City taps NPV for Bayfront planning with $170,000 state grant and $30,000 city match; residents press for inclusive process

The City Council on Feb. 3 authorized the city manager to enter into an agreement with Nelson, Pope & Voorhees (NPV) to develop a Bayfront redevelopment plan, describing the work as a follow‑on to forthcoming sewer consolidation and critical infrastructure projects.

Staff said the city secured a $170,000 grant from the state to support the planning work and that the city would contribute $30,000 toward the project; staff characterized the matching contribution as the city’s portion of the grant requirements and recommended NPV as the top‑rated proposer whose price came in within budget.

Public commenters asked why five bids were unusually close in price and whether that suggested coordinated bidding; staff explained that professional‑services selection is qualifications‑based rather than low‑price and that the project budget and state grant were public when firms prepared proposals. City staff and counsel also noted New York State grant requirements, including minority/women‑owned business participation targets for subcontracting, and said the proposals included certified subconsultants to meet that requirement.

Residents urged the city to ensure community representation on planning bodies and to include historically underrepresented neighborhoods in outreach; one public speaker asked that an African American representative be included for the large Bayfront parcel. Staff committed to a robust public‑input process with stakeholder meetings, planning‑board involvement and outreach.