Submitted by: At the Request of the City Administrator
Submitting Department: Community & Economic Development
Agenda Section: Action
Item Title:
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Community Planning Facilitation and Strategic Planning Consulting Services
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Suggested Action:
recommendation
I move that the Mayor and Council accept the proposal submitted by Assedo Consulting LLC, 6100 Chevy Chase Drive, Suite 101, Laurel, Maryland 20707, for the purpose of facilitating and providing technical assistance in the development of the City’s 2023 Community Sustainability Plan and authorize the City Administrator to execute a contract for services, not to exceed $45,000, upon the review and approval by the City Attorney for legal sufficiency.
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Summary Background:
On April 6, 2022, the City issued a solicitation for bids from interested and experienced economic development consulting firms to assist the City in the development of the City’s Community Sustainability Plan, a strategic planning document that identifies community priorities through a comprehensive community planning effort. The Plan will generally comprise a Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) Assessment, Community Visioning & Prioritization and Strategic Planning sections.
The firm selected through this solicitation will serve on a project team and will primarily be responsible for assisting the City in (1) graphics/branding and template creation, (2) facilitating community planning sessions, performing data collection & analysis, (3) providing a community debrief, and (4) assisting with the content development for the published plan.
Staff completed a virtual interview with the Top 2 responding firms on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, reference check and work product review for the top 2 firms Assedo Consulting LLC and WGI Inc. The interviews consisted of questions regarding the respective firm’s engagement methodology with traditionally underrepresented demographic groups, and process for in-person and virtual community planning sessions. The reference checks included quality of work product, experience working with the firm, methodology for conducting effective in-person and virtual community engagement sessions and the responsiveness/engagement of the local business community.
Next Steps:
Approve contract and proceed with work on the Sustainability Plan.
Fiscal Impact:
Funding for this activity is included in the FY2023 City Budget.
City Administrator Comments:
Recommend approval.
Community Engagement:
The City will be engaging in a community planning process throughout FY2023.
Strategic Goals:
Goal 5 - Strengthen the City’s Identity as a Diverse, Creative, and Welcoming Community
Legal Review Required?
Pending