By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster residents could resume receiving a city-sponsored newsletter as soon as May after the City Council approved a contract with the Pelham-based Me2Graphics company during an April 1 meeting.

During the meeting, the council approved a one-year contract with the company to design, produce and distribute the city’s newsletter, which is mailed to every Alabaster household.

City Council President Scott Brakefield said the contract includes 12 issues of the publication, but said an issue may not be mailed to city residents every month.

“It’s 12 issues, but they may not come out every month. Sometimes we combine issues, like with the CityFest preview or the back-to-school issue in the summer,” Brakefield said.

Me2Graphics is owned by Pelham resident Luke Camara, who recently published the Pelham city newsletter and publishes ShelbyCo magazine. Through the contract, Camara will also work with city officials to provide newsletter content digitally through the Alabaster website, Brakefield said.

Alabaster has been without a city-sponsored newsletter for about two or three months, as the council worked to bid out the project.

The council voted to reject all bids on the newsletter and rebid the project in January after none of the bidders conformed to project requirements. The council voted again in March to reject its only newsletter bid from Me2Graphics, and worked over the past few weeks to negotiate its current contract with Me2Graphics.

“Bid law states you can reject and directly negotiate in so much final agreement is not more than bid amount,” said Alabaster City Manager George Henry.

“I think it will be a high-quality product,” Brakefield said, noting the newsletter will continue to contain columns from the city’s mayor and council members. “This will be a new opportunity for the residents to hear from their mayor and City Council.”