The production company approached the city in regards to being featured, and the Jamestown segment will be broadcast on multiple major networks including CNBC, MSNB, CNN, Discovery Channel and Fox Business Network – outlets that reach more than 84 million homes. During Monday’s City Council meeting, it was discussed that the city’s portion of the project — set to cost $30,000 — will be divided among the city, BPU and Collaborative Children’s Solutions, along with the other potential partner.

“They came to us,” Mayor Kim Ecklund said. “It was a blind phone call. But, what I can tell you is, I asked how they received the city’s name and I was advised that they have a research team that goes out and looks into things, so whether our name was on a newspaper article, a magazine or wherever they did it, the research team gets a list of cities for them to reach out to, and we were one of them.”

Ecklund said the focus of the feature would be to showcase that Jamestown is a place to live, grow or start a business. Patrick Smeraldo, director of Collaborative Children’s Solutions, spoke briefly on his organization’s channels and the viewership on those, saying that this opportunity will allow for the number of people learning about Jamestown to grow.

“Even though it’s disappointing because I’d like to see kids read more, the thought is obviously video resonates,” Smeraldo said. “It’s permanent. We can utilize it. We have the ability to, and I sat in on the call, we have the ability to highlight what we want versus a news crew just showing up and filming things. … We have the ability to highlight the positives of the city, which is great.”

Pictured is Patrick Smeraldo with Collaborative Children’s Solutions, who talked briefly with the city council during Monday’s work session about the city being featured on “Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid”. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

Additionally, Smeraldo said the video is something that can be shared and reused multiple times and shown to new businesses or people coming into the city, compared to other advertising which might be more expensive. The city will retain the ownership of what is filmed as well, and another partner may join in on the project.

“The reason that these two in particular, and we’ll advise you as we get closer to the end of the month with the other party, Pat’s committed financially already, the BPU has committed financially already of $5,000 each,” Ecklund said. “So, we’re at $10,000 and we’re hoping to split the other too.”

The money from the city comes out of the budget in some different line areas such as the Mayor’s travel budget and other places that have come in under budget, including spending that has already happened so far this year. Comptroller Erika Thomas said she is making it work by taking a little bit from those different line items here and there.