Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning And Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Park board discusses master plan vendors and budgeting; looks to solicit ballpark quotes
Summary
Board members discussed vendor options for a master plan (HWC; Taylor Seifter Williams Design; Randall Erstberger Associates), a local preference for a 'bare-minimum' DNR‑compliant package, and rough price expectations (examples in meeting ranged from about $40,000 to as much as $125,000 for different counties). The board agreed to collect ballpark quotes and revisit a price point in a future meeting.
The Jennings County park board spent a portion of its Jan. 27 meeting discussing options for a new park master plan and potential costs.
S1 described outreach to several firms, including HWC and two Indianapolis-based firms (Taylor Seifter Williams Design and Randall Erstberger Associates), and said she favored a local firm that could provide face-to-face service. She said she asked for a "bare-minimum package" to meet Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requirements rather than a high-end, costly plan.
Members discussed price expectations. S1 said one county she called paid $125,000 for a master plan; S2 and S4 said their city paid around $40,000 for a comparable plan. S1 and the board agreed to solicit ballpark figures from multiple firms and to set a price point at a later meeting so the cost can be budgeted; they discussed aiming to select a firm by January to allow planning and outreach to occur over the following months.
S4 noted that if the board seeks additional funds from the council, the council will expect the board to have solicited alternative quotes. The board asked S1 to reach out to one or two additional firms and bring comparative numbers back for the next meeting.
Next steps: staff will request ballpark quotes from HWC and the two Indianapolis firms and report back; the board will consider a formal procurement and budget allocation once staff provides clear cost estimates.
Representative quote: "I really just want bare minimum package, check off all those bullet points for the DNRs and pass..." — S1
