2026-2028 Bid Specifications-Newspaper Publication of Washington County Legal Notices

Location:	Minnesota
Posted:	Nov 7, 2025
Due:	Dec 2, 2025
Agency:	Washington County
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	76 - Books, Maps, and Other Publications
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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2026-2028 BID SPECIFICATIONS

NEWSPAPER PUBLICATION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY LEGAL NOTICES

Washington County is requesting bids for newspaper publication of the following County legal

notices for 2026-2028:

1. Official Proceedings (in Summary form)

2. Legal Notices

3. Delinquent Real Estate Notice and List

4. First Publication of the Financial Statement

5. Summary of Publication of the Financial Statement

This bid package contains the following:

I. General Information for Bidders

II. Specific Requirements for Bidders

III. Bid Award Criteria

IV. Minnesota Newspaper Association Formula (Bid award determination)

V. Bid Forms (up to 5)

VI. Appendix A. – Supporting quote for each bid (Budget-planning only, not to be

used in bid award determination)-Complete one for each bid, up-to 5

VII. Appendix B.- County's Terms and Conditions, Signature requested

County Contact Person:

Jennifer Ochocki

Coordinator to the County Administrator

Office of Administration

(651) 430-6010

Jennifer.Ochocki@washingtoncountymn.gov

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I. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

A. Sealed bids for newspaper publication of Washington County legal notices for 2026-

2028 will be received in the Washington County Office of Administration, 14949

62nd Street North, P.O. Box 6, Stillwater, Minnesota, 55082, until 2:00 p.m. on

Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at which time they will be opened, read and tabulated.

B. All bids must be typewritten or written legibly in ink, sealed in an envelope, and bear

the inscription "2026-2028 NEWSPAPER PUBLISHING BID" together with the

name and address of the publisher.

C. Bidders must use the attached forms when submitting bids.

D. Complete Appendix A. sample pricing (Budget-planning only, not to be used in bid

award determination

E. Bids received after the time set for bid opening will be returned to the bidder unopened.

F. Bids will be awarded at the Washington County Board of Commissioners meeting on

January 6, 2026; and a 3-year contract as allowed by Minn. Stat. 331A.06 Subd. 5 will

be considered.

G. Copies of all bids received will be available for inspection in the Washington County

Office of Administration after December 3, 2025.

H. Washington County will send written notice of bid awards to the successful

publisher(s).

I. Washington County reserves the right to waive any irregularities in the bids, to reject

any or all bids and to make any award which it considers to be in the best interest of

the County.

J. As a condition subsequent to any agreement, the 3-year contract shall be subject to

any change by statute, and the county reserves the right to change the term of any

contract to conform to statute.

K. Washington County does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color,

national origin, sex, religion, age or handicapped status in employment or the

provision of services. If you need assistance due to disability or language barrier,

please call (651) 430-6001 (TTY/TDD (651) 430-6246).

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II. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR BIDDERS

A. Separate bids are required for each publication.

B. Only one newspaper per bid.

C. Bids must be submitted using the attached forms.

D. For bid purposes only, all bids should be submitted in Helvetica 7 pt type, 8

leading.

E. The Minnesota Newspaper Association (MNA) formula shall be used as

provided on each bid form. This formula results in the cost per lower case

alphabet or index number. Do not round off the index number. (Please see

Page 6 for further explanation of this formula.)

F. PUBLICATION OF OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS IN SUMMARY

FORM (Minnesota Statute 375.12.)

Note: For bid purposes only, all bids should be submitted in Helvetica 7

pt type, 8 leading.

The County provides Official Proceedings camera ready.

G. PUBLICATION OF LEGAL NOTICES (Minnesota Statute 331A.01

subd. 7 and 331A.05 - .07)

Note: For bid purposes only, all bids should be submitted in Helvetica 7

pt type, 8 leading.

The successful bidder will be designated as the official County newspaper for

2026-2028 and will be required to publish all Legal Notices or advertisements

as required by law to be published in the official newspaper. Legal notices

originate from, but are not limited to, the following County departments:

Public Works, Administration, Public Health and Environment, Community

Services, Accounting and Finance, and Property Records and Taxpayer

Services.

H. PUBLICATION OF DELINQUENT REAL ESTATE NOTICE AND

LIST (Minnesota Statute 279.09.)

Note: For bid purposes only, all bids should be submitted in Helvetica 7

pt type, 8 leading.

The notice and list of delinquent real property shall be published once in each

of two weeks, according to the following schedule. Not less than five days

before the second publication, the county shall submit a revised list to the

newspaper. A taxpayer who has paid delinquent taxes since the first

publication must be removed from the second publication.

The Real Estate List is not provided camera ready.

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2026 Estimated Schedule for Publication of

Notice and List of Delinquent Real Property Taxes

Week of February 20, 2026

Week of Feb 27, 2026

Week of March 6, 2026

County provides notice and list of delinquent real

property taxes to Publisher. County will email the list

to the Publisher and will also provide a hard copy

version of the list. The list is not camera ready.

Publisher delivers proof of notice and list of

delinquent real property taxes to the County.

County will proof the notice and list and

reviewed/corrected proof will be returned to the

Publisher as soon as possible.

In addition to any corrections, the County will also

cross off any taxpayers who have since paid their

delinquent taxes in full for removal prior to

publication.

First Publication

Week of March 13, 2026

Week of March 20, 2026

Not less than 5 days before the second publication,

County will submit a revised copy of the notice and

list of delinquent real property taxes to Publisher.

Taxpayers who have paid their delinquent taxes in

full since the First Publication are removed from the

list. The list is not camera ready.

Second Publication – not less than two weeks after

the First Publication. The second publication must

exclude the names of taxpayers who have paid their

delinquent taxes in full since the First Publication.

I. FIRST AND SECOND PUBLICATION OF FINANCIAL

STATEMENT (Minnesota Statute 375.17.)

Note: For bid purposes only, all bids should be submitted in Helvetica 7

pt type, 8 leading.

State Statute requires the County Financial Statement to be published twice,

with the second publication to be done in a newspaper located in a different

municipality. The Financial Statement must be arranged in the newspaper so

as to be pulled out or inserted as a unit, and first publisher may be asked to

provide copies of Financial Statement insert for second publication. All

bidders must include their fee per insert for second publication of Financial

Statement.

The Financial Statement is provided camera ready.

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III. BID AWARD CRITERIA

Bid awards are based on the following:

A. Except for the publication of delinquent real estate taxes, which has its own criteria

delineated in Section III.B., the contracts for publication of all official proceedings

of the county will be let pursuant to Minnesota Statute § 375.12, and the bid awards

will be based on the following:

1. The successful bidder must be a qualified legal newspaper for the County of

Washington as defined by Minnesota Statute section 331A.02.

2. The cost of publishing the notices as determined by the formula established

by the Minnesota Newspaper Association, which is provided on page 6 of

this document.

B. As regards the publication of delinquent real estate taxes, the contracts for its

publication will be let pursuant to Minnesota Statute Section 279.09 and be awarded

based on the following:

1. The successful bidder must be a qualified legal newspaper for the County of

Washington as defined by Minnesota Statute Section 331A.02.

2. The cost of publishing the notices as determined by the formula established

by the Minnesota Newspaper Association, which is provided on Page 6 of

this document.

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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Bid Title:	2026-2028 Bid Specifications-Newspaper Publication of Washington County Legal Notices
Category:	Washington County Office of Administration
Status:	Open

2026-2028 Bid Specifications-Newspaper Publication of Washington County Legal Notices

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