CITY OF OXFORD REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Parks and Trails Master Plan for the City of Oxford

Proposals are due on or before 5:00 p.m. CST on June 20, 2025

City RFP Link

Introduction

The City is seeking proposals and qualifications from firms that have experience and knowledge in parks and recreation and trails planning, project management, and effective public involvement processes who will work closely with City staff to conduct public outreach, gather input, and draft a Parks and Recreation Master Plan for consideration by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

Community Background

The City of Oxford, county seat of Lafayette County, is set in the rolling hills of north central Mississippi. A historically small town which has experienced substantial growth in recent years, Oxford's population grew by over 30% from 2010 to 2020 and now boasts more than 27,000 residents. Oxford is home to The University of Mississippi, the state's flagship university, and is consistently recognized as one of America's best college towns. In addition to the 27,000 students, the university has an enrollment of approximately 23,000 students that live in the community 10-12 months each year.

The City manages approximately fifteen (15) parks encompassing more than 300 acres, including a City pool, activity centers, open space, and more. Among Oxford's parks and facilities are Pat Lamar Park in Oxford, MS is a serene outdoor arboretum on 50+ acres featuring lovely walking trails, garden features, art sculptures, and a quiet lake, designed for peaceful individual or family enjoyment amidst natural greenery, Woodlawn Park, a public park focused on sustaining and showcasing native environments, Howell Activity Center, host of leisure lifestyle classes and youth and adult programming that includes, basketball, pickleball, volleyball, gymnastics, etc. as well as walking tracks and mTrade Park, which includes baseball, softball/fastpitch and soccer fields.

As the City continues to grow, accounting for and reserving space for parks and other recreational space is important to addressing the community's desire for visible, accessible, and engaging activities and park spaces. 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 Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

Scope of Services

The City of Oxford wishes to employ a qualified firm to develop the city's first Comprehensive Parks and Trails Master Plan. The scope of services listed below is not intended to be a comprehensive list of what the firm will provide. The final scope of services will be developed in collaboration with the selected firm.

Initial Review and Analysis

1. Interviews: The Consultant will conduct interviews or hold meetings with Aldermen, City staff and stakeholder groups.
2. Park Inventory: Review the City's inventory and assess the existing parks, trails, green space and facilities. The existing facilities should be compared to national benchmarking standards.
3. Review the City Plans to identify possibilities for new parks, trails, and recreational amenities including Vision 2037 Comprehensive Plan and other pertinent Oxford Park Commission documents.

Community Engagement

1. Identify and describe a comprehensive strategy and methodology that would be implemented with the project for broad community engagement in the planning effort and for gathering information and public input, including youth, in this Master Plan development process on challenges, opportunities, and community needs and aspirations regarding parks, trails and recreational amenities.
2. Provide well-organized and directed activities, as well as different outreach techniques that will ensure a robust engagement process.
3. The Consultant shall provide the records and summaries of the results of all public engagement processes and communications strategies that can be shared with the public.

Draft the Plan

1. Draft a Parks and Trails Master Plan that includes strategies, priorities, and an analysis of funding mechanisms for the operations, creation, expansion, and redevelopment of park systems, green spaces, trails (including trail amenities), and recreation programs and services. Particular attention should be given to developing park variety in Oxford. The master plan should include analysis and recommendations on the various types of parks needed from small neighborhood parks to larger regional parks and recreation facilities based on best practice.
2. Draft and prioritize recommendations for maintenance, renovation and operations of new and existing parks, trails, and recreation facilities. Include cost estimate on near-term projects for use by the City during budget sessions.
3. Recommend future areas for land acquisition and recreation facilities.
4. Recommend collaborative partnerships and other strategies to minimize duplication of facilities and programs.
5. Identify areas of service shortfalls and the impact these shortfalls may have on the community and economic development.
6. Identify and recommend opportunities to incorporate public art in existing and new parks.
7. Recommend enforceable standards for trail and parkland dedication within new developments to ensure all neighborhoods have adequate park space to meet the needs of residents.
8. Identify and recommend strategies to create trail connections to parks and other community destinations and to provide opportunities for learning about and experiencing these important natural features.

DELIVERABLES

A Parks and Trails Master Plan, a map of future areas for parks and trails, and proposed amendments to the City's Code of Ordinances to ensure adequate neighborhood open space is provided in new developments.

TIMELINE

This tentative timeline may be altered at any time at the discretion of the City of Oxford.

RFP Available to the public — May 07, 2025

Final day to submit questions regarding RFP — May 30, 2025 by 5:00 pm CST

Questions Answered — June 04, 2025 by 5:00 pm CST

Final day to submit a Notice of Intent to Apply — June 06, 2025 by 5:00 pm CST

Proposals due by 5:00 pm CST — June 20, 2025 by 5:00 pm CST

Proposals evaluated by RFP Committee — June 23-25, 2025

Firm selected, and contract negotiations begin — June 25, 2025

Submittal Requirements & Deliverables

Your response to this RFP shall be submitted in the following format and labeled accordingly:

1. Statement of Qualifications – Provide a brief written statement of your firm's qualifications for providing the work as described in the Scope of Work.
2. Organization, Ownership and Management
   1. Name, address and telephone of the entity that will be contracted with and all trade names.
   2. Name, address and telephone numbers of the organization's principal officers and other owners.
3. Team's Structure and Experience
   1. A statement of the expertise of each team member participating in the project and their specific role in the project.
4. Park & Trail Planning Experience – Provide a written statement of your firm's experience working with the development of and implementation of master plans for parks, recreation and trails planning. Substantial experience in park and trail planning is required.
5. Approach – Provide a written description of the Consultant's step-by-step approach to the project, including an estimated timetable.
6. Budget – Provide a detailed budget proposal based on the project's full scope of work that includes a project cost with a not to exceed cost of services.
7. Examples & Deliverables – Provide at least three (3) previously developed parks and trails master plan projects that demonstrate the consultant's ability to accomplish the project. For each project, include the community, agency, project description, cost, date completed, special elements, community engagement approaches, team members involved and references for each project listed (agency's contact information).
8. Conflict(s) of Interest – The submitting firm shall declare and provide details of any actual, potential or perceived conflict(s) of interest.

CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

1. Submittals in response to this request and respondents' participation in the process shall be at no cost or obligation to the City of Oxford. The City of Oxford reserves the right to, at any time, abandon or terminate its efforts to contract for any or all of said services without any obligation to any respondent.
2. Responses to this request and other materials submitted shall become the property of the City of Oxford and will not be returned.
3. Respondent shall not contact any City of Oxford personnel or staff after this request has been advertised, except to ask questions as specified below under "Respondent Questions." Such contact will be considered cause for disqualification.
4. The City of Oxford may waive any informalities or minor defects or reject any and all submittals.
5. The City of Oxford reserves the right to reject any submittal if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, such respondent demonstrates that such respondent or its subcontractors, in the City's opinion, is not properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the Contract or to complete the Work contemplated therein.
6. All applicable laws, ordinances, and the rules and regulations of all governmental authorities having jurisdiction shall apply to the Contract throughout.
7. By executing a signature on the submittal, respondent certifies that:
   1. Neither the respondent, nor any of its team members, is currently debarred from submitting proposals or entering into contracts issued by any political subdivision or agency of the State of Mississippi or the Federal Government.
   2. No Federally appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the respondent, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.
   3. If any funds other than federally appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, respondent shall complete and submit Standard Form LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions.

DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS

Please submit your responses in electronic pdf format. All proposals should include a clear, concise narrative. Proposal format is open to presentation style but shall include the aforementioned items.

Submissions should be sent to bjrequet@oxfordms.net with the subject line: "RFP: City of Oxford Parks & Trails Master Plan". Proposals may not be faxed.

Submittals received in any manner not specifically set forth above shall not be accepted or considered. Submittals received after the deadline will not be considered. It is the responsibility of the respondent to ensure that the submittal is received by the specified deadline. The delivery date and time will be recorded upon receipt.

RESPONDENT QUESTIONS

Note that all answers regarding questions and request for clarification for this RFP will be responded to publicly consistent with the schedule above to ensure that all respondents have the same information.

Email Ben Requet, AICP with any questions by May 30, 2025, at 5:00 pm CST at bjrequet@oxfordms.net.