Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Comprehensive Plan Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves work authorization with Kimberly Horn for comprehensive-plan update, $85,500 cost draws questions
Summary
The council approved a work authorization with consultant Kimberly Horn (listed in packet as the contractor) to update the town's comprehensive plan through 2045 for $85,500. Vice Mayor Atwater questioned the price and staff explained the update completes the seven-year cycle and addresses document formatting and statutory compliance.
The Town of Indian River Shores council voted March 26, 2025, to approve a work authorization with consultant Kimberly Horn to update the town's comprehensive plan, covering the planning horizon through 2045. The proposed cost discussed in the packet was $85,500 and drew questions from the vice mayor about whether portions of the work were already completed and whether the fee was appropriate.
Vice Mayor Atwater asked the council and staff to confirm the scope and observed that adoption of zoning and future land use maps earlier in the meeting (March 2025 adoption noted in the packet) might overlap with work in this authorization. Atwater stated, "I just think the the price at $85,500 is excessive." Town staff (Ms. Hartpring) explained the update is required now under the seven-year review cycle for comprehensive plans, that the 2025 update will cover the 20-year horizon through 2045, and that previous updates began under a different provider with work transmitted in 2020 and adopted in 2021. Staff said the work authorization consolidates substantive updates, formatting corrections, GIS updates and statutory compliance that will, barring intervening statutory changes, obviate the need for another routine update for seven years.
Council members discussed negotiating the fee and the mayor asked staff to attempt to secure a discount if possible. After discussion, a motion to approve the work authorization passed on a roll-call vote; recorded votes were unanimous. Council asked staff to monitor future statutory changes and to manage the consultant relationship and deliverables.
Clarifying details discussed in the meeting included: prior related work authorization in 2019 for a smaller item (identified as work authorization 02/2019 in the packet), the town's obligation under state statute to update comprehensive plans approximately every seven years, and that the work will produce updated GIS maps and document formatting corrections in addition to substantive policy amendments.
