Procurement for individual Comprehensive Plans for: Junction City/Geary County, City of Wamego, City of Milford, and City of Riley, Kansas.

Funded by the Flint Hills Regional Council (FHRC) OLDCC Installation Readiness Grant Release Date: November 10, 2025

Questions Due: November 17, 2025

SOQ Due: December 9, 2025, by 5:00 pm CT.

Submission Email: rfp@flinthillsregion.org

Subject Line: RFQ – FHRC Regional Comprehensive Plans – [Firm Name]

1) Overview & Purpose

The Flint Hills Regional Council (FHRC) is requesting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from experienced planning consultants (single firms or teams) to prepare Comprehensive Plans for Junction City/ Geary County, the City of Wamego, the City of Milford, and the City of Riley, KS, in accordance with Kansas statute 12-747. Additionally, each plan will include a Military Compatibility Element aligned to the 2017 Fort Riley Joint Land Use Study Recommendations (Section 7) and the 2022 Military Installation Resilience (MIR) Study as applicable to each community. See website: https://flinthillsregion.org

This qualifications-driven selection will emphasize demonstrated expertise in comprehensive planning, civil–military compatibility, intergovernmental coordination, infrastructure/capacity analysis, and inclusive public engagement. FHRC will award separate contracts by community. Firms may propose for one community, multiple communities, or all.

2) Background & Need for Assistance

As military missions evolve, surrounding communities face increasing pressure to balance compatible land use with growth and national security priorities. This regional planning initiative advances OLDCC's installation readiness goals by coordinating land use, infrastructure, and resilience planning.

3) Scope Summary (Qualifications Focus)

The selected firm(s) will deliver Kansas Statute 12-747 compliant plans with a Military Compatibility Element. Final scopes and fees will be negotiated with each community/county individually after selection.

Tasks and Deliverables

• Project Management & Kickoff: Project Management Plan; Public Participation Plan (PPP); Steering Committee formation; Fort Riley liaison protocol.
• Base Mapping & Data: GIS geodatabase; zoning/land use; transportation; utilities; floodplain/environmental; community assets; Fort Riley influence/impact areas; clear zone; vertical obstruction focus areas; noise contours; frequency-sensitive zones as noted in the JLUS or subsequent studies. Deliverables: installation-relevant base maps, shapefiles, and geodatabases to support mission assurance, encroachment analysis.
• Data Collection & Trend Analysis: Analyze land use, demographic characteristics, population trends, existing conditions of required elements, public facilities, historic and cultural resources, and future growth. Deliverable: Existing Conditions and Trends Report.
• Public Participation Planning: Develop and implement a Public Participation Plan, including steering committee facilitation and social media outreach. Deliverable: Public Participation Plan
• Identify Key Issues & Opportunities: Priority issues/goals identification across communities. Use surveys, interviews, and public meetings to identify community priorities and concerns. Deliverable: Issues Memo
• Vision, Goals Development: Define a community vision statement and supporting goals. Deliverable: Vision, Goals, and Objectives Memo
• Plan Development (Elements): Create detailed goals, strategies, and recommendations for categories, including but not limited to:
  • Land Use
  • Transportation & Mobility (ADA/active; emergency access/egress); Infrastructure & Utilities (capacity/phasing);
  • Economic Development (defense-supportive opportunities); Parks, Recreation & Open Space;
  • Historic, Cultural & Neighborhood Preservation;
  • Resilience & Hazard Mitigation (alignment with local/regional);
  • Military Compatibility Elements from JLUS as applicable. Deliverable: Plan Concepts and Recommendations
  • Evaluation and Draft Plan: Evaluate and prioritize plan concepts and recommendations. Deliverable: Draft Comprehensive Plan
  • Implementation Strategies: Develop policies and a matrix of implementation actions. Deliverable: Implementation Plan
  • Plan Adoption: Facilitate the public adoption process, including public hearings. Deliverable: Final Adopted Comprehensive Plan

Public Participation

Each participating jurisdiction will form a Steering Committee comprised of local residents, stakeholders, and community leaders. The consultant will facilitate regular meetings and at least 3 public meetings, in addition to public hearings before city and county commissions. Surveys, stakeholder interviews, and online engagement tools will supplement public input opportunities.

5) Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Content & Format

Length: 30 pages maximum (Submit as a single PDF (≤20MB).

SOQ must include:

• Cover Letter: Authorized signatory; communities proposed; prime/subs; confirmation of ability to execute by January 31, 2027.
• Firm/Team Profile: Organizational chart; roles; office locations. Project Understanding: Regional context; Fort Riley mission; JLUS/MIR integration; community-specific nuances.
• Approach Overview: Management, engagement strategy; GIS/mapping standards; accessibility and plain-language practices.
• Relevant Project Experience (3–4 projects) with summaries demonstrating: Previous comprehensive plans and adoption support;
• Military JLUS compatibility (MIOD overlays; Clear Zone/APZ; UAS; noise; frequency; tower/energy siting); Joint city–county planning experience; robust engagement and implementation tools (matrices, code updates). Include client, location, year, scope, budget magnitude (if public), key staff, and outcome.
• Key Personnel Resumes highlighting applicable work.
• Workload/Capacity Statement confirming availability to meet the schedule for one or multiple communities.
• References (minimum 3) with contact information; note projects where proposed key staff served in similar roles.

Administrative Forms:

Proof of insurance and disclosure of potential conflicts.

No pricing or fee information is requested at the SOQ stage. FHRC will request cost proposals only from shortlisted firms before negotiations.

6) Evaluation Criteria

• Relevant Comprehensive Planning Experience – 25%
• Military Compatibility & Defense Community Planning Experience – 20% Project Approach & Engagement
• Strategy – 15%
• Firm Qualifications & Team Resumes – 20% Firm Capacity/Timeline-10%
• Interview – 10%

7) Selection Process & Anticipated Schedule

Phase 1 – SOQ Review & Shortlist

Jurisdictional partners evaluate SOQs and form a shortlist per community (or regional bundle). December 2025

Phase 2 – Interviews/Orals (Shortlisted Teams)

45-minute presentations plus Q&A. Early January 2026

Phase 3 – Final Selection & Negotiation

Request community-specific scopes and cost proposals from shortlisted teams. FHRC/selection committees will negotiate the final scope and fee with the top-ranked team(s).

8) Administrative & Contract Conditions

• All work must comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws; FHRC procurement policies; and OLDCC grant requirements.
• SOQs are subject to applicable open records laws; clearly mark any proprietary material. Work products and data generated under the contract become the property of FHRC and the respective jurisdictions.
• The selected firm(s) must maintain required insurance and execute standard contractual assurances, including non-collusion and debarment certifications.

Firms may submit under this solicitation for any combination of communities — one, multiple, or all four-must clearly state in the cover letter which community(ies) they are proposing to serve.

9) Submission Instructions & Contact

Submit one electronic PDF (≤20MB) to rfp@flinthillsregion.org using the subject line above by December 9, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. CT. Late or incomplete submittals may be deemed nonresponsive. Questions must be submitted by the deadline; answers will be posted at https://flinthillsregion.org. Firms may submit under this solicitation for any combination of communities — one, multiple, or all four-must clearly state in the cover letter which community(ies) they are proposing to serve. ;