2. Park Plan RFP Nov 2021City of Scandia Request for Proposals
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City of Scandia
Request for Proposal (RFP)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR A PARKS, RECREATION, AND
OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN
Issued: November 23, 2021
PROPOSALS DUE BY: JANUARY 28, 2022 AT 4:00PM
Proposals to be submitted to:
City of Scandia, 14727 209th Street North, Scandia, Minnesota 55073 or mail@ci.scandia.mn.us .
City of Scandia Request for Proposals
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I. Project Description
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to select a consultant to facilitate and
prepare a Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROs) Master Plan for the City of Scandia. This
planning process will also serve as an update to the 2005-2025 Comprehensive Parks, Trails,
Open Space and Recreation Plan that was originally adopted by the New Scandia Township on
July 18, 2006. The selected firm will have proven experience and knowledge in park and
recreational planning and experience with public and other stakeholder engagement.
The Plan drives City parks long-range and near-term planning and directs decision-making and
resources toward a clearly defined vision for its future, including development and
redevelopment of the parks, facilities, open space, public art and recreation system over the next
fifteen (15) years.
The planning process consists of the following components: needs assessment, visioning,
identifying and evaluating community needs, priorities and opportunities, defining level of
service standards, and creating a phased implementation and financial plan.
It must include public involvement, provide realistic goals for implementation and prioritize the
actions needed to implement the plan.
The project is intended to be funded by City funds. Proposals that provide the scope of work in
the most cost-effective manner will be viewed more favorably.
A. Community Background
The City of Scandia, Minnesota is a rural community located in northern Washington County, at
the edge of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. Formerly known as New Scandia Township
until its incorporation on January 1, 2007, the City of Scandia is a community with a rich history
as the site of the first Swedish immigrants to settle in Minnesota. The historic village center
(located around the intersection of Oakhill Road and Olinda Trail) is home to a business
community that provides many goods and services and is the focal point of community life.
Scandia's 39.7 square miles represent a scenic, rolling landscape dotted with lakes, woodlands,
farms and low-density rural development. The St. Croix River, Big Marine Lake, and William
O’Brien State Park are three natural gems that are among the community’s greatest attractions.
A Summary of the City’s parks and trail systems can be view on the City’s website at:
https://cms5.revize.com/revize/scandia/city_services/parks_and_recreation/existing_park_inf
ormation.php
Scandia's population (2020 Census) is 3,984 persons in 1,717 households.
The community’s 2005-2025 Comprehensive Parks, Trails, Open Space and Recreation Plan was
adopted by the New Scandia Township on July 18, 2006. The Documents can be viewed by
visiting:
City of Scandia Request for Proposals
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https://weblink.cityofscandia.com/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=84983&dbid=0&repo=Laserfich
e&cr=1
II. Project Overview
A. Summary
The City of Scandia is looking for a visionary planning and design team to create a master plan
and design its community park system.
The project will also require scoping input from the community members, the Park and
Recreation Committee, Scandia City Council, staff, and other key community stakeholders to
inform a planning and design process. This project will be used as the base information for
future park enhancements and development.
Part of the project area will incorporate a future arts and cultural heritage center, which will have
a historic water tower barn as its focal point. The design aspect of this part of the project area
will be conducted independently with a private, non-profit organization, the Scandia Heritage
Alliance. However, this group will be a key stakeholder group to collaborate with regard to
improvement plans for the Community Center Park.
B. Additional Criteria for Both Projects
All elements of this project will need to maintain continuity with the City’s Comprehensive Plan,
City zoning regulations, and State Fire Code regulations.
C. Key Project Objectives
1. The consultant shall review existing City documents related to the city parks and open
space and the Scandia 2040 Comprehensive Plan to develop a baseline understanding of
existing facilities.
2. Present a reasonable, cost-effective plan for community outreach and engagement. The
community outreach process for this project will be critical in engaging the community in
this process and building support for identifying needs in the community related to this
plan. The consultant shall determine satisfaction levels of current offerings from users and
non-users and identify unmet needs in the community. The outreach plan can include a
survey, community workshop, stakeholder meetings, or other methods. Engagement
activities should refrain from the use of technical jargon to assure the greatest possible level
of engagement of all stakeholders.
The City recognizes the necessity of taking precautions during a global pandemic.
Proposals should reflect strategies that have the strongest likelihood for community
engagement while taking appropriate safety precautions.
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3. The consultant will provide services to the City that will result in a parks and recreation
needs assessment that addresses projected community needs to guide future planning
efforts. This process should be informed by demographic trends and the characteristics of
Scandia using available statistical information. The results of this analysis should also be
used to inform the design and phased development plans and future improvements of
community parks, open space, and trails.
4. Develop an improvement plan identifying short- and long-term improvements that both
address community needs and enhance the quality of city parks and recreational amenities.
The consultant should incorporate an implantation plan that incorporates prioritization,
anticipated costs, potential funding sources, and operational and maintenance implications.
5. Evaluate existing park amenities, use the evaluation to inform a design that is developed in
collaboration with key community stakeholders to guide future phased park improvements.
6. The contractor should schedule check-ins at key intervals with the City Council to assure
the project is constant with City goals.
7. Present a final deliverable design and report to the City Council.
E. Final Design, Report, and Presentation
The project should supply the City with a final report that includes the following components:
1. Design Maps and Renderings
2. Project Report
a. An executive summary.
b. A report on the research that informed the plan’s development.
c. Explanation of community outreach and other stakeholder engagement
methodology and how it was included in the project’s recommendations and design
elements.
d. Present recommendations and structure them in the form of development phases
based on short and long-term needs that are financially practical for
implementation.
e. Incorporate visual examples.
f. An explanation that identifies how this project conforms with the 2040
Comprehensive Plan.
3. A Presentation to the City Council.
Copies of deliverables shall be provided to the City in electronic form, but two print copies of
Design Maps, Final Report, and visual aids used as part of the final presentation shall be also
supplied. Contractors must note that all materials in final project materials and those used in
the course of this project may be subject to Minnesota Data Practices Laws. Therefore, all final
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deliverables shall be the property of the City of Scandia, but the Contractor shall be credited for
its role in authoring and creating the material.
The consultant shall prepare a Draft report for advisory committee (the Scandia Park and
Recreation Committee) to review and comment before presenting to the City Council.
VI. Required Submittals
1) Description of the Consultant’s proposed overall approach to the project
including strategy used to accomplish the City’s project objectives and the
scope of services described in Sections I and II.
2) Description of the methods proposed to complete each task in the scope of
services (Section II letters A-J). Provide a proposed project timeline that
indicates the approximate schedule for completing each task. Describe the
allocation of the project budget by task. Submit proposed fee and reimbursable
expense schedules as necessary to accomplish the scope of services.
3) Description of the Consultant’s experience in preparing facility and park master
plans.
4) Supply a proposed Project Schedule
5) Description of the Consultant’s staffing plan for the project, including resumes
and qualifications of key personnel.
6) Identify all subcontractors utilized.
7) Supply the City with references and demonstrated competence on similar
projects.
8) Be able to supply the City with a certificate of insurance for commercial general
liability at least as broad as
ISO CG 0001 (per occurrence) ........................................... 1,000,000
(General aggregate)................................................................. 2,000,000
Commercial auto liability at least as broad as
ISO CA 0001 (per accident) ..................................................1,000,000
Errors and omissions liability (per claim and aggregate) ...1,000,000
VII. Role of Staff
1) Technical resource for conformity with local zoning and building regulations.
2) Coordination of meetings (hearing notices, dissemination of press releases, scheduling
meetings, etc.)
3) Production of copies of documents
4) Coordination of meetings and promotion of survey activities.
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VIII. Calendar of Events
Date/s Event
November 23, 2021 Date of issue of the RFP
4:00 pm, January 28, 2022
RFPs due
February 7, 2022
Parks and Recreation Committee reviews RFPs and selects 2-
3 finalists
Week of February 14, 2022
Park and Recreation Committee interviews finalists and
recommends finalists to City Council consideration
March 2, 2022
City Council selects a consultant and authorizes staff to draft
service contract agreement with consultant
March 15, 2022
Council approves service agreement with consultant.
Proposals should include a proposed project schedule that can achieve project completion
within 6-9 months.
VIII. Contact Information:
Inquiries concerning this RFP should be directed to the Project Manager:
Ken Cammilleri, City Administrator
14727 209th Street North
Scandia, MN 55073
(651) 433-2274
k.cammilleri@ci.scandia.mn.us
IX. Miscellaneous Information
Visit or contact the project manager for additional information.
X. PROPOSAL EVALUATION.
A. The City of Scandia will evaluate all complete proposals received by the deadline.
Incomplete proposals, late proposals, or proposals sent to any other address will not be
considered. In some instances, an interview or demonstration may be part of the
evaluation process.
B. The first part evaluation will be limited strictly to the general submission requirements and
project specific requirements as outlined in Sections I, II, and VI.
C. The second part evaluation of all proposals shall be based upon deriving the “Best Value”
for the City of Scandia. Best Value means achieving an appropriate balance between price
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and other factors that are key to the delivery of satisfactory deliverables. A proposal that
obtains a low price but does not include other necessary qualities and features as specified
in this RFP does not meet the Best Value criterion. Factors upon which the proposals will
be judged include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Vendor’s industry experience and previous experience in performing similar work,
particularly with public sector entities and public employers in the state of Minnesota;
2. Thoroughness, quality, specificity, robustness, flexibility of Vendor’s approach/
methodology, including the approach to accounting for both public input;
3. Cost estimate;
4. Vendor’s past performance and client references.
5. Timeliness of start date after contract execution, and ability to complete a thorough
market study and provide high-quality deliverables within a compact time frame.
XI. Additional Terms and Conditions
A. The City of Scandia reserves the right to determine, at its sole and absolute discretion,
whether any aspect of a proposal satisfactorily meets the criteria established in this RFP.
This RFP does not commit the City to select a consultant, to pay any costs incurred in the
preparation of a proposal for this request, or to produce or contract for services. The City
reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this request,
or to modify or cancel in part or in its entirety the RFP/Q if the City determines it is in the
best interest of the City to do so.
B. All submitted Proposals/Qualifications become the property of the City upon submission.
C. The City of Scandia reserves the right to request additional information from Vendors
during any phase of the proposal evaluation process. During the evaluation and selection
process, the City may require the presence of Vendor’s representatives. Vendors are
required to travel at their own expense for the demonstration of the product and answer
questions; vendors may be asked to participate in a video conference or a conference by
telephone. Notification of any such requirements will be given as necessary.
D. The City of Scandia will not pay for the information solicited or obtained. The information
obtained will be used in determining the alternative that best meets the needs of the City.
E. The City reserves the right to amend this RFP by Addendum.
F. City will notify all of the proposers of the selection panel’s recommendation. Consultants
desiring a debriefing will be allowed to make an appointment with the City. Debriefings will
not be scheduled until the City Council has acted on selecting a proposal.