Dear Editor,
At the CWDBH (Water District) meeting on April 15, the General Manager Peyton Brookshire proposed hiring a marketing firm at a cost of $91,150 per year. The proposal did not include advertising costs such as newspaper ads, banners, etc.
In reviewing the costs to the city of Billings, I found that the Airport and the MET have a shared marketing cost for FY2022 of $63,000. The full time Public Information Officer for the City of Billings was $69,666-$88,901. I do not want to pay for a monopoly who purchases water from the City of Billings and sells it back to me to “advertise” their product or their service.
The proposal for the District to spend $91,150 on would cost each ratepayer about $1.25 per month. Yellowstone County News reported Evelyn Pyburn asked if the $91,150 would exceed the statute for awarding contracts without an RFP (Yes, it would). Yellowstone County issues RFP’s for any contract more than $10,000.
The Board voted 3:1 (with Tom Zurbuchen opposed and Ming Cabrera absent) to spend an initial $1500 to develop recommended marketing strategies and a suggested budget for execution. The board may agree at the April 12 board meeting to spend an estimated $8000++ per month for the remaining months of the fiscal year.
I agree with Tom Zurbuchen that spending money on marketing is a poor use of ratepayer dollars. The cost of water for residents at all three tiers is currently higher than what the city of Billings charges.
Pam Ellis
Billings
