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After heated master‑plan workshop, council halves consultant contract to $55,000 for one year
Summary
Rochester Hills City Council approved a one‑year, $55,000 planning‑consultant contract with Giffels Webster after councilmembers and the planning consultant acknowledged communication missteps at a recent joint workshop. The council voted unanimously to reduce the originally proposed two‑year $110,000 authorization to $55,000 for 2025.
Rochester Hills City Council on Dec. 16 approved a one‑year, not‑to‑exceed $55,000 contract with planning consultant Giffels Webster to support ongoing master‑plan work, after councilmembers raised concerns about the tone and clarity of a recent joint Planning Commission–Council workshop.
The contract before council had proposed a two‑year, $110,000 blanket purchase order through Nov. 30, 2026. Councilmember Missus Mongeoli offered an amendment to limit the authorization to $55,000 through Nov. 30, 2025; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Blair and carried unanimously.
Why this mattered to council
Several councilmembers and members of the public criticized the presentation and community outreach at a recent joint meeting with the Planning Commission. Jill Boehm of Giffels Webster acknowledged the meeting did not go as planned and told the council the firm’s goal is to produce a master plan the community will implement. “This is your community,” Boehm said in the hearing. “We’re here to help enable that and facilitate that to the best of our ability.”
Public comment and debate
Resident Scott Beaton, who addressed the council during public comment, urged the consultant and council to use the master plan to confront long‑term costs associated with low‑density development and to avoid “kicking the can down the road.” Councilmembers said survey design and question wording contributed to confusion about presented scenarios, and several members asked for more transparency on sampling methods and raw data.
Council action and next steps
The amended one‑year authorization tasks Giffels Webster to continue work on the master plan and brings the work back for council review in 2025. Councilmembers asked staff and the consultant to share raw survey data and to adjust outreach language so that residents better understand tradeoffs. “We’ve heard you loud and clear,” Boehm said after the vote, promising to return with a plan the council can support.
Provenance: planning contract debate and vote
Topic introduced: planning contract renewal presentation by Missus Roediger and Jill Boehm (transcript block ~4088.42).
Topic finish: council adopts the amended one‑year, $55,000 contract (motion recorded ~6078.46).
