New council members want to know costs of ads for rail trench

Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001 | 5:46 a.m.

Council members Toni Harsh and Jessica Sferrazza-Hogan, both elected in November, questioned city staff Tuesday about full-page ads the city paid for in local newspapers last election season.

Harsh said there is a perception that the council "is becoming self-serving.

"There are major concerns among my constituents about how we are spending our money and about the timing of these ads," Harsh said.

"We've spent a great deal of money on advertising," she said.

In response to a request by Sferrazza-Hogan, city staff itemized expenditures during the last 12 months for trench public relations totaling $31,200.

The bulk of the money was spent on seven full-page and two quarter-page ads printed in the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Staff members said the newspapers offers the city a better rate than is charged retail customers and even non-profit organizations.

The seven full-page ads would have cost $54,721 at the retail rate, or $24,660 at the non-profit rate, but only cost the city $13,349, the staff said.

Sferrazza-Hogan questioned whether the information provided by city staff was complete and requested a ledger be created to help the public monitor how much money is being spent.

Harsh said she fears the city is spending too much money on public relations when the final approval of the railroad trench has yet to occur.

Councilman Dave Aiazzi said the council has not done enough to inform the public about the project.

The proposed trench - on the drawing board in some form for more than 60 years - is aimed at improving health and safety by eliminating 11 rail crossings in downtown Reno. The latest cost estimates have risen from an initial price tag of $196 million.

Critics say the city has underestimated the costs, especially of easing environmental effects.