REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: Comprehensive Zone Code Update

A. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFPs) – Statement of Intent

The City of Moses Lake is undergoing a Comprehensive Plan and Map update (adoption date anticipated fall of 2021) which will drive the vision and future development of the City. The City of Moses Lake intends to update its Zoning Ordinance and corresponding Zoning Map to reflect the vision and goals of the new Comprehensive Plan. Therefore, the City requests proposals from qualified land use planning consulting firms with the expertise to comprehensively create a new Moses Lake Development Code and corresponding Zoning Map. The new MLDC and map shall be in compliance with State statutes and consistent with the City's new Comprehensive Plan.

While the City is developing a new Code that is applicable only to the City of Moses Lake, it is expected that the zoning map developed under this contract will not only depict the zoning classifications within the City's corporate limits but will also show County zoning districts within the Moses Lake UGA.

Note: For the purposes of this project, it is assumed that when reference is made to updating the MLDC, this shall include the updating of the corresponding Zoning Map.

B. PROJECT PURPOSE

The City of Moses Lake wants to create a new MLDC in a way that will promote a style of development that reflects the goals and policies of the new Comprehensive Plan. The new Code should assist to enhance the character of the downtown in addition to creating a new gateway corridor and neighborhood commercial zones. A new airport overlay zone is also being considered.

The new MLDC update should incorporate the key concepts of Smart Growth:

• Mix land uses
• Take advantage of compact building design
• Create a range of housing opportunities and choices based on the recently updated Housing Action Plan (HAP)
• Create walkable communities
• Foster distinctive, attractive neighborhoods with a strong sense of place
• Preserve open space, natural beauty and environmentally sensitive areas
• Prioritize, incentivize, and direct new and infill development within City limits
• Provide a variety of transportation choices
• Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective

C. RELEVANT CITY DOCUMENTS

1. City of Moses Lake Draft/final Comprehensive Plan (2021)
2. City of Moses Lake Housing Needs Assessment and Housing Action Plan. (2021)
3. Current Zoning Ordinance.
4. Other Important Documents or GIS

D. MAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Melissa Bethel
Community Development Director
City of Moses Lake

U.S. Mail:

P.O. Box 1579
Moses Lake, WA 98837

Physical Location:

321 S. Balsam Street
Moses Lake, WA 98837

E. INQUIRIES

Questions pertaining to the RFP and the selection process should be directed to Melissa Bethel at mbethel@cityofml.com

F. SUBMITTAL DATE

Proposals are due no later than 5:00 p.m. June 7th, and must be received by that time and date. Proposal postmark dates and times will not be considered as meeting that deadline. Proposers must submit one (1) physical bound copy of their proposal with a digital copy, and one (1) separately sealed fee proposal envelope to the address shown under “Mailing Instructions” above.

The City is not responsible for proposals that are delinquent, lost, mismarked, and sent to an address other than that given above or sent by mail or courier service. The City reserves the right, after opening the proposals, to reject any or all proposals, or to accept the proposal(s) that in its sole judgment is (are) in the best interest of the City.

G. PROPOSAL EVALUATION

Proposals should provide a straightforward and concise presentation adequate to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of contents. Responsiveness to the RFP will be a principal basis for evaluation.

H. PROPOSAL SELECTION

The City of Moses Lake reserves the right, without qualification, to:

1. Select any proposal as a basis for written or oral communication with any or all of the companies or individuals when such action is considered to be in the best interest of the City of Moses Lake.
2. Select proposals, based on initial proposals received, without discussion or after detailed discussions or contract negotiations.
3. Reject all proposals.

I. SELECTION PROCESS

1. The Selection Committee reviews the proposals submitted by the prospective consultants and selects and reviews proposals which quality based on the following factors:
   1. Experience of the firm and project manager and assigned team in preparing a new zoning ordinance.
   2. Record of the firm, and project manager and assigned team in preparing a new zoning ordinance within required time frames.
   3. Record of the firm and project manager in being responsive to the clients' requests.
   4. Quality of work previously performed by the firm for the City and other agencies.
   5. Community relations, including evidence of sensitivity to citizen concerns.
   6. Ability to communicate effectively with citizens, elected officials, and staff professionals.
   7. Ability to tailor the new zoning ordinance to meet the requirements and needs of the City.
   8. Geographic location of the principal offices of the firm and proximity of staff working on the study to the City.
2. Based upon the proposals submitted, the Committee may select a short-list of qualified firms for this project. City of Moses Lake reserves the right to make final consultant selection based solely upon evaluation of the written proposals, without short-listing firms or conducting oral interviews, should it find it to be in its best interest to do so.
3. The Committee may interview the short-listed firms. Based upon the proposal and interview, the Committee will rank the finalists as to qualifications. The Committee will enter into negotiations with the selected firm. (The City Council has final authority for selection.)
4. The negotiations will cover: scope of work, contract schedule, contract terms and conditions, technical specifications, and price. If the negotiating team is unable to reach an acceptable agreement with the selected firm, the negotiating team will recommend that negotiations be terminated and that negotiations with the second ranked firm be initiated. The City Manager has final authority to terminate negotiations and move to the next ranked firm.
5. After negotiating a proposed agreement that is fair and reasonable, the negotiating team will recommend to the City Council that the City of Moses Lake enter into the proposed agreement. Final authority to approve the agreement rests with the City Council.

J. PROPOSAL CONTENT

The City of Moses Lake requires the proposer to submit a concise proposal clearly addressing all the requirements outlined in this RFP. Proposal must include, at a minimum, the following sections in the order indicated:

1. Information Page:

Include project name, name of firm submitting the proposal, contact information for the person who will act as project leader including name, title, address, telephone and fax numbers and email address.

2. Description of Study Understanding:

Outline of the proposer's understanding of the project and summarizing the basic approach to the project.

3. Methodology:

Descriptions which enable the City of Moses Lake to assess the proposer's capability to conduct this project in a structured and efficient fashion.

4. Scope of Work – (Note as Exhibit A in your proposal.)

Details with specific task descriptions to demonstrate that the proposer has considered all aspects of the study and that the proposer will cover them thoroughly. Attendance at City Council, community meetings, public hearings, and providing any needed informational material deemed necessary to educate the community and Council regarding the project should be included.

5. Timetable

A timetable which identifies the main elements of the project, according to the Scope of Work, and projected completion dates throughout the project period.

6. Personnel

Resumes of the individual(s) assigned to the study and other staff personnel available to support the study. Particular attention should be given to the proposer's organization which provides internal service for supporting the study team, and facilitates quality assurance auditing of the study work.

7. Qualifications

Description of the organization, covering background experience connected with comprehensive zoning code updates, as well as other similar projects.

8. Representative Study Descriptions and Client References

Submit descriptions of similar assignments which were conducted by the proposer, including other agency's contact name and telephone number.

9. Cost Estimates– (Note as Exhibit B in your proposal.)

Each proposal shall include a cost estimate for providing services.

K. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The City of Moses Lake intends to engage the most qualified consultant available for this assignment. It is imperative the consultant's proposal fully address all aspects of the RFP. It must provide the City's staff with clearly expressed information concerning the consultant's understanding of the City of Moses Lake's specific requirements which would result in the conduct of this project in a thorough and efficient manner.

The following criteria shall be used in evaluation of the proposer's offer of services:

1. Proposal clarity in expressing the understanding of the City needs and in defining a work plan for satisfying these needs; understanding the scope of work.
2. Consultant experience in providing consulting services on comprehensive zoning code updates.
3. Professional qualification of Project Manager and his/her team's experience in conducting assignments of similar scope.
4. Proposer's support organization and in-house quality control and quality assurance methods.
5. Methodology to be employed in conducting the study.
6. Client satisfaction and recommendations.
7. Cost of services.

L. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The selected consulting firm will work with the City Planning Commission and key staff to develop a new MLDC and zoning map that supports the goals, policies, and action items in the new Comprehensive Plan, HAP, and any Downtown specific plans. The Planning Commission will be the governmental body responsible for overseeing development and review of the updated zoning ordinance and map, and it will then recommend the adoption of the final zoning ordinance and zoning map to the City Council.

Education of the Planning Commission will also be a part of the scope of this project. The selected consultant will be responsible for educating the Planning Commission on the basics of planning and zoning principles and the concepts associated with Smart Growth. The consultant should compare and contrast these concepts with traditional zoning codes and relate how these concepts can be successfully implemented in Moses Lake. For example, the consultant could explain how small neighborhood or commercial uses could be successfully incorporated into mixed use residential areas. At least one educational session is to take place at the first meeting at which the consultants are introduced to the full Planning Commission.

The current zoning code is conventional (use-based) in style. The City wants to create a new MLDC that will help the City achieve its vision for the future as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. While the code must be overhauled to achieve many of the goals of the Comprehensive Plan, it must also be replaced because it contains archaic and often ambiguous language. This can lead to undesirably broad interpretations of the regulations. The consultant will be responsible for ensuring that all the basic code elements are included in the new ordinance, which will most likely include the following sections:

• Definitions
• Use Classifications
• Development and Design Standards
• Parking Standards
• Signage Standards
• Lighting Standards
• Non-conformities
• Evaluation Criteria
• Review Procedures
• Administration
• Monitoring and Revisions
• Zoning District Map

The City seeks new processes to streamline development permits for certain housing types along with revising applications by types (ie: Type I, II, III, IV..).

The consultant will be responsible for recommending the organization and style of the Code. The new MLDC should be an efficient, easy-to-use document (hard copy and online) that will help implement the land use policies of Moses Lake. Mechanisms such as cross-referencing, illustrations and tables should be the primary methods to make the ordinance user-friendly. The consultant will have primary responsibility for drafting and redrafting the text of the zoning ordinance after receiving appropriate input from the community's citizens, stakeholders, Planning Commissioners, Council members and staff. In establishing the code, the consultant should strive to develop a clear and user-friendly code using Smart Growth principles.

It is anticipated the consultant will perform the following research/tasks before the actual writing of the ordinance:

• Establish a comprehensive participation, communication and information strategy to ensure appropriate volunteer, community, business, planning and staff involvement during the creation of the zoning ordinance.

For the full RFP document, please visit Moses Lake, WA - Official Website | Official Website (cityofml.com)