WESTFIELD – The Legislative & Ordinance Committee voted to table its consideration of a local option that would establish a municipal advertising account earlier this week at the request of City Advancement Officer Jeff Daley.
The L&O is reviewing the local adoption of Chapter 40, Section 6A of the Massachusetts General Laws which reads:
Section 6A. A city or town which accepts the provisions of this section may appropriate annually a sum for the purpose of advertising its resources, advantages and attractions. The money so appropriated shall be expended under the direction of the mayor and city council of the city or the board of selectmen of the town. Two or more municipalities having resources, advantages or attractions in common may join in advertising the same hereunder.
Daley requested the table motion because he was unable to attend the July 1 session of the committee to discuss how the advertising funds will be used.
However, Community Development Director Peter J. Miller Jr. was at that meeting and said the issue came about when the Business Improvement District (BID) officials proposed a joint advertisement.
“BID came to us about participating jointly in an ad in the Valley Visitors Guide with WOW (Westfield on Weekends) and Westfield State University,” Miller said. “There is a discounted rate for a full-page advertisement.”
The Visitors Guide is published annually by Greater Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau to highlight attractions and events occurring ion the region. The idea was to use the full-page ad to publicize events occurring in the city, such as the summer concert series on the Park Square Green , the WOW’s annual Dickens’ Days celebration, the WSU Guest Lecture Series and a host of other events.
“We checked with the city auditor who said that we could not go in on the ad unless we did this (local option),” Miller said.
Miller said there is a March deadline for publication of the Visitors’ Guide which is distributed every spring.
“So there’s no rush to act on this,” Miller said.
