Comprehensive Plan Request for Proposals

Revised Scope (added task 8) 5/28/24
Deadline Extended 5/28/24
Questions Deadline Extended 5/31/24
RFP QUESTIONS RESPONSES 6/11/24

Introduction:

The City of Tyler is soliciting proposals from qualified consulting firms to undertake a comprehensive planning study to guide the future growth and development of our city. The purpose of this study is to create a comprehensive plan that will serve as a roadmap for sustainable development, infrastructure improvement, and community enhancement over the next 20 years. The City expects project completion by February 2026 but reserves the right to extend and/or expand the scope of this contract, subject to approval and funding availability. The City intends to fund the study in part by securing GLO-Resilient Communities Program funding.

Scope of Work:

The selected consulting firm will be responsible for conducting a thorough analysis of the city’s current demographic, economic, environmental, and land use conditions. The comprehensive plan study should include, but not be limited to, the following tasks:

 1. Community Engagement:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive public engagement strategy to gather input from residents, businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Organize public meetings, workshops, surveys, and other outreach activities to ensure broad participation and representation.
• Utilize digital engagement methods as part of community engagement efforts.

 2. Data Collection and Analysis:

• Gather and analyze demographic data, economic indicators, land use patterns, transportation networks, housing stock, environmental resources, and other relevant information.
• Identify trends, challenges, opportunities, and priorities for the city’s future development.

 3. Goal Setting and Visioning:

• Facilitate workshops with steering committee and focus groups to establish community goals, values, and a shared vision for the future of the city.
• Develop a set of guiding principles and objectives to inform the comprehensive plan.

 4. Land Use and Zoning:

• Conduct a land use inventory and assess existing zoning regulations.
• Review and evaluate existing Area Development Plans and recommendations.
• Recommend updates to the zoning code, land use policies, and development standards to promote compatible and sustainable growth.

 5. Transportation and Infrastructure:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the city’s transportation network, including roads, public transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure.
• Identify infrastructure needs and prioritize investments to improve connectivity, mobility, and accessibility.

 6. Public Services and Facilities:

• Assess the city’s natural resources, environmental assets, and vulnerabilities.
• Assess and evaluate the effectiveness of the city’s services and facilities and include elements of various master plans.
• Develop strategies to promote conservation, resilience, and sustainability.

 7. Implementation Plan:

• Prepare an action-oriented implementation plan with specific recommendations, policies, programs, and projects.
• Define roles, responsibilities, and timelines for the implementation of the comprehensive plan.

 8. Texas General Land Office (GLO) Resilient Communities Program Grant: (ADDED 5/28/24)

• Respondents must be qualified to provide grant administration and planning services in compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) and guidelines issued by the Texas General Land Office (GLO).
• Pre-Funding Services
  The Respondent will develop project scope, timelines, goals, metrics, and deliverables for
  CDBG-MIT RCP qualified projects and complete CDBG-MIT RCP Grant application. The
  provider will work with City Staff and Engineering to provide the concise information needed
  for submission of complete RCP funding application and related documents. The required
  information shall be submitted in the format required by the GLO. All payment for grant
  administration and planning services is contingent upon the City being awarded funding
  through the RCP.
• Post-Funding Services
  Respondent will provide planning services for projects approved for funding under the CDBGMIT RCP Grant. The Respondent will serve as project manager and complete all project
  deliverables as identified in the scope of work and the grant contract with the GLO and in the
  timeframe required by the GLO. Respondent will administer and complete all financial, project
  deliverable and administrative reporting requirements for the zoning ordinance and other
  eligible ordinance projects approved for RCP funding. The selected Respondent must follow
  all requirements of the Texas GLO Resilient Communities Program.
• Grant Administration Services - General
  i. Coordinate, as necessary, between the City and any other appropriate service
  providers (i.e. Engineer, Consultant, etc.), contractor, subcontractor and GLO to effectuate the services requested.
  ii. Assist in public hearings.
  iii. Will work with GLO’s system of reimbursement, including submitting required deliverables and evidence of cost incurred.
  iv. Provide monthly project status updates.
  v. Funding release will be based on deliverables identified in the contract, namely the completion of reimbursement submissions from the GLO. If the City is not awarded a grant through the RCP, no payment for grant administration or planning services will be remitted.
  vii. Other RCP compliance duties:
  a. Prepare and submit all required reports (Section 3, AFFH, etc.).
  b. Implementation and coordination of Section 504 requirements (ADA Accessibility
  compliance).
  c. All other requirements for program compliance.
  d. Ensure that fraud prevention and abuse practices are in place and being
  implemented.
  e. Prepare and submit all closeout documents.
  f. Submit all invoices no later than 60 days after the expiration of the
  contract. All outstanding funds may be swept after 60 days. The provider
  may request an extension of this requirement in writing.
  j. Assist in preparation of contract revisions and supporting documents
  including but not limited to:
  • Amendments/modifications,
  • Change orders.

Proposal Submission Requirements:

Interested consulting firms are invited to submit a proposal that includes the following:

1. Executive Summary
2. Firm Qualifications and Experience
3. Proposed Methodology and Approach
4. Work Plan and Schedule
5. Team Composition and Key Personnel
6. Budget and Fee Schedule
7. References from similar projects

 
Proposal Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Qualifications and experience of the consulting firm and project team
2. Methodology and approach to conducting the comprehensive plan study
3. Demonstrated understanding of the city’s needs, challenges, and opportunities
4. Clarity, feasibility, and completeness of the work plan and schedule
5. Budget and cost-effectiveness of the proposed services

Submission Deadline:

Proposals must be submitted electronically in PDF format to Kyle Kingma/kkingma@tylertexas.com no later than June 24, 2024 at 3:00 PM. Late submissions will not be considered. A virtual dropbox option will be set up for submissions exceeding 20 MB.

Questions and Clarifications:

All questions and requests for clarifications regarding this RFP should be directed in writing to Kyle Kingma/kkingma@tylertexas.com no later than June 7, 2024. Questions received and the response will be posted on the webpage https://www.cityoftyler.org/government/departments/development-services/developers/comprehensive-plans

Right to Reject Proposals:

This RFP does not commit the City to award a contract. The City of Tyler reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submittals as a result of this request, to negotiate with all qualified sources, or to cancel in part or entirety if found to be in the best interest of the City.

Costs of Proposing:

The City shall not be liable for any costs incurred in the preparation, presentation, interviews or negotiation in response to this solicitation.

In accordance with House Bill 1295, for certain contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2016, the successful firms must submit a Certificate of Interested Parties (Form 1295) at the time the signed contract is submitted to the CITY. The law applies (with a few exceptions) only to a City contract between a business entity and a governmental entity or state agency that either (1) requires an action or vote by the City Council before the contract may be signed or (2) has a value of at least $1 million.

Contact Information:

For inquiries and further information, please contact:

Kyle Kingma, AICP, CFM

Planning Director

City of Tyler

423 W. Ferguson Street, Tyler, TX 75702

903-531-1178

kkingma@tylertexas.com

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Tyler's Plan For The 21st Century!

On Jan. 9, 2013 at their regularly scheduled meeting, the Tyler City Council heard a presentation about Tyler’s comprehensive plan five-year update. The plan, which was referred to as Tyler 21, has been renamed Tyler 1st.

“With this update, we thought it was a good time to rebrand the plan with a name that better reflects Tyler,” said City Planner Heather Nick. “Tyler is first in so many ways that we felt it was very apropos. Also, the Tyler 1st name demonstrates how committed we all are to our community.”

The comprehensive plan was originally adopted by the City Council on Nov. 14, 2007 after nearly 18 months of community involvement and input. This 20-year plan created a strategic framework for future actions for the City and is a community-based plan. It defines a vision for the future linked to overall goals and policies, and it contains strategies and action items for achieving the goals.

The planning process took more than 18 months to complete, primarily due to the extensive public involvement involved. Resident input was sought throughout the process via a community visioning retreat (300+ attendees), six open houses and a survey of Tylerites. Focus groups, interviews with community leaders, and newsletter and website comments were also important vehicles to gather information about what was important to the residents of Tyler and how they envisioned Tyler growing to meet the needs of generations to come.

The input gathered from the public involvement process was used to establish the vision and principles that became the framework for the nearly 500 page plan. More than 100 citizen volunteers participated on working groups to further define the key issues and strategies to address the long-term future needs of the City.

The Tyler 1st Plan addresses issues such as downtown revitalization, historic preservation, parks and recreation, transportation, and housing and neighborhoods.