REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Advertised Date: February 27, 2025

Request for Proposal Title: City of Moses Lake 2027 Comprehensive Plan Update

Requesting Dept./Div.: Community Development

RFP Number: COML-RFP-001

Due Date: April 4, 2025

RFP Coordinator: Vivian Ramsey, Interim Community Development Director 509-764-3749

The City of Moses Lake, Washington ("City") is seeking a multidisciplinary consultant team (which may be a single firm or a consultant team consisting of individuals and/or firms with specialized expertise) to update the City's Comprehensive Plan.

Six paper copies of the proposal and one digital copy shall be delivered and received, regardless of the delivery method, by April 4, 2025, up to 4:00 p.m., at the following location:

By mail to:

City of Moses Lake
Attn: Interim Community Development Director
PO Box 1579
Moses Lake, WA, 98837

By hand-delivery to:

City of Moses Lake
Vivian Ramsey, Interim Community Development Director
321 S Balsam St.
Moses Lake, WA 98837

By email to:

Planning@Cityofml.com

Proposers must complete and sign the form below (Type or Print)

Company Name

Address

City/State /Postal Code

Signature

Authorized Representative/Title (Print name and title)

Email

Phone

Webpage (as applicable)

Company Headquarters Location:

City Background

The City of Moses Lake is in the heart of the Columbia Basin in Grant County, Washington. Moses Lake is a unique community with a combination of residential, retail, light/heavy industrial, and agriculture. The City of Moses Lake's industrial sector is a key element of the state's economy, providing critical support for international trade and manufacturing.

Vision Statement: Moses Lake is a diverse, connected, and supportive community of innovation and opportunity that values its namesake lake, small town vibe, growing arts and cultural scene, aerospace, manufacturing and agricultural heritage and an abundance of sunshine and outdoor activities.

Objective

The City is seeking a multidisciplinary consultant team (which may be a single firm or a consultant team consisting of individuals and/or firms with specialized expertise) to update the City's Comprehensive Plan. This plan will provide elected and appointed officials, city staff, city residents, and the business and development community with a comprehensive, consistent, and culturally relevant plan to guide the City's decision-making and development over the next 20 years, to the year 2047.

Scope of Work:

• Coordinate and support a robust public participation process for this periodic update. The selected team will be responsible for leading and executing an Ad Hoc Public engagement Committee. Prepare and produce high quality public outreach materials graphically and in writing describing facts, findings, analysis, and alternatives for public meetings, open houses, webpage, and hearings.
• Prepare presentations and supporting materials to present alongside city staff at public hearings, meetings, and workshops. The purpose of these meetings will be to provide an overview of the update process, present progress updates, receive comments from citizens, elected officials, commission members, stakeholder groups, and staff. The information gathered from the outreach will be compiled and presented in draft and final report with ancillary materials to the Planning Commission and City Council. Presentations incorporated into the public participation should include, but not be limited to the following:
  • General Workshops/Open Houses for the public (3 to 5)
  • Public meetings/presentations to Stakeholder Group, Planning Commission & City Council or Workshop (4 to 6)
  • Planning Commission public hearing (1 to 2)
  • Presentations to the City Council (1 to 2)
  • Joint Meetings (Planning Commission and City Council) 5-7
• Review and update the existing Comprehensive Plan maps and text, and all related documents developed and used by the City of Moses Lake. The consultant team will be expected to use the Department of Commerce periodic update checklists to illustrate how Moses Lake's existing Comprehensive Plan compares against the latest requirements of the Growth Management Act (GMA).
• Urban Growth Area (UGA) Evaluation with options and alternatives to meet the GMA.
• Update the elements and appendices to reflect the past changes and future trends and desired outcomes of the community, ensure internal consistency with other adopted plans (i.e., SMP, Housing Plan, Parks Plan, Stormwater, Water, and Sewer Comprehensive Plans), external consistency with Countywide and Regional goals, compliance with GMA, and eliminate unnecessary redundancies:
• Chapter 2.0 Profile and Vision – revise and/or confirm and update.
• Chapter 3.0 Land Use Element - update as necessary, including the land use capacity analysis and new growth projections, to ensure relevance of existing policies and recommend new policies if gaps are identified to help direct growth and development. New growth projections should be studied in the context of potential mandates for increased density in residential zones. Develop potential alternative growth scenarios in tandem with utility planning.
• Chapter 4.0 Housing Element – update element to be consistent with the Moses Lake Housing Options, the Countywide Planning Policies including new requirements from the Department of Commerce as well as any new requirements with the population allocations.
• Chapter 5.0 Utilities Element – Review current plans to determine consistency and recommend changes to ensure consistency with other plan elements while paying attention to potential growth and infrastructure needs. Consider potential utility investment and carrying capacity in the context of housing goals. Coordinate with ongoing updates to other utility plans, including modeling infrastructure needs for growth alternatives identified as part of land use element update.
• Chapter 6.0 Transportation Element – Update element to be consistent with state statutes, commerce guidelines, and update the technical assumptions from that work to 2047.
• Chapter 7.0 Capital Facilities Element – Review, update, and revise as necessary, with input from city staff from all relevant departments.
• Chapter 8.0 Parks & Recreation Element – Work with Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department staff to update this element to ensure continuity with the Parks and Open Space Plan.
• Chapter 9.0 Economic Development – Provide a new element
• Chapter 10.0 Shoreline – Provide a new element.
• Chapter 11.0 Climate Change - Provide a new element
• Appendices – Review, update, incorporate into the plan or eliminate as needed.
• Review the Critical Areas Ordinance and draft code of recommended and required changes that are consistent with comprehensive plan policies, Department of Ecology requirements, Department of Commerce guidance, and Department of Fish and Wildlife guidance. Depending on the recommended changes, city staff may finalize the code amendment or add additional services to have the consultant update using in-house services or subcontractors.
• Review the Uniform Development Code and draft code of recommended and required changes that are consistent with comprehensive plan policies, relevant state statutes, and Department of Commerce guidance. Depending on the recommended changes, city staff may finalize the code amendment or add additional services to have the consultant update using in-house services or subcontractors.
• Undertake the primary responsibility for editing and writing a cohesive, comprehensive plan document. This will include editing existing text or drafting new clear, concise text and policies supported by information in existing records, new plans and studies, data analysis, public input, best practices, and successful application in other jurisdictions. Work with City staff to ensure formatting is compatible with City standards.
• Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the 2027 Comprehensive Plan and development regulations.

Form of Proposal (30 page maximum)

• Cover Letter – A cover letter must be submitted with the proposal. The cover letter should indicate the full name and address of the respondent that will perform the services described in this RFP. The proposal must indicate the name and contact information for the individual who will be the senior contact person for this engagement. The cover letter must include identification of all sub- consultants. A person authorized to bind the proposer to all commitments made in the proposal must sign the letter. (2 page maximum)
• Knowledge of the Moses Lake Community – The respondent should furnish a narrative of how the respondent is familiar with Moses Lake/Grant County/Columbia Basin. The narrative should identify current or past planning-related experiences in the city and region. (2 page maximum)
• Experience and Qualifications – The respondent should clearly state relevant skills and experience in a manner that demonstrates its capability to complete the Scope of Work. If applicable, please highlight projects in which members of your proposed project team have worked together. Consultants should highlight their qualifications and experience (i.e., relevant case histories, including government organization experience with sufficient detail, information and/or access to online demos or examples). Consultants should demonstrate their knowledge of best practices in the process of GMA compliant plan creation. The response should include a list of up to five references/clients including names, addresses, phone numbers, and principal contacts in which the consultant has provided similar planning services. (10 page maximum)
• Approach – The respondent shall set forth its overall technical approach and plans to meet the requirements of the RFP. This should convince the committee that the respondent understands the objectives that the engagement is intended to meet, the nature of the required work and the level of effort necessary to successfully complete the project. The respondent should also set forth a detailed work plan indicating how each task in the scope of work will be accomplished, including an outline of proposed work and a timeline for key milestones and completion of the Scope of Work. (2 page maximum)
• Projected Costs/Budget – The respondent should provide a detailed matrix of estimated costs to provide the services. Such costs should be presented in a budget format that itemizes actual expenses for marketing, administration and creative services.
• Organization – The respondent should include an organizational chart including all key team members, their resume, and the amount of time each member will spend on this engagement, based on a forty- hour workweek. If the respondent is a "joint venture", there must be included a clear statement of responsibility associated with each member and/or entity of the joint venture. (10 page maximum)