Request for Proposal (RFP)
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES TO PREPARE A NEW MASTER PLAN ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF MORENCI
Printable document can be found here.
PURPOSE:
The City of Morenci is soliciting proposals for a new Master Plan. Respondents must offer a proposal that will meet the scope of services, requests and general description of work activities identified in this Request for Proposals (RFP), while adding what the Respondent would have to offer to the Master Plan.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The City of Morenci is located in southern Lenawee County. The City is comprised of 2,200 people. The City of Morenci is primarily rural with a very active agricultural community and serves as a central location for three (3) townships – two (2) located in Michigan and one (1) located in Ohio.
The City last completed a Master Plan in 2016. The Master Plan has served as a plan for development for the City, while also providing personnel with key information on demographics, land-use opportunities, and potential development ideas for certain parts of the community. In the time since the Master Plan was adopted, the City has had significant growth relating to the cannabis industry with the buildout of over seven (7) new industrial factories. While this growth hasn’t always resulted in newer housing, the City is looking to update its Master Plan to include key housing strategies that will encourage additional residential development.
In addition, these are the additional reasons for a new plan. They include:
• New or more accurate information has become available since the creation of the current plan: 2020 US Census data is now available.
• Major developments in the community, such as the buildout of the cannabis industry with both retail and industrial sites
• Incorporating the City’s 2023 Retail Market Study into a Master Plan to assist in identifying areas for potential retail growth.
• Incorporating concepts from the 2023 Housing Study and Strategic Plan that was completed by Lenawee County into the Master Plan
• Incorporating concepts of the Michigan Statewide Housing Plan Region K Action Plan
• Incorporating the City’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Plan into the Master Plan
• Aligning with the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) Toolkit’s best practices
• Incorporation of the 2023 City’s Parks & Recreation Plan into the Master Plan
Therefore, the City is seeking proposals from qualified firms (“Consultant”) to develop a new Master Plan on behalf of the City. This will include providing technical and public engagement assistance for creating a new community vision and identifying long term goals and objectives. The Consultant must demonstrate a capacity to work closely with project partners, key stakeholders, various municipal staff, community boards and commissions, and the public in the course of updating the Plan.
PROPOSAL TIMELINE:
Request for Proposals Released ____________Monday, September 23, 2024, at 9 a.m.
Deadline to Submit Questions ______________Monday, October 7, 2024, at 4 p.m.
Deadline to Receive Proposals ______________Monday, October 21, 2024, at 4 p.m.
The City reserves the right to modify any element of the timeline should it become necessary.
PRE-SUBMITTAL MEETING:
No Pre-Submittal Meeting has been scheduled for this project. Please see Section “Questions and Requests for Clarifications” below in regard to submitting questions.
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS:
Consultants must submit by emailing a pdf copy to jeff.bell@cityofmorenci.org by 4 p.m. on Monday, October 21, 2024, labeled “City of Morenci 2024 Master Plan Proposal.”
The firm’s name and address shall be clearly indicated in the email message. Proposals, and amendments to Proposals, received after the date and time specified above will not be accepted. Proposals via mail or fax will not be accepted. Sales calls or presentations will not be allowed during the RFP process.
DISSEMINATION OF RFP INFORMATION:
The City may issue responses to requests for clarifications, questions, comments, and addenda to this RFP, or other materials related to this solicitation, on their website: www.CityofMorenci.org. It is the responsibility of the Consultant to check the City website regularly during the solicitation period for updated information. By submitting a Proposal, Consultants are deemed to have constructive knowledge and notice of all information pertaining to this RFP.
ADDENDA TO THE RFP:
Any change(s) to the requirements of this RFP initiated by the City will be made by written addenda to this RFP. Any written addenda issued pertaining to this RFP shall be incorporated into and made a part of the terms and conditions of any resulting agreement. The City will not be bound to any modifications to or deviations from the requirements set forth in this RFP unless they have been documented by addenda to this RFP. Consultants will be required to document that they are aware of all addenda issued, if any, by the City in their Proposal.
QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATIONS:
1. Contact Person for the Project: All questions or contact regarding this RFP must be directed to the City of Morenci Administrator/Clerk Jeff Bell, who can be reached by email at jeff.bell@cityofmorenci.org.
2. Clarifications of the RFP: Consultants are encouraged to promptly notify Administrator Bell of any apparent errors or inconsistencies in the RFP. Should a Consultant require clarifications to this RFP, the Consultant shall notify the City via email in accordance with Subsection 1 above. Should it be found that the point in question is not clearly and fully set forth in the RFP, a written addendum clarifying the matter will be issued and posted on the City website.
3. Deadline for Submitting Questions:
a. All questions must be submitted to the City by 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 7, 2024.
b. The City is not responsible for failure to respond to a request or question that has not been labeled correctly. Questions can be submitted via email to jeff.bell@cityofmorenci.org as long as they are received no later than the date and time specified above.
4. City Responses: The City, in its sole discretion, will respond to requests for clarifications, questions, and comments. Responses will be posted to the website on or before 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024.
5. Interviews: The City, in its sole discretion, will perform interviews of potential consultants after the deadline of submission of proposals on Monday, October 21, 2024.
COST OF PROPOSAL PREPARATION:
Any party responding to this RFP shall do so at their own risk and cost. The City shall not, under any circumstances, be liable for any pre-Contractual expenses incurred by any Consultant who elects to submit a Proposal in response to this RFP or by any Consultant that is selected. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as expenses incurred by Consultants and the selected Consultant, if any, in:
-Preparing a proposal and related information in response to this RFP;
-Submitting a Proposal to the City;
-Negotiations with the City on any matter related to this RFP;
-Costs associated with interviews, meetings, travel, or presentations; or
-Any and all other expenses incurred by a Consultant prior to the date of award, if any, of an agreement, and formal notice to proceed.
The City will provide only the staff assistance and documentation specifically referred to herein and will not be responsible for any other cost or obligation of any kind, which may be incurred by the Consultant.
GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK:
Included in the scope of services will be the following tasks.
Development of City Master Plan
1. Conduct public engagement sessions to gather input from residents, businesses, property owners, community organizations, administrative staff, and the Boards and Commissions of the jurisdictions within the City of Morenci.
2. Review and audit the current Master Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Downtown Development Authority TIF Plan, and any other relevant documents, and note any relevant inconsistencies between the documents.
3. Conduct a community-wide survey to obtain input regarding trends, outlooks, and preferences.
4. Identify strategies for priority redevelopment areas that will define a clear direction of how and where development/re-development should occur.
5. Identification of housing strategies and incorporation of housing strategy ideas to encourage long-term growth.
6. Determine a specific implementation plan, with associated timelines and responsible parties, for each immediate, short, and long-term goals.
7. Develop a framework that will facilitate annual evaluation of the Master Plan’s implementation.
8. Follow the Michigan Planning Enabling Act requirements (Act 33 of 2008; MPEA).
9. Be able to complete project in no more than twelve (12) months of contract execution date.
Economic Development Strategy
The City does not currently have an economic development strategy. One needs to be developed that identifies the community’s economic development goals, actions, timelines, and responsible parties that meet the RRC best practices. For an economic development strategy to follow best practices put forth by the RRC program, the individual objectives must tie back to one or more of the goals identified in the regional context. The Consultant shall tie the City’s strategy to Lenawee Now’s Economic Development Strategy. The process will include conducting visioning sessions to identify and understand the community’s resources, and to develop those resources to accommodate business growth with particular focus along any areas identified during the Master Plan initiative. The strategy shall tie itself back to the Master Plan.
DELIVERABLES:
1. One un-bound copy of the new Master Plan
2. A digital copy of the new Master Plan in .pdf format
3. A digital copy of the Master Plan in .docx format
4. All tables associated with the new Master Plan in .xlsx format
5. Any additional raw data
6. All pictures, graphics, renderings, and charts associated with the new Master Plan in .jpg format
RIGHT TO REFUSE PROPOSAL:
The City of Morenci has the right to reject any or all proposals as well as to negotiate with Bidders any improvements or clarifications regarding specific portions of the proposal.