Blakely Final RFP.docx

City of Blakely Comprehensive Plan

Introduction

The City of Blakely, Georgia is soliciting proposals from qualified planning consultants to prepare a Comprehensive Plan update that will guide the City’s growth, land use, infrastructure investment, and economic development over a 20-year planning horizon.

Blakely is entering a pivotal moment in its history. The construction of a 1-gigawatt data center campus within the community is expected to generate significant economic activity and development pressure across the region. This investment presents both challenges and opportunities — including increased demand for housing, infrastructure, workforce development, and services.

The City seeks a forward-looking plan that not only manages growth, but also leverages this moment to strengthen Blakely’s long-term economic vitality. The Comprehensive Plan should identify strategies to harness major investments, support local entrepreneurship, build community wealth, and preserve the character and quality of life that define Blakely.

The planning process should engage local leaders, businesses, institutions, and residents in identifying the community’s unique assets — including its agricultural economy, natural resources, strategic location, workforce potential, and cultural heritage — and developing strategies to translate those assets into new opportunities for economic growth and prosperity.

The City seeks a plan that is visionary yet practical, data-driven yet community-centered, and focused on implementation.

Project Background

Blakely is a rural community in southwest Georgia serving as the county seat of Early County. The City seeks to proactively manage development pressures resulting from major industrial investment while ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability and operational readiness.

Key planning drivers include:

The Comprehensive Plan must comply with Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) planning standards and requirements

Project Objectives

• Establish a clear long-term vision for community growth and prosperity

• Evaluate the impacts and opportunities associated with large-scale industrial and data center investment

• Guide land use, infrastructure investment, and development decisions

• Identify strategies to strengthen and diversify the local economy

• Support locally rooted entrepreneurship and small business growth

• Identify opportunities to leverage Blakely’s unique assets for economic development Address housing supply, affordability, and workforce housing needs Improve municipal organizational capacity

• Protect environmental, agricultural, and cultural resources

• Promote resilient and sustainable infrastructure systems

• Identify strategies for building long-term local wealth and economic opportunity for residents Provide clear implementation strategies, priorities, and policy tools

Scope of Services

The consultant shall provide the following services at minimum.

Municipal Organizational and Capacity Assessment

The consultant shall evaluate the City’s organizational structure and operational capacity to manage rapid growth.

Deliverables

All deliverables must be provided in digital format and editable files.

Consultant Qualifications

Proposals should demonstrate:

Proposal Requirements

Submissions must include:

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

Project Schedule

Submission Instructions Proposals shall be submitted to:

City of Blakely 82 Court Square PO Box 350 C/O Melinda Crook Blakely, Ga 39823 Email melinda.crook@cityofblakely.org

Submissions should be in PDF format and submitted electronically. Additional hard copies may be submitted if desired.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Appendix A Proposal Evaluation Scoring Sheet

Suggested Evaluation Process Phase 1 — Initial Review City staff evaluates responsiveness and completeness.

Phase 2 — Technical Review Evaluation committee independently scores proposals.

Phase 3 — Interviews Top-ranked firms may be invited for interviews and presentations.

Phase 4 — Final Selection City negotiates scope and fee with highest-ranked proposer.

Appendix B Georgia Procurement and Legal Language Equal Opportunity The City of Blakely is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages participation by disadvantaged, minority-owned, women-owned, and small business enterprises.

Compliance With Laws The selected consultant shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, regulations, and licensing requirements.

Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §13-10-91, the successful proposer shall provide documentation verifying participation in the federal E-Verify program prior to execution of any contract.

Public Records All materials submitted in response to this RFP shall become property of the City of Blakely and shall be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Act.

Conflict of Interest Consultants shall disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including relationships with developers, utility providers, contractors, or affiliated entities associated with the data center project or related developments.

Reservation of Rights The City reserves the right to:

Reject any or all proposals Waive technicalities or informalities Request clarification or additional information Negotiate changes in scope or fees Cancel or reissue the RFP Award the contract in the best interests of the City

Insurance Requirements The selected consultant shall maintain at minimum:

Commercial General Liability: $1,000,000 Professional Liability: $1,000,000 Workers Compensation: Statutory Limits Automobile Liability: $1,000,000 Certificates of insurance shall be provided prior to contract execution.

Indemnification The consultant shall indemnify and hold harmless the City of Blakely, its officers, officials, employees, and agents from claims arising from negligent acts, errors, or omissions associated with the consultant’s services.

Ownership of Work Product All reports, maps, studies, GIS data, renderings, and supporting materials prepared under this contract shall become property of the City of Blakely.

Non-Collusion Affidavit By submitting a proposal, the proposer certifies that the proposal is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a proposal for the same services.