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Commission schedules interviews for comprehensive-plan consultants in January
Summary
Zoning administrator Heidi Harris reported four proposals were received and commissioners directed staff to schedule public, open-session interviews beginning Jan. 13 with firms pitching comprehensive-plan services.
Coffey County’s zoning administrator, Heidi Harris, told commissioners that four firms submitted proposals in response to the county’s request for proposals for a comprehensive plan. Harris said she had provided the proposals to county staff and a planning consultant for review and asked the commission how it wished to proceed with interviews.
The commissioners directed Harris to schedule open-session interviews, recommending Jan. 13 as the start date and proposing time slots that would avoid morning agenda conflicts. Commissioners discussed whether to use a small interview committee — a model previously suggested that would include one commissioner, the planning-board chair and staff — or to have the full commission attend pitches. Harris said the pitches should be open to the public and that any follow-up proprietary questions could be handled in executive session if needed.
Why it matters: A comprehensive plan would guide county growth, zoning and regulatory updates. Commissioners emphasized understanding firms’ approaches, references and costs before committing county funds. Harris said the initial RFP step was intended to determine the likely cost range; the county has not yet taken a formal vote to proceed with hiring a firm or to appropriate funds.
Details: Harris said she had contacted other jurisdictions that worked with the prospective firms to ask whether the plans were used and how responsive the consultants were. She described the proposals as available in her office and recommended scheduling hour-long presentations with time reserved for questions; commissioners discussed extending slots to 90 minutes depending on firms’ needs. Harris proposed starting interviews at 1 p.m. on Jan. 13 to avoid disrupting morning meetings.
Next steps: Harris will contact the firms to set interview times and place the presentations on the commission agenda; commissioners said they would invite the planning-board chair to attend. Any recommendation from an interview committee would be brought back to the full commission for a final decision on contracting and funding.
