Objective:

Gallatin County, Montana (County) is soliciting proposals for consulting services to develop a Future Land Use Map (FLUM) element, which is a project identified as a short-term action item in the Gallatin County Growth Policy (Growth Policy) Implementation Table and is required by Montana State law. Additionally, the County is consolidating this effort with a Regional Housing Strategy (RHS), which will serve as a Housing element in the Growth Policy. Over a 12-month period with extensive community outreach, the firm will develop a Countywide Future Land Use Map and Regional Housing Strategy (Project) for adoption by the County Commission. The Project will set specific land use designations that are reflective of the goals and policies in the Growth Policy and a comprehensive, balanced, and equitable housing strategy for Gallatin County that provides the foundation for cross-organizational collaboration and action. Gallatin County seeks an experienced consultant, who understands the complexity of county governance, particularly in the West, as well as both rural and urban land use and housing needs.

The RHS portion of the project is funded by a Community Development and Block Grant (CDBG) planning grant award. Consistent with Section 3 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1968, CDBG regulations governing the grant require that to the greatest extent feasible, opportunities for training and employment arising in connection with this CDBG-assisted project will be extended to local lower-income residents. Further, to the greatest extent feasible, business concerns located in or substantially owned by residents of the project area will be utilized. Disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE's) are encouraged to apply.

Context:

Need – Future Land Use Map

• Projected population growth and development numbers in Gallatin County are significant:
  • In the last 20 years, the population has increased by 71%, over 20% more than the next fastest growing counties in Montana. The current population stands at an estimated 118,960 individuals. If the current 2.75% annual growth rate continues, the County would reach a population of 200,000 by 2040.
• The existing land use map is:
  1. Out of date.
  2. Does not reflect community goals & polices from recently updated Growth Policy.
  3. Does not reflect projected development types, intensities, and locations.
• There is a need to accommodate residential, commercial, open space/ecological, and industrial land uses in a manner consistent with community goals.

• Ensure compliance with current Statutory Law.

Need – Housing Strategy

• While some local municipalities have Housing Plans and the Gallatin County Growth Policy contains a few housing policies, there is no Regional Housing Strategy.
• Gallatin County is Montana's fastest growing and least affordable county. The Gallatin Association of Realtors reports that the median single-family home price jumped 46% since January 2021 to $823,750, nearly 12 times the 2020 median household income of $70,124. Half of Gallatin County's renter households spend more than 30% of their incomes on gross rent. A full quarter are severely cost burdened, spending more than 50% of their income on gross rent.
• With rapid growth and high housing costs, business owners struggle to recruit talent from outside of Gallatin County. Gallatin County workers cannot afford to keep their jobs and/or must take on additional jobs to remain housed.
• Gallatin County also faces significant disparities in homeownership rates by race and ethnicity. As of 2019, the homeownership rate for white householders was 62.2%, relatively close to Montana's 69.8% and the nation's 69.5%. During the same period, however, the homeownership rate for Black or African American householders was an abysmal 6.2%, significantly lower than the state (27.8%) and national (41.8%) rates. A similar pattern of disadvantage emerged for those who identify as Asian, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, or two or more races.
• The share of Gallatin County residents aged 65 or older increased 128% from 2000 to 2019, jumping from 8.6% to 13%. People in this age group may require greater accessibility to services, may be on fixed incomes, and/or may find themselves living in homes or properties that have more space than they would like and/or can maintain. Gallatin County's older residents deserve an opportunity to age gracefully in our community.

Scope:

Project Goals

The intent of the Project is to develop and adopt a County FLUM and RHS as elements to the Growth Policy. The Project needs to:

• Align with the County's strategic long-rang planning efforts (Growth Policy, Neighborhood Plans, Trails and Transportation Plans).
• Reflect and support community values from Growth Policy and other long-range documents.
• Honor the community's desire to protect what it loves.
• Identify and designate areas for what it needs, with a focus on housing.
• Establish the planning foundation for future zoning reform.
• Provide guidance for growth and development in coordination with incorporated communities within the County.
• Adhere to statutory requirements from the State of Montana.
• Abide by the Growth Policy goal related to Public Service: "Provide meaningful opportunities for public engagement and establish a regulatory process that is transparent, fair, and efficient."

Key Engagement and Process Components

• Creative and Inclusive Public Engagement
  • Clearly explain purpose of Project and how it will benefit the public based on community input received during the Growth Policy project.
  • Emphasize education and awareness, providing facts on how County will implement the Project in future regulatory reform.
  • Develop a clear understanding on what level of participation we expect from the community during each part of the process.
  • Ensure participation from all demographic and geographic segments.
  • Ensure thoughtful and creative public engagement approaches are utilized.
  • Provide high quality, user-friendly, engaging platforms and tools.
  • Show how community input was utilized.
  • Keep community updated at regular intervals.
• Clear Process/Schedule
  • Have a well-planned approach and reasonable timeline; Project should be completed within 12 months of the start date.
  • Articulate specific milestones linked with deliverables.
  • Have clear plan for a "technology transfer" of all products to the Planning Department.

High-Quality Deliverables

• Communication Strategy.
• Land use and housing policy catalog.
• Land use profiles.
• Preliminary land use and housing recommendations.
• Well designed, implemented, and documented public engagement process.
• Clear and objective criteria for FLUM amendments and future updates.
• Regulatory recommendations on how to achieve implementation of FLUM and RHS.
• Final Product: Easy to read and interpret FLUM and RHS in multiple formats (e.g., print, digital, and GIS).