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Council approves $221,800 parks master-plan contract after members seek more procurement transparency
Summary
Bellaire council approved a not-to-exceed $221,800 contract with MHS Planning and Design for a citywide parks and recreation master plan. Staff and the consultant emphasized broad public engagement, and council asked that procurement materials and proposal details be included in future packets for transparency.
Council voted unanimously April 6 to authorize a letter agreement with MHS Planning and Design LLC to develop a systems‑wide parks and recreation master plan for the city, in an amount not to exceed $221,800.
Ryan Smith, director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, described a robust community-engagement program that will include pop‑up events, open houses, statistically valid surveys and meetings with athletic associations. "Community engagement is actually probably the most important part for this," Smith said, outlining the team's plan to reach residents and stakeholders.
Hunter Rush of MHS Planning told council the firm routinely submits plans for review to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to pursue matching grants; Rush said the state review is informal but important for eligibility and scoring for grants that can match up to $750,000 for eligible urban projects. Smith and Rush also told council the city's last parks master plan was adopted in 2015, and the new plan aims to analyze park access gaps and possible land-acquisition strategies for areas lacking nearby parks.
Council members sought additional procurement transparency. Councilmember Gordon asked that proposals and evaluation materials be included in agenda packets going forward so members can see the selection process; staff responded that respondents' proposals are sometimes included and that the city followed an RFP process that produced eight respondents and multiple interviews before selecting a finalist.
The ordinance authorizes the city manager to execute the agreement and directs staff to carry out the public-engagement steps described in the consultant contract.
