MCC puts off hiring PR firm for plan guidance

McHenry County College might hire the same public relations firm that helped a local school district pass its 2006 referendums.

But college officials say that the company, Unicom-Arc, will not be laying the track to determine whether the community is receptive to an MCC tax-rate increase down the line.

"We're not looking to them for any sort of referendum preparation," said Trustee Donna Kurtz, adding that the school has no plans for a tax increase. "We were looking to help establish a vision for the next 10-plus years for the college."

The college board discussed the option last week, and will decide whether to hire the St. Louis-based Unicom-Arc in December.

If hired, MCC would use the firm to run the school's community engagement campaign. The campaign would involve workshops, surveys and discussions to solicit feedback from residents as to whether the school meets their needs.

Kurtz said questions emerged over how specifically the school would use and integrate the information that the firm would obtain. Trustees called on college officials to present them with a report detailing exactly that, Kurtz said.

Under the agreement, the school would pay Unicom-Arc up to $215,000 for the 14-month job. The fee would include:

• $46,250 for development and printing materials

• $22,750 to pay for a 500-sample opinion survey

• $20,000 to produce a promotional video

• $8,000 a month on planning and development fees

• $1,000 a month for travel expenses.

The goal, MCC spokeswoman Christina Haggerty says, is to establish a better partnership with district residents, listen to their opinions and use them as the basis for the school's strategic plan. School officials would work side-by-side with the company.

"The value of hiring someone to help facilitate this effort is the expertise they bring," Haggerty said.

According to its Web site, Unicom-Arc's expertise lies in public engagement that includes working with school districts and colleges to develop goals and strategic plans. But the firm also specializes in ensuring positive referendum results.

As one of its success stories, its Web site trumpets a pair of tax-rate increases held in Carpentersville-based Community Unit School District 300 to build schools and hire new teachers, measures voters rejected three consecutive times before finally endorsing them in March 2006.

The district hired Unicom-Arc to create a committee that involved residents - many of whom had opposed the previous referendums - to create a "comprehensive building improvement program," according to the site.

The 38-year-old firm also devised a campaign with a pro-referendum committee that incorporated Web sites, direct mail and door-to-door campaigning, fending off challenges from an anti-referendum group.

Company President Rod Wright reiterated that Unicom-Arc is focused on engaging residents to develop a strategic plan for the Crystal Lake-based college.

It is not, he said, building a foundation for a successful referendum result in the future.

"We have helped some colleges and districts with that, but it's not what McHenry County College is looking to do right now," he said. "The RFP is specifically about the community work that we are known for."