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Council rejects Swanson Haskamp, awards comprehensive-plan update to Bolton & Mank
Summary
Council split over whether to rehire a prior consultant. A motion to accept Swanson Haskamp failed 4–3; council later awarded the comprehensive-plan amendment contract to Bolton & Mank with a $27,993 budget.
The Brainerd City Council on March 2 debated multiple proposals to update the city’s comprehensive plan and ultimately awarded the work to Bolton & Mank after rejecting the planning commission’s top recommendation.
Staff asked the council to accept a proposal from Swanson Haskamp to perform a high-level comprehensive plan review and updates; the planning commission had recommended Swanson Haskamp. Councilmembers raised concerns about prior performance and value. Councilmember Bevins said the firm had not delivered on earlier tasks and announced he would vote against the motion: "We begged them year after year...so far, 10 years later, we've gotten nothing." Councilmember Gabe Johnson said he opposed updating a five-year-old plan that he considered flawed.
The motion to accept Swanson Haskamp failed on roll call (No: Bevins, Chesak, Johnson, Stunick; Yes: Yaeger, Erickson, O'Day). After discussion, Councilmember Bevins moved to award the contract to Bolton & Mank with an expenditure of $27,993; that substitute motion passed on roll call and the council instructed staff to return with a formal agreement.
Council members and staff noted all three proposals were competitive and that Bolton & Mank and other finalists had local offices; staff said the planning commission's recommendation is advisory and the council may select a different firm.
Next steps: staff will finalize an agreement with Bolton & Mank and return to the council with contract documents for approval.
