INTRODUCTION

The City of Cedar Falls is seeking qualifications and proposals from qualified professional consulting firms to facilitate and draft a Parks and Recreation Master Plan for the community.

COMMUNITY BACKGROUND

Cedar Falls is located in Black Hawk County, Iowa, and has a population of approximately 41,000. Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), one of Iowa's three public universities. The Cedar River flows through the heart of the city and borders downtown Cedar Falls. The river and its tributaries create corridors and floodplain areas that provide opportunities for parks, walking and biking trails, recreation, and other amenities.

There are over 40 parks within Cedar Falls, encompassing approximately 940 acres of land. Some contain active recreational amenities and others are maintained as natural areas. In recent years, park improvements have included an inclusive park, pickleball complex, zip line park, an additional disc golf course, and pollinator prairies. We are currently conducting an internal audit of ADA compliance in all city facilities. The City also operates an outdoor swimming pool/water park, an indoor swimming pool, and a Fitness & Recreation Center.

A significant amount of parkland is in the Cedar River floodplain in northern Cedar Falls. Over the years, the City has acquired land through property buy-outs after flood events. Some flood buy-out areas have been turned into parks, for example, North Cedar Nature Preserve, a disc golf course, bike park, and pétanque court. Other land remains un-programmed.

Cedar Falls has an extensive network of trails throughout the community that consists of 40 miles of trails and 130 miles within the Cedar Valley. These trails provide connection to area parks and other important destinations such as UNI and Downtown.

The last parks plan was adopted in 1996 and many, if not most of the goals have been accomplished. The city continues to grow so a new plan is needed to address the parks and recreation needs of the community. The physical activities preferences have changed since 1996. Walking and biking remain popular, but new sports such as pickleball are becoming popular and supported by the community. Specific guidance is also needed to establish fair and consistent policies and regulations on park/open space dedication for new subdivisions. The City strives to be inclusive of all people who desire to live, work, and play in Cedar Falls, so the park's plan needs to reflect those values.

The City's recreational facilities are overseen by the Department of Community Development's Recreation and Community Programs Manager. The Department of Public Works' Operations and Maintenance Division Manager oversees all trail and park maintenance. The City has a Parks and Recreation Commission that works with both departments. Guidance is needed to make sure our parks accommodate all individuals and that an adequate amount of park space is available as the city grows. Lastly, we want our recreational amenities to keep up with current best practices.

The City is seeking proposals and qualifications from firms that have experience and knowledge in parks and recreation planning, project management, and effective public involvement processes who will work closely with City staff to conduct public outreach, gather input, and draft a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan for consideration by the Parks and Recreation Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission and City Council.

RFQ/RFP ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE

Week of July 8th: The Steering Committee will review the proposals and qualifications to determine which firms/consultants will be interviewed.

By July 16th: Firms/consultants will be contacted to schedule an interview.

Week of July 22nd: Interviews

Week of July 29th: Select firm/consultant.

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE

All qualifications and proposals must be received by 4:30 PM on June 14, 2024, to the address listed below. Any proposals received after that time will not be considered.

The City of Cedar Falls reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to negotiate the terms and conditions of all and/or any part of the proposals, and in general, to request for proposals and qualifications in the manner as determined to be in the City's best interest and sole discretion.

Send eight (8) original hard copies of the applicant, as described above, the insurance acknowledgment, and itemized cost in a separate envelope to:

City of Cedar Falls
RFP/RFQ for Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Attn: Michelle Pezley, Planner III
220 Clay Street
Cedar Falls, IA 50613

And one electronic version of the letter of transmittal, qualifications, and proposal must be submitted by email to Michelle.Pezley@cedarfalls.com. After initial review, consultants may be asked to submit additional information or to make a presentation to the Review Committee.

Please direct any inquiries regarding this RFP to Michelle Pezley at the email address above.

The scope of work and evaluation criteria may be found at http://www.cedarfalls.com/RFPRFQ