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Plus Other Charges-District Media Consultant's One-Year Retainer Is $28,800

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Plus Other Charges—

District Media Consultant’s One-Year Retainer Is $28,800

By John Voket

The Newtown School District is paying a statewide support association to provide communications services from a former television anchor and radio personality a minimum retainer of $28,800 for a one-year contract that runs through June 2012 — a total that is $4,800 higher than figures initially reported by The Bee last week.

The district has also agreed to pay all additional fees related to videotaping services for the district, similar to the work and production duties to create a video of a school bus owner-operators information session held at the high school last August.

Responding to a Freedom of Information request by The Bee related to the contracting of Ann Baldwin and Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC, the district produced a “Letter of Understanding” between the town and the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), which stipulates CABE will provide “strategic communications services to the Newtown Board of Education” for $2,400 per month for a period that began in July 2011.

The document is signed by Superintendent Janet Robinson on behalf of the board, according to the document.

That letter also appears to limit exposure to the district for producing work and documentation produced by Ms Baldwin under the Freedom of Information Act, by agreeing that “All information, notes, interview sheets, lists and other documents developed by Baldwin Media shall remain property of Baldwin until such time as specific information is given to the Board.”

Robert Rader, CABE executive director, confirmed December 5 that any data or documentation Baldwin Media compiled about the school district would be kept private unless it was requested to be reviewed by the Newtown school board.

Mr Rader said that any videotaping services the district required would be provided by Baldwin’s company or vendors, but the district would be invoiced by CABE. While Mr Rader did not have a cost estimate for video services, he said it was “very expensive,” and required dedicated personnel with professional equipment for both production and postproduction work.

The CABE executive said Baldwin Media is the exclusive communications services provider being contracted through the statewide agency, and that Ms Baldwin has worked with CABE as far back as 2006 when she assisted the association with its 100th Anniversary activities.

“At that time Ann and her staff began to learn about school boards and we began to learn about her,” Mr Rader said. “We found it was a natural match; in fact she’s speaking on a workshop we are holding [December 6] on how to work with the media.”

Mr Rader said Ms Baldwin has a “few other district clients” through her arrangement with CABE, and that she has also worked on one-off activities and single events with other school districts.

Ms Baldwin previously told The Bee that the district can save money by contracting for her services as a vendor versus hiring a publicist or communications staffer. Mr Rader said that he believes Ms Baldwin “will provide excellent service,” and that most school board members and staff are not trained in communications, or in ways to get information out to the public.

The CABE director also said he believes the contract between Newtown and Baldwin Media Marketing can be withdrawn by either party with 30 days notice, but that detail was not provided in the letter of understanding.

A representative for Dr Robinson initially said there was no other paperwork available regarding the work Ms Baldwin or her company may provide, but then provided a list of invoices that included $5,300 in additional work she has performed to date for the Newtown district.

The invoices reflect that Baldwin Media provided video services for the August owner-operators activity and charged $1,500 to shoot and edit a video of the activity. The company also provided “district communications” services for $3,800, but there was no detail or explanation about what services were received for the charge.

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