NORTHAMPTON — Apparently, newspapers are an anachronism.

That looked to be the message the City Council sent at its Thursday meeting, when it voted 6-0 with one abstention to pass two ordinances on first reading to make it so the city is not required to post public notices in newspapers for two types of hearings for which state law does not require such postings.

The ordinances will have to pass a second reading at the council’s May 3 meeting to become law.

The ordinances would eliminate the requirement to post notices in newspapers for site-plan review projects and for projects requiring central business architecture review.

Such a decision did not move forward without protest, however.

In the public comment period, Daily Hampshire Gazette Publisher Michael Rifanburg made the case for newspaper postings.

“Newspapers combine reach with accountability,” Rifanburg said.

He said newspapers are best positioned to provide independence, accessibility, presentation and authentication for public notices.

“Newspapers serve an important monitoring function,” Rifanburg said.

Dane Kuttler, who works in Gazette’s classified department, which handles legal advertising, argued to keep the posting requirement.

“The newspaper is still the community bulletin board,” said Kuttler, speaking in a private capacity, who said that it is where democracy happens in the community.

She also noted that her livelihood “kind of depends on legal notices.”

In the council’s discussion, Ward 1 Councilor Maureen Carney noted that notices would still be sent out to abutters and other affected parties.

“Abutters find out anyway,” Ward 7 Councilor Alisa Klein said.

Ward 3 Councilor Jim Nash noted that some people still get their news primarily from the newspaper.

“There still are people who get their information from legal notices,” Nash said, adding that he is not one of them.

As such, he said this would change how things have been done.

“We’re making a change in the formality,” Nash said, saying the city should be clear about the possible impact.

Klein countered, however, that many people do not read the newspaper, and that there is a degree of “anachronisticness” with news, with those who do read the Gazette reading it online.

Ward 5 Councilor David Murphy said that the hearings that the notices advertise haven’t attracted a lot of people.

He said city planners estimated that it cost $2,000 a year to post the notices.

Murphy also said it was up to the council to determine whether it would notify the public in the newspaper about everything, or draw the line at some types of hearings.

“These notices, to the tune of $2,000, haven’t brought a lot of people into these hearings,” said Murphy.

Though the ordinances passed, a few outstanding questions will be addressed before a final vote. Nash wants to know what the city spends on the notices each year, while Klein had some questions about legal requirements around public notices.

Councilor-At-Large William Dwight abstained from the vote because his cousins own the Gazette, while City Council President Ryan O’Donnell was not present because he has been designated as Northampton’s acting mayor while Mayor David Narkewicz is on vacation out of the country. Ward 2 Councilor Dennis Bidwell was also not present at the meeting.

Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.