Planning commission asks city manager to establish consultant review process, recommends RFP triggers

The Harbor Springs Planning Commission voted April 16 to recommend that City Council direct the new city manager to develop a formal process for reviewing contracted services and, where appropriate, to use requests for proposals (RFPs).

The recommendation, moved by Commissioner Charles and approved by roll call, asks the city manager to create a review method that triggers re-evaluation of consultant agreements based on time and/or dollar thresholds; to solicit input from all commissions affected by a given service; and to advise City Council on when an RFP is appropriate going forward.

Why it matters: commissioning regular reviews and RFPs for significant consultant contracts aims to ensure fiscal responsibility and give the community and affected advisory bodies a voice in vendor selection. Commissioners said they rely heavily on planning consultants for major projects such as the master plan and want a predictable, transparent cadence for re-evaluation.

Commissioner Charles read the motion into the record, saying the recommendation would “ensure that a consultant agreement is reviewed on an ongoing basis over time, over dollars,” and called for the city manager to provide the procedure and timing. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote recorded in the transcript as: Kenny — Yes; Chip — Yes; Bob — Yes; Karen — Yes; Vanessa — Yes; Barry — Yes.

Commission discussion emphasized three elements the recommendation should include: a trigger (time and/or dollar amount) for review; meaningful input from commissions that use the service; and a city-manager-led review to define the review method, value metrics and the use of RFPs. Several commissioners said the intent was not to single out any current vendor but to institutionalize good procurement practice.

Jeff, a planning staff member, explained that the city’s approach has sometimes resembled a hiring or part-time-employee process rather than a procurement cycle for high-dollar consulting services. Commissioners urged that the new city manager be given several months to settle in before launching a sweeping review and that the planning commission be given an opportunity to provide input on planning-related scopes.

Next steps: The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for consideration; staff said the city manager would be responsible for defining specific triggers and the mechanics of any RFP process.

Outcome: Motion to recommend a consultant-review process and RFP guidance passed (recorded roll call yes votes in the transcript: Kenny; Chip; Bob; Karen; Vanessa; Barry).