Council to consider 5-year review contract for Central27s comprehensive plan

Mayor (speaker 1) told the council the town had asked a consultant to prepare a proposal to perform the statutory five-year review of Central27s 2022 comprehensive plan, a process the mayor said should include updated demographics, land-use mapping and stakeholder outreach. "Every town is required to have a comprehensive plan. It is to be a 10 year plan, by law," the mayor said.

Planning Commission members urged a local consultant familiar with town issues. The packet described a six-month timeline, GIS mapping, and broad public engagement. The staff-recommended consultant was identified in the packet as Conduit Planning LLC with work coordinated through Michael Foreman; planning-commission leadership said the commission will form subcommittees and help advertise meetings. The chair of the planning commission explained the commission27s separate role under state law and said the update should guide future zoning and annexation decisions.

Council members asked whether the town should sole-source the contract or solicit bids. The mayor said there are statutory allowances to single-source when mitigating factors apply but that staff could advertise if council preferred. There was discussion about likely cost: one estimate in the packet noted a figure "around $30,000," while a planning commissioner said in practice six months of consultant work might not be significantly above that figure. The council agreed to have the item placed on the next regular meeting agenda so members and the public could review the consultant27s letter and packet before a formal vote.