Request For Proposals – Public Engagement & Retreat Facilitation Services

The Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC) is undertaking a full update to the Rutland Regional Plan (the Plan). The RRPC is legally mandated to prepare the Plan pursuant to Title 24, Chapter 117, of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, commonly referred to as the Vermont Municipal and Regional Planning and Development Act. The purpose of the Plan is to guide and accomplish coordinated and efficient community economic development in our region, which is comprised of 27 municipalities (all those in Rutland County except for Pittsfield). The Plan will establish goals, policies, and actions in the areas of land use, economic development, transportation, housing, utilities and facilities, energy, agriculture and forestry, natural resources, historic, cultural, archeological, and scenic resources, and flood resilience.

Providing opportunities for public engagement throughout the Plan development process is critical to the success of this Plan update.

The Plan update will involve all RRPC staff – it will be an “all hands on deck” effort with several newer staff members (having worked at the RRPC for a year or less). To kick off the drafting phase of the Plan update, the RRPC will hold a 2-day offsite retreat with staff. The retreat is intended to orient the staff with the Plan update process; review the draft Plan contents; brainstorm Plan goals, policies, and actions; and position everyone for specific writing assignments.

Therefore, we are inviting proposals from consulting firms to assist the RRPC with 1) developing the outreach strategy for engaging participants, stakeholders, and the public in the Plan update process and 2) planning for and facilitating a staff retreat to kick off the Plan update.