Commission weighs a preservation-focused publication, staff urges starting with existing city magazine and digital outreach

Commissioner Baker proposed creating a regular publication dedicated to historic preservation and offered to serve as its editor, saying the magazine could include features on the Historic Preservation Commission, selected properties, owner interviews and photographs. "I would like to have articles about the HPC, about select properties in the preservation neighborhood, interviews with property owners, with city officials," Baker said. "The distribution, of course, would be free, and I would be physically dropping copies off at all of the tourist places in Boulder City."

City staff cautioned that any dedicated city-funded publication would require City Council approval and potential budget changes. A staff member said the commission should first pursue the established Boulder City magazine as a vehicle for content and measure reach and frequency before asking the council to fund a separate magazine. "What I'd be explaining to the council is that you're asking to spend money on a separate magazine when there already is a magazine that goes to every household in the community now," staff said.

The commission debated whether a standalone printed magazine would deliver substantially more content than a monthly column or paid advertising in Boulder City magazine. Several commissioners favored supplementing magazine pieces with digital content and QR-linked materials. Commissioner Vivre Hancock recommended using QR codes to direct visitors to event pages or maps and questioned whether printed restoration details should be included or linked online. "If we could put a QR code at the bottom of the map that they can just use their smartphone to link to a map that's already on the Boulder City website," Hancock said.

Members asked Baker to obtain price estimates for paid columns or guaranteed ad space from Boulder City magazine; staff said the commission could prepare a recommendation for City Council after further vetting, but timing is uncertain because Council is finalizing the FY27 budget. The commission agreed to continue discussion at the next meeting and to collect cost and content samples in the interim.