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Commissioners authorize RFP for project‑management services for justice‑facility planning, make Phase 2 optional
Summary
The board approved publishing an RFP for project‑management services to guide predesign and stakeholder facilitation for a future justice facility and campus planning, adding language that Phase 2 (design/oversight) will be optional and subject to subsequent board approval; the city of Traverse City signaled support for a bid alternate.
The Board of Commissioners directed county administration to prepare and publish a request for proposals for project‑management services to advance predesign work and stakeholder engagement for a planned justice facility, with Phase 2 design and oversight expressly optional.
County administration explained the RFP would help the board answer foundational questions before a potential 2027–2028 construction timeline: where county services should be located, what shared campus infrastructure would require, and how a future jail or justice facility could co‑locate with other services. Commissioners debated whether Phase 1 (visioning/feasibility) and Phase 2 (design/development oversight) should be bundled. Concerns included the risk that a design‑focused vendor could bias early conceptual work toward a specific construction solution.
Benjamin Marantette, interim city manager for Traverse City (speaker 16), told commissioners the city supports a bid alternate that would allow the city to join the county’s engagement process. Commissioners asked that the RFP require proposers to demonstrate the discipline to facilitate objective visioning and to include qualifications for specialist input on correctional facilities where needed. Board direction made Phase 2 optional and subject to later board approval so the county can use Phase 1 to test concepts and estimate downstream costs without committing to design services.
What happens next: County administration will finalize the RFP language reflecting the board’s comments, include a bid alternate for city participation, publish the RFP and return with proposed respondents and recommended next steps for contracting and public engagement.
