Specifications include, but are not limited to: Task 1 – Project Management and Coordination The Consultant will be required to manage the study and coordinate with any subconsultants, as well as be responsible for all documentation and equipment needs. The Consultant will identify a project manager from their team to act as the direct point of contact for the City of Minot’s project manager. The Consultant should expect monthly (or, at times, bi-weekly) progress meetings with the City to discuss the status of the project, seek any guidance, clarification, or information, and discuss any issues or concerns regarding the project. The Consultant should expect additional meetings with the Minot City Council on an as-needed basis. We anticipate that these meetings will usually be virtual web-based meetings. Additionally, the Consultant should expect to prepare monthly progress reports, submit adequate documentation of any and all travel and expense receipts, and prepare and submit invoices on a monthly basis. When submitting progress reports, the Consultant and subconsultant(s), if applicable, will be required to outline the following: • Performed work during the reporting period. • Upcoming tasks. • Upcoming milestones. • Status of scope and schedule. All invoices, travel and expense receipts, and progress reports, are due to the City’s project manager no later than the 2nd Thursday of each month to ensure invoices are processed in a timely fashion. Task 2 – Data Collection Data necessary to conduct the analysis shall be collected and documented as part of the study. These data components will be used to establish existing conditions, and will be critical to the identification of issues and both short term and longer-term needs. Consultants should identify the data necessary to conduct the needs analysis and respond to the questions and concerns as described in Task 4, as part of their proposal. Data collected should include information about the existing housing program and incentives within the study area, and their level of effectiveness. If feasible, data collection should be able to be geo-coded and illustrated in maps to further illustrate where growth and change is occurring. Ideally, common census units should be used to understand factors graphically with maps. At the conclusion of this study, data collections and assemblies should be shareable with the client for future use in GIS or other data management software as coordinated with the Client. Task 3 – Public and Stakeholder Input The Consultant will propose an approach to stakeholder engagement, which shall ultimately be placed in a public outreach and communication plan, to be reviewed and approved by the Study Review Committee (SRC). The consultant should propose how the team would handle both virtual and in-person meetings. SRC membership may include representation from the City of Minot, Minot Association of Builders, Minot Air Force Base, Minot Housing Authority, and Minot Area Chamber EDC. Focus groups related to the housing, development, mortgage/finance, and real estate industries should be recommended by the consultant team with input from local SRC members. The study participants are also interested in the experiences of recent home buyers and those currently searching for a home to buy. The consultant should explain the extent to which input from the general public is also important to this project, and consultants need to present an approach to gathering input from the public. The consultant should include in their scope of work a plan to gather input and experiences from recent home buyers or prospective home buyers (currently searching) representing different price points within the local market. The consultant should also include in their scope of work a plan to seek input and experiences from households on the lowest spectrum of the market, such as those who are fully dependent upon social security, or those for whom housing costs exceed thresholds considered ideal from an affordability perspective. Seniors living in subsidized housing are also a group of interest. The City maintains an up-to-date list of local media outlets that can be used for press releases regarding public input opportunities. Public notices and social media boosts shall be paid for out of the project budget. If direct mailings are needed to large numbers of recipients, the City will work with the consultant and local partners to determine the best approach to paying for printing and postage. Website options for the project could consist of either a project website, or content provided for a housing study page within City’s website. Proposals should explain your team’s recommended approach.
