Des Moines manager recommends Raftelis for city strategic‑planning contract; scope to return July 10

City Manager Catherine told the Des Moines City Council staff recommends Raftelis to lead the city’s strategic‑planning process and said the proposal and fee will return to council for consideration on July 10.

Catherine told council the city issued a request for qualifications in March, received six responses, interviewed three firms and, after reference checks, is recommending Raftelis because of the firm’s volume of municipal strategic‑planning work and a lead consultant with more than 30 years of experience working with West Coast cities.

"They are a multidisciplinary firm that is nationwide. They exclusively work with cities and utilities, and as you can see, they've worked with more than 1,200 cities," Catherine said in explaining the recommendation.

Council members asked how Raftelis differed from other finalists. Catherine said the firm’s depth, team size and public‑engagement tools set it apart from smaller consultancies and that references were uniformly positive. The city manager said the strategic plan will be timed to leverage the city’s ongoing long‑range financial plan work and to accommodate council transitions after the November election.

Catherine said staff anticipates robust community and stakeholder engagement in the second half of 2025 and will present a negotiated scope and fee for council consideration at the July 10 meeting. The council did not take formal action on the recommendation at the meeting; the item will return as a contract consideration.