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Council approves arboretum planning contract; staff aims for stronger grant application in 2026–27 cycle
Summary
The council approved a contract award for arboretum planning services; staff recommended WLA’s $51,000 proposal to strengthen the city’s application for an outdoor stewardship grant in the 2026–27 funding cycle.
The Newnan City Council on Oct. 14 approved a contract award for planning services tied to a proposed city arboretum project on roughly 30 acres near the public works facility.
Miss Kelsey, a city staff member, told council members that staff had sought proposals from five landscape-architecture firms and did not run a formal RFP. Staff recommended WLA’s proposal, priced at $51,000, because of the firm’s direct experience designing and operating an arboretum. Kelsey said staff and a partner reviewer, identified as Plant Noonan and Scott Burtis, independently assessed proposals and both favored WLA as the strongest candidate to improve the city’s competitiveness for an outdoor stewardship grant.
Kelsey said the city will push its grant application to the 2026–27 funding cycle to present a stronger submission. The planning contract covers community engagement and conceptual design work to support that application. Council approved the contract award by voice vote; the meeting transcript does not show a roll-call tally.
Kelsey noted the city opted to delay application to strengthen the submission and that staff would return as work proceeds and as grant schedules dictate.
