By Sherry Koonce

The News staff writer

Deciding how best to spend advertising dollars promoting economic development brought divided opinions among Port Arthur City Council Tuesday.

The Council considered two recommendations from the Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation at their regular meeting Tuesday. Both were to advertise EDC projects, Floyd Batiste, EDC director, said.

The first — to spend $5,000 for a one-year contract for public broadcasting on Radio Station 107.LPFM “The Breeze,” was approved by a 5-4 vote.

The funding will pay for 1,200 public broadcasts during the 12-month period from Nov. 4, 2009 until Nov. 4, 2010 and to inform residents about EDC programs.

The second, to spend a total of $75,000 during the course of the next 10 years for advertising space on the Memorial High School scoreboard was not approved as presented by the EDC.

All Council members voted to send the proposed resolution back to the EDC board for further negotiations with school officials.

“That is a long-term commitment. If the EDC has a new board, they don’t have the ability to cancel,” Deloris “Bobbie” Prince, mayor, said.

Several City Council members worried enough people would not see the scoreboard advertisement to warrant the cost.

“Are we sure we are getting enough bang for our buck here? The only advertisement will be on Friday nights for couple of months out of the year,” D. Kay Wise, Position 7 councilwoman, said.

The 32-foot scoreboard was installed at the Memorial High School football field in 2008 for a cost of $350,000. It allows fans to watch replays and crowd reaction and contains space for 10 advertisers.

Once purchased, the advertiser has 10 years to pay the bill. Advertisements will remain on the scoreboard longer than 10 years.

“These are lifetime advertisements,” Lauri Hampshire, PAISD district athletic coordinator, said during a telephone interview Tuesday.

Hampshire said the district was in the early phases of negotiating advertising contracts. One advertiser has already signed. The EDC would be the second, she said.

The stadium seats about 9,000 people. Attendance varies from game to game, depending largely on the weather and whether the Titans are on a winning streak, Hampshire said.

The Council said they would be willing to look at the resolution again once questions are answered about the financial commitment.

The district would work with the EDC to try and reach a workable contract for both parties, Mark Porterie, PAISD assistant superintendent, said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Though approved, some council members voiced similar concerns about advertisements on The Breeze radio station.

“If the EDC is going to advertise, shouldn’t it be in a trade magazine? Are we going to spend money we raise from tax dollars to inform people what the EDC is doing?” Morris Albright III, District 3 councilman, said.

Robert E. Williamson, District 6 councilman, said the radio station’s wattage was not big enough to attract a large audience.

“This is a 100-watt radio, very low wattage,” Williamson said. “I think more people will see that sign (scoreboard,) then will hear the radio station.”

Batiste said it was difficult to measure the return on advertising dollars spent, but did receive some call backs in the past from people who had heard about EDC projects from the radio station broadcasts.

The radio station re-opened in new offices on Sept. 26 at 300 Fifth Street in downtown Port Arthur. The Breeze radio station was off the air for 10 months after losing its lease at city hall.

skoonce@panews.com