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Shrewsbury commissioners restart comprehensive-plan work and favor an RFP approach
Summary
City Administrator Dustin Ziebold and Plan Commission members discussed restarting Shrewsbury’s Comprehensive Plan and whether to issue an RFQ or RFP; commissioners urged focus on boosting commercial revenue, reviewing neighboring development trends, and engaging department heads and the Board of Aldermen.
City Administrator Dustin Ziebold opened the Nov. 19 Plan Commission meeting by asking members for feedback on how to restart the city’s Comprehensive Plan and specifically whether Shrewsbury should issue a request for qualifications (RFQ) or a request for proposals (RFP).
Commissioner Garen Miller said the city needs help increasing commercial revenue and noted that substantial preliminary work on a 2018 draft plan already exists. He urged commissioners to explore opportunities with nonprofit landholders, including whether the Archdiocese might consider making additional land available for commercial development.
Commissioner Anna Bischoff said she wanted the commission to review development trends in neighboring municipalities and to consider how those trends could affect Shrewsbury’s growth. Ziebold cautioned against promising acquisitions of new land and recommended "focus[ing] instead on maximizing the use of property the City already controls."
Commissioner Paul Sneed recommended issuing an RFP rather than an RFQ, saying the commission has “already completed substantial preliminary work” and that the city should be explicit about its needs. Sneed asked that the minutes reflect that contract awards should be based on the overall merits and qualifications of proposals rather than solely on the lowest bid, and he proposed that materials submitted as part of proposals become the City's property upon submission. Ziebold said he intends to engage department heads and members of the Board of Aldermen throughout the Comprehensive Plan process.
The commission did not take a formal vote on procurement method at the Nov. 19 meeting; members discussed process options and asked staff to refine the city’s needs before returning with procurement language.
Next steps: staff will prepare clearer scope language for the plan effort and coordinate input from department heads and the Board of Aldermen before presenting procurement documents for the commission’s consideration.
