Consideration and Approval of Technical Editor / Graphic Design / Web Design Contract:  For purposes of the Flagstaff Regional Plan: Vision 2030 document.

To complete the community-driven and community/staff-drafted document, it must have professional technical editing, graphic design and web site application.  The Council and County Board of Supervisor appointed Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) as well as community member comments throughout the public process have mandated an easy-to-read and user friendly manual and website. 

The budget ($60,000) for the Technical Editor / Graphic Design / Web Design contract has been authorized as a one-time consultant money through the Budget Committee, to be used for the purpose of assistance in completing the Regional Plan.  The funds are from salary savings of one FTE planner who left.  Funding comes from 001-1616-552.10-01; expenditure will show up as 001-1616-552.20-06.

The Flagstaff Regional Plan: Vision 2030 is the policy guide and vision document, as well as the City's General Plan, to guide development, growth and conservation efforts for the next 20 years.  The Flagstaff Regional Plan's Vision and Guiding Principles support and implement all of Council's Goals.

No

1) Award Contract

2)  Do not award Contract
  

The three years of work to update the Flagstaff Regional Plan is nearly completed thanks to a broad public participation that has included a Council-appointed Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC), various focus group and working group recommendations.  These efforts have resulted in a near complete draft of the updated plan.  The draft now needs professional technical editing, graphic design, and all information available on an intuitive and navigable web site.

A Request for Proposal (RFP) was published in September, with five (5) proposals submitted by the due date of October 3.  All five submissions were compliant with RFP requirements and budget.  Six people served on the proposal evaluation team - three Core Planners, one of which helped the CAC develop the Style Guide; one member of the Convention and Visitor's Bureau; one member of IT/GIS; and 1 Citizen Advisory Committee member.  The Purchasing Director facilitated the process, calculated the final scores, and communicated with the company gaining the highest score - Central Creative. 

The Comprehensive Planning section had three full-time employees (FTE) working on the Regional Plan.  This complex process is now managed by one staff member in Comprehensive Planning.  The salary savings from one FTE's departure is being invested in a professional consultant to ensure a professional final product.  With the public review draft plan scheduled for release in the next few months, time is of the essence. 

The Flagstaff Regional Plan is a policy guide for the whole community, encompassing more than just city government operations and processes.  As such, and to foster continued and better mutual planning with entities such as NAU, FUSD and the Community College, the Regional Plan must be professional, effective, exciting, easy-to-understand and user-friendly.  It will be both a written document as well as available via the web.  To that end, using a firm with extensive experience in producing such documents will ensure a much more effective and usable policy guide. 

INFORM:  The RFP was published via the City's website, AZ Daily Sun, and e-mailed to interested parties. 
INVOLVE:  The CAC was asked to share the RFP with any and all interested parties, particularly local firms.  T
CONSULT:  Two CAC members, the whole Core Planning Team and the City's GIS reviewed and suggested changes to the RFP before it was published.  One CAC member served on the six-member review team.

1) Award Contract
    
Result:  Professional editing, graphic design and website will deliver the community vision message clearly and engage the public in transparent government processes.

 2)  Do not award Contract

Result:  Retain $60,000 in salary savings; the final Regional Plan document will not receive professional editing, graphic design or web site; sacrificing the potential of a great user-friendly community tool for foresight and long-range planning.  Final document will be internally produced and published.

11/06/2012 - EAB