Commissioners refer Yellowstone County News legal-advertising bid to staff; bid includes $10,000 performance bond and per-insertion rates

The Yellowstone County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday opened a bid for the county's legal advertising contract from Yellowstone County News and voted to refer the bid to county staff for recommendation.

During the bid opening, the board noted a performance bond in the amount of $10,000. The board recorded the bidder's legal-advertising rates as $10.50 per unit for first insertion and $10.25 per unit for subsequent insertions; the same per-unit rates were listed for “rule and figure work.”

Chair read the bid details into the record and the commissioners moved to refer the bid package to staff for evaluation and recommendation. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Discussion: Commissioners and staff briefly confirmed there was no bid bond requirement beyond the stated performance bond. No award was made at the meeting; the board only referred the bid to staff for review.

Decision/direction: The board directed staff to review the bid and to return with a recommendation to the board. No contract was awarded at Tuesday's meeting.

Clarifying details: The bid opening established the performance bond amount ($10,000) and per-unit advertising rates ($10.50 first insertion; $10.25 subsequent insertions), as read into the public record during the meeting.

Background: Yellowstone County publishes required legal notices (e.g., public hearings, bids) and periodically solicits bids for the vendor that will run the county's legal advertising. Referring a bid to staff for recommendation is a standard step before the board considers award or contract approval.