Planning Commission Training

Training must be tailored to the specific needs of the organization and the Planning Commission and must recognize the unique operations and specific needs and challenges associated with the mountain town community of Teton County. At a minimum, training should cover the topics further outlined in the Description of Required Services below.

The goal of the training is to provide the skills, tools, confidence, and processes required for Teton County Planning Commissioners to thoroughly assess applications in a professional manner and provide the Teton County Board of County Commissioners with useful, clearly articulated, and well-reasoned recommendations. Training must facilitate listening skills, an appreciation for working within the structure of the Land Development Regulations, and clear, community-driven outcomes. Training must identify the Planning Commission's specific needs and utilize leading training ideas and techniques, recognizing Teton County's unique setting and needs.

Public Purchase website:

This RFQ will be posted on the Public Purchase website: ( https://www.publicpurchase.com/gems/login/login ) using BID ID number: 182628.

Respondents must register (free) on the website to access the RFQ and respond to it.

Questions regarding the RFQ may be posted on the Public Purchase website. Answers will be posted and both questions and answers will be available to all respondents. Responses will be opened publicly on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 4:15 PM in the Teton County Planning and Building Services Office (200 S Willow Street, Jackson, WY, 83001).

Schedule: The County will adhere to the following schedule in the receipt, review, and evaluation of Submittals:

January 24, 2024 — RFQ available for distribution

February 21, 2024 — Submittal due date – 4:00 PM (Mountain Standard Time)

March 1, 2024 — Completion of submittal evaluations by Selection Committee

March 6 - 8, 2024 — Interviews with finalist persons/firms

April 9, 2024 — Tentative – Board of County Commissioners consider contract with recommended vendor

Description of Required Services:

Teton County has a population of 23,287, a household median income of $94,498, and a median home price of $3,450,000. Teton County government is comprised of 17 departments and elected offices with approximately 365 employees and a $124 million annual operating budget. The County is committed to promoting and providing for the safety, health, and welfare of its citizens and visitors and provides a full array of services, including law enforcement, planning & building, public works, environmental and public health services, library, fire protection, parks and recreation, housing, and administrative services. Further information on Teton County is available on the County's website, https://www.tetoncountywy.gov/ .

Teton County is governed in part by a five-member Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The BCC is advised on development and conditional use proposals, variances, and long-range planning projects such as amendments to the official zoning map and changes to the Land Development Regulations by a fivemember, volunteer Planning Commission. Citizens apply to and interview with the BCC for a seat on the Planning Commission. If appointed, Planning Commissioners serve terms of three years. Planning Commissioners evaluate applications in light of the County's Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations (LDRs) and other applicable laws and regulations to make recommendations to the BCC regarding approval or denial. Full text of the County's Comprehensive Plan and Land Development

Regulations is available on the Jackson/Teton County Long-Range Planning website: https://jacksontetonplan.com .

The Planning Commission meets twice monthly. The Planning Commission's Hearing Procedures and Rules of Procedure are available online at https://www.tetoncountywy.gov/1051/Planning-Commission

Teton County has identified a need to support the County's Planning Commission through bespoke training. Teton County is a unique mountain town community and there is a need for training that recognizes the nuances and complexities specific to operating as a Planning Commission in that regulatory environment. There is a need to ensure that Teton County's Planning Commissioners are knowledgeable and competent in best practices related to their role in evaluating applications, making findings, and presenting recommendations to the Board of County Planning Commissioners. Providing training to Planning Commissioners that considers the unique conditions and needs in Teton County will assist them in developing the skills, tools, confidence, and processes to thoroughly assess applications in a professional manner and provide the Board of County Commissioners with clearly articulated recommendations and the reasons behind each of them.

The chosen consultant is expected to begin with a thorough assessment and understanding of how the Planning Commission currently functions and how it interacts with the planning department and with the Board of County Commissioners, to determine whether the Planning Commission is doing so as efficiently and effectively as it could for the benefit of all parties including the public it serves.

The chosen consultant is expected to develop a tailored training plan that will address the unique needs of the Planning Commission and the community. Teton County expects that training will include, but not be limited to, such topics as:

• Effective listening skills
• Identifying and resolving problems specific to proposals
• Eliciting and using citizen feedback on proposals
• Understanding the objectives of the County Commissioners and other government agencies with regard to development
• How to optimize Planning Commission and planning staff interactions in Planning Commission meetings and other venues in order to be more efficient and effective.
• Understanding procedural and substantive due process of law as applicable to the Planning Commission
• The role of transparency, disclosure, and accountability
• The role/responsibilities of the planning staff, Planning Commission chairperson, and individual Planning Commission members
• Best practices for on-site visits
• Best practices for meeting preparation and individual pre-meeting work that allows Planning Commissioners to ask effective questions of staff, the applicant, and the public in subsequent public meetings
• Best practices for the content and length of presentations during meetings
• Best practices in listening to and interacting with staff, applicants, and public commenters during meetings
• Best practices for having candid and productive conversations on each application
• Best practices for discussing questions and positions on an application and the appropriate parameters for decision-making.
• Best practices for formulating and documenting recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners in a way that allows for a clear understanding of the Planning Commission's position on each application

Proposal Format:

Suggested RFQ Response Format – although respondents are welcome to submit a proposal in any format of their choosing, the following information is recommended for inclusion:

• Cover Letter – Letter must be signed by a person having the authority to commit the respondent to a contract to be accepted.
• Summary of Approach – Summarize the overall approach to this project, highlighting specific method(s) or process(es) proposed. E.g., provide a detailed outline of the leadership coaching and training process that your firm will follow, a detailed summary of the methods and tools that your firm will use to assess the Planning Commission's knowledge, skills and abilities, etc.
• Personnel Qualifications – Identify lead and support personnel and include resumes of such with listings of relevant experience and areas of expertise.
• Contractor Experience – Identify similar work done within the last 3 years.
• List of References - Proposals must include references for clients for which the responding individual or firm has provided similar professional services within the last three years.
• Proposed Contract – Please submit a proposed contract for professional services for consideration.
• Suggestions or Improvements - If the proposing firm feels that the scope of services, as described in this RFQ and attached appendices, may be improved upon by additions, deletions, or changes, those changes should be clearly stated in the submittal.
• Conflicts of Interest – List any potential conflicts of interest.
• Pricing – The fee schedule shall be placed in a separate file from the original proposal and should include the proposed billing mechanism(s) (e.g., hourly rates, day or half-day rates, travel and expense billing, etc.).

Evaluation Criteria:

1. Each person or firm will be evaluated based on the requirements and criteria outlined in the section below. Teton County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
2. Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by a committee organized by the Teton County Planning Director.
3. Scoring: 10 – Excellent; 7.5 – Good; 5.0 – Satisfactory; 2.5 – Marginal; 0 – Unsatisfactory
4. Interviews: As a result of the evaluation phase, interviews may be required. If interviews are held, proposals will be reevaluated against the requirements and criteria below and proposals will be judged against final scoring.

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