REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR CONSULTING SERVICES:

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE

City of Bolivar
345 S Main St.
PO Box 9
Bolivar, MO 65613
417-328-5825

The City of Bolivar ("City") is soliciting qualified consulting firms to submit a proposal to prepare an update to the City's Comprehensive Plan. The City last adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 2010 and has since experienced growth throughout the community. The plan shall contain practical policies and objectives which will promote the physical development of the community in a coordinated, consistent manner and which will be embraced by community decision makers and subsequently adopted officially. A community description and a general scope of the project are included. This project will be funded in the 2020 budget.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION:

The City of Bolivar, Missouri, located in Polk County, has a population so of 10,350 and serves as the County Seat. Located just 28 miles north of Springfield, Bolivar is home to Southwest Baptist University, attracting students from all over the world. Citizens Memorial Hospital serves the region and continues to expand. The Bolivar School District is the largest in the county and serves nearly 2400 area students. Situated near 5 recreational lakes, the community embraces outdoor activities and ways to connect with the environment. As head of the Frisco Highline Trail, bike and pedestrian needs have been recently brought to the forefront. The City's parks systems also attract people from around the region. The City partners with several groups, including the Industrial Development Authority, to stay active in Economic Development and work to continue improving the quality of life for area residents. The updated Comprehensive Plan will provide the community with a tool to aide in the responsible development and growth of the community.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The following information describes the specific minimum components which should be included in the scope of work. City staff will finalize the scope of work with the consultant prior to contract authorization. The City is open to suggestions other than those items listed which the consultant believes will be of value in producing a viable Comprehensive Plan that provides practical application for day-to-day planning procedures.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE OBJECTIVES:

1. Conduct visioning sessions with the Bolivar Board of Alderman, Planning & Zoning Commission, and City administrative staff.
2. Provide a participation plan to solicit input from the community throughout the process.
3. Review the current Comprehensive Plan and identify relevant sections that should remain, be revised, or removed. This should include recognition of deficiencies of the current plan and identification of elements that should be incorporated into the new plan.
4. Define a feasible future land use plan for development within the City, including proposed opportunities based on developmental growth potential.
5. Explore the possibility of identifying viable redevelopment areas within the corporate limits of the City, including infill development and adaptive reuse opportunities and also determine redevelopment strategies to initiate the process.
6. Define a clear direction of how and where development should occur over the next five, 10, and 20 years.
7. Determine a specific implementation plan for immediate short and long term action items.
8. Identify territorial boundaries for annexation and identify additional issue requiring intergovernmental coordination.
9. Identify the need for City enhancements such as sidewalks and other infrastructure improvements.
10. Recommend community design elements which may consist of recommendations for subdivisions, potential neighborhood development, redevelopment areas, and/or the use of zoning overlay districts.

RESPONSE TO BE PROVIDED IN THE FOLLOWING FORMAT:

1. Letter of Interest: Cover letter explaining the firm's interest in the project and providing information identifying the firm's ability to provide the services needed.
2. Introduction: A brief description of the firm including the number of years the firm has been in existence, range of professional services, office locations, and staff size.
3. Work Program: Describe the general project approach and process to be employed, describe a process approach that was used in the past to successfully complete a similar project, describe the proposed project schedule including a timeline of major milestones, deliverables, and completion.
4. Experience and Qualifications: Brief documentation of the firm's prior work relevant to this RFP including the name, address, and phone numbers of client references and the primary contact.
5. Consultant Personnel: Identify individuals from the firm's professionals and others who will work on the project. Include their credentials.
6. Timeframe: Submit a graphic with estimated project timeframe for meeting important project targets. The desired project completion is November 2020.
7. Estimated Cost: Submit cost estimates from the completion of the Comprehensive Plan Update.

PRODUCTS AND DELIVERABLES

1. Preliminary reports and project updates prepared at Comprehensive Plan milestones.
2. Presentation graphics for public meetings.
3. An updated Comprehensive Plan presented in a format and languages that is readable and accessible to the public; including maps, illustrations, tables, graphs, etc. 30 bound, color copies of the final plan and one (1) digital copy (CD or flash drive).

SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants must follow these instructions when submitting their proposal:

Should be delivered as follows: Five (5) hard copies plus one (1) digital copy (CD or flash drive) shall be submitted to the address below in sealed package clearly marked to the attention of:

City of Bolivar
Attn: Sydney Allen, Planning & Zoning Administrator
PO Box 9
Bolivar, MO 65613

Proposals received after the specified date and time will be rejected and returned unopened. Proposals may not be modified or withdrawn after the submittal deadline. However, a respondent may withdraw one's proposal from the selection process any time before the submittal deadline. The City reserves the right to extend time for submittals.

• Additional promotional materials/brochures may be included in addition to the proposal but may not substitute for any of the content requirements of the proposal itself. This additional material does not need to be submitted digitally.
• Communications (other than the process described herein) with the City, the Planning & Zoning Commission, or the general public relative to the RFP prior to the announcement of selection is prohibited.
• The City reserves the right to waive any irregularities and/or reject any and all submittals. The City is under no obligation to award a contract to any consultant or individual submitting a proposal.
• The City shall not be responsible for any costs incurred in the preparation, submittal, and presentation of proposals.
• All materials submitted shall become the property of the City and shall be subject to the laws and regulations relating to the disclosure of public information. No guarantee of privacy or confidentiality is offered or implied.

QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD:

In order to facilitate understanding of the RFP requirements, a Question and Answer period will be conducted during the submittal process until October 21^st, 2019. Questions regarding RFP requirements or submittals may be directed to the contact information below. A response to all inquiries received will be delivered by email by October 25^th, 2019.

Sydney Allen
Planning & Zoning Administrator
sallen@bolivar.mo.us

Proposal submittal deadline: October 30^th, 2019.

CONSULTANT SELECTION:

The proposals will be reviewed by a Selection Committee. The Committee reserves the right to request additional information from consultants submitting proposals. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews with firms. Upon selection, the City will negotiate a contract with the selected firm.