposed a motion to accept the lowest bid from Lunar Cow Design, Inc. Sobel, however, said he wanted the board to further discuss their options. He said he realized the committee had to consider both designer options.
Sobel indicated that he supported Mediavision and local business. He said he also understood there have been past issues related to quality but wasconfident they could work through those.
In addition, he pointed out that Diane Kesner of Mediavision offered the initial idea of a travel planner to the CCRTA. He said they were looking at a less than a $500 cost difference between Mediavision and Lunar Cow Design, Inc.
Sheehan said he typically supports local business but learned the CCRTA received a letter from attorney Kim Kesner on behalf of Mediavision. For him, he said any letter from an attorney comes across as an “implied threat.” He indicated he would favor the Ohio-based designer as a result.
Sobel said he is an attorney and has written many of those letters. He said he believes (Diane) Kesner feels strongly about the travel planner, as she was a part of its origin.
Holly Komonczi, executive director of the CCRTA, said they needed a “clear, eye-catching” publication. She said they must have a publication with a cover that especially holds those qualities.
Komonczi said she has reviewed work samples of Lunar Cow Design, Inc.. She said the layout and design was different. She said it was obvious to her that they had a different level of experience in design work.
When they published the first travel planner, Fisher said it was almost “comical.” But he said he’s noticed improvements in their publication over the past few years.
Micks said they were still a very young organization, and travel planners have been around for thousands of years. She said travel planners are not a “brand new thought.”
Early on, she said they had their travel planner produced locally. At that time, she said they had a new product in their hands. She said they have determined areas to improve upon since then.
“Every year, we look at different things, such as paper quality. It has to come up, which it has. We can’t take a piece from four years ago and compare it to today. It just doesn’t happen,” she said.
Malloy then asked for a motion again to approve the low bid from Lunar Cow Design, Inc.
McCracken interrupted to ask about the inclusion of a penalty if the travel planner wasn’t delivered timely. Komonczi said they had already addressed the same as part of the proposal.
Kendrick said he tends to “lean toward local” business. He said quality is expected of anyone who provides a professional service. If they would experience any quality issues during the publication process, he said those could be addressed then.
Kendrick also inquired about the board’s procedure for the vote. He asked if they would vote for the designer that they favored, or toaccept/decline the Lunar Cow Design, Inc. proposal.
Micks announced they would vote to accept or decline the lowest bid from Lunar Cow Design, Inc. Malloy presented the board with the motion to do so. Sheehan then seconded the motion.
