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Council discusses using survey for a council-led master plan; members signal five-figure consultant cost and budget timing
Summary
Committee members said the community survey is intended to feed a council-led master plan, discussed possible consultant costs in the five-figure range, timing for inclusion in the 2026 budget, and the need to coordinate with administration to avoid duplicate plans.
Norwood City Council committee members discussed using the community survey results as the first step toward a council-led master plan and began preliminary conversations about the likely cost and timing for contracting outside help.
Why it matters: Councilmembers framed a council-driven master plan as a multi-year project that would shape capital priorities, parks investments and other long-term decisions. They discussed budgeting options and the practical limits created by the city’s current fiscal conditions.
During the Committee of the Whole meeting, councilmembers said a professional master-plan contract would likely be a substantial procurement for the city and would cost in the five-figure range rather than a low four-figure amount. One councilmember summarized the scale: the work “was, you know, in the 10 in the 5 figures range.” Members recommended asking administration for initial cost estimates and exploring whether the council could include consultant funding in the 2026 budget.
Members emphasized coordination with administration and park and recreation staff to avoid producing competing or fragmented plans. Several members said they wanted a collaborative approach: the council’s plan should reflect public input gathered through the survey and align with administration priorities where possible. Members discussed existing park surveys and earlier outreach at Tower Park and WaterWorks as inputs to a broader planning process.
Councilmembers discussed practical constraints. They noted the city’s fiscal emergency could make funding more challenging, and the council would need to decide how much money to reserve in upcoming budgets for planning work. One member proposed asking relevant staff for initial budget figures now so the council could consider adding a line item to the 2026 budget cycle.
No formal action or contract authorization occurred in committee; the discussion amounted to a direction to pursue cost information and to coordinate with administration and department leads. Members said the community survey results — once broadened through additional outreach — would be the principal public input the council would use to scope any master-plan work.
