The City of El Dorado, Kansas seeks to enter into a services contract with a qualified planning consultant, urban designer, and/or multi-disciplinary firms or teams to conduct and assist in the development of a Destination Recreation Master Plan for the City of El Dorado and the Lake.

One component would be to access recreational potential and facilities within the City of El Dorado and the other is the area at El Dorado Lake.

El Dorado Lake, situated northeast and adjacent to the corporate limits of the City of El Dorado, provides 2,000 acres of park and 4,000 acres of wildlife area surrounding 8,000 acres of water with 98 miles of shoreline. The lake features a variety of recreation amenities including over seventeen miles of trails, swimming beaches, primitive and utility-served campgrounds, cabins, marina, sailboat club, and shooting range.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) owns the real estate comprising and immediately surrounding El Dorado Lake. The Corps leases the management of the recreation and wildlife areas to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT). The development of the Recreation Master Plan will require coordination, collaboration, and approval with these two governmental entities.

The property also falls under the auspices of the Land and Water Conservation Fund 6(f) Program (LWCF) authorized by the U.S. Department of the Interior. As such, there are specific requirements for outdoor recreation development that must be adhered to under this federal program.

In 2006, the Kansas Department of Commerce released a report entitled "Kansas Water Reservoirs: Analysis of Development Potential" that included an assessment of the potential opportunities for El Dorado Lake. The report, prepared by Basile Baumann Prost and Associates, Inc., in association with URS Corporation, outlined several opportunities for El Dorado Lake including resort, outdoor recreation, and residential. The City desires to take this information and other pertinent documents and plans for the City of El Dorado and the Lake to develop a comprehensive master plan to guide future development to leverage the greenspace in the City and the lake as an economic asset to the community and region.

In 2021, the El Dorado Lake Division of the KDWPT updated its five-year plan for the environs under management by the KDWPT. The plan ensures that development at El Dorado Lake conforms to the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan 2020.

The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to receive proposals from qualified planning individuals and consultant teams who are interested in developing a Recreation Master Plan for El Dorado Lake. The plan must provide guidance to the City and partnering entities on appropriate implementation for development plans for the area encompassing the City of El Dorado and the Lake, while also meeting the service demands that come with additional amenities.

The process for developing the plan must ensure that the final document reflects the desired vision for the City of El Dorado and the Lake as determined by the citizens, users of the area, appointed and elected officials, and other stakeholders through community participation.

Scope of Work. The consultant will take the lead role in all public forums, workshops, meetings and hearings. Federal, State, and City staff will provide a supporting role during this process. The expectation is that the consultant will utilize a variety of methods to gather input from stakeholders in the community, including but not limited to, town hall meetings, public hearings, open houses, and through social media. The consultant will furnish all required labor, materials, supplies and travel required in connection with the project. The plan shall incorporate the following elements using a phased approach.

The initial phase (Phase I) will commence at the completion of a contract for services and deliver an executive summary/findings. At the conclusion of Phase I, the City will consider executing a contract with consultant to proceed with Phase II to develop and deliver the final master plan.

Phase I Deliverables:

1. An evaluation and review of existing land uses, recreation amenities, and any existing master plans from the City of El Dorado, USACE and/or KDWPT. Consultant shall report on findings and recommendations based the City's and stakeholders anticipated goals.
2. General map showing potential locations for recreation offerings in the City and at the lake.
3. Description of barriers to development (i.e., regulatory, legal, infrastructure, etc.) and strategies to facilitate implementation.
4. Executive summary and findings on conceptual future development and recreation facilities in the City of El Dorado and the surrounding area.

Phase II Deliverables:

1. List of potential projects that enhance the outdoor recreation offerings in the City of El Dorado including the lake area based on feedback.
2. Cost projections of recommendations with outline of possible funding sources, and the feasibility to sustain any improvements. Including the economic value back to the City of El Dorado and the local businesses.
3. Community needs assessment based on recreational trends, regional market analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

Implementation strategies.

The aforementioned Scope of Work will be refined with the selected consultant through discussions with federal, state, and local officials. The governmental agencies understand that the scope may be modified from the conceptual scope prior to final contract authorization and notice to proceed on any projects arising from the development of the master plan.

• Products and Deliverables. Some of the deliverables to be included with the Master Plan are expected to be, but not limited to the items below. Other areas of emphasis may be identified during the planning process.
  • Relevant GIS data and digital map documents used in the creation of maps and other supporting documentation in the Plan shall be provided to the City with copies to the State and Federal partners at the end of the project. Relevant metadata, if applicable, shall be created and provided to the Agencies as well.
• Statement of Qualifications. The City of El Dorado seeks to contract with a competent consultant or consulting firm experienced in comprehensive master recreation planning. Specifically, individuals or firms will need to demonstrate experience with the following qualifications:
  • Experience working with federal and state regulatory entities;
  • Experience with federal, state, and local funding requirements;
  • Experience with outdoor destination development; and
  • Experience in economic impact analysis of outdoor recreation to communities.
• Proposal Format. Proposals should contain the following information:
  • Title Page. Provide the name of your firm, address, telephone and name of contact person on a title page.
  • Letter of Transmittal. Provide a complete statement regarding the understanding of the project and your interest in working with the City of El Dorado and other Agencies and other entities on this project. The transmittal letter shall be signed by a duly authorized officer or agent empowered with the right to bind the consultant submitting a proposal for consideration.
  • Firm Background. Provide information on the size, location, available resources and brief discussion on past experiences related to developing recreation master plans and other related documents.
  • Verify Firm Capacity and Project Team. Provide a statement verifying your ability to begin work on the Master Plan and complete the tasks within the timeframes identified in the Methodology and Approach section of the submitted proposal based on your firm's current workload and capacity. Provide a list of the person(s) that will be principally involved in the project.
  • Project Team. Identify the project team (including sub-consultants and associates) and provide a statement of qualifications for each individual.
  • Work Samples. List and provide in electronic format only (either a webpage link to the document or other electronic format) three examples of similar master plans or other applicable writing samples recently completed by the firm or team members.
  • Methodology and Approach. Provide a description of the method and approach your firm intends to utilize in order to complete the project.
  • Timeframe. Include a detailed phasing and task list and estimated completion time of each task. Provide an estimated start date and completion date for the project, based on an estimated consultant selection date of May 2021.
  • References. Submit names, e-mails and telephone numbers of individuals we may contact to verify performance on projects recently completed by the firm as identified under the Firm Background section of the proposal submittal.
  • Cost Breakdown. Submit a not-to-exceed cost breakdown for the project, including total travel and material expenses as separate line items, for the work identified by the consultant in the Methodology and Approach and Timeframe sections of the proposal submittal. Please note that the City of El Dorado will not use lowest/best bid as the sole basis for entering into this contract.
  • Supporting Information. Provide other supporting information you feel may help us further evaluate firm qualifications and fit for completing the project.

Selection Criteria. Responding planning and management consultant firms will be considered by the City of El Dorado, and a selection will be made at the discretion of the City Commission. Evaluation and ranking of firms will use the following criteria:

Maximum Points:

Experience — 30 points

Previous work performance — 30 points

Capability to provide services — 20 points

Proposed cost — 20 points

TOTAL — 100 points

The City Commission reserves the right to select the consultant or consulting firm whose proposal is most advantageous to the jurisdiction and partnering entities. At the discretion of the governing body, the selected firm may be retained to provide services for a period of three years. Responding firms will be notified if an oral presentation is necessary.

Affirmative Action — Equal Opportunity. The City of El Dorado is an affirmative action/equal opportunity entity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for this contract without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap or national origin. Small, minority, and women-owned business enterprises are encouraged to submit proposals.

Deadline for Submission. The deadline for submission of proposals is 3:00 PM on April 16, 2021. All proposals must be received by the deadline.

KDWPT and the Corps of Engineers has the right to approve or decline any development or enhancements under the plan in areas within their lease or property.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS INSTRUCTIONS

Receipt of Proposals. Please submit one original and an electronic copy of the proposal must be sent to the following address:

City of El Dorado
Attn: City Clerk – Lake Master Plan
220 E. First Avenue
El Dorado, KS 67042

Submission should be no more than twelve single-sided standard letter size pages.

Evaluation and Selection Criteria. All proposals received will be evaluated. Selection of the consultant will be carried out by strict application of the aforementioned Selection Criteria.

Services to be Contracted. The City Commission will consider retaining the selected firm for a period of three consecutive funding years. For contractual responsibilities required under this solicitation, the City of El Dorado will use a standard contract for professional services provider by the firm or consultant selected.