Kalispell Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update Request for QualificationsREQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQs)
FOR
Kalispell Parks and Recreation Master Plan
INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBMITTERS
1 - GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 Pursuant to the authority granted to it under MCA 7-5-4301(2)(a)., the City of Kalispell seeks
to procure a qualified professional service provider to provide the development of a Parks and
Recreation Master Plan Update for the City of Kalispell.
1.2 The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be received by the City Clerk at 201 First
Avenue East, Kalispell, Montana, by 5:00PM local time, February 20, 2025.
1.3 Questions pertaining to the selection process should be directed to Fred Bicha, at 406-758-
7716 or fbicha@kalispell.com.
1.4 The City of Kalispell shall not be held responsible for any oral instructions. Any changes to
this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) will be in the form of an addendum, which will be
furnished to all registered RFQ holders.
1.5 The City of Kalispell reserves the right to reject any or all SOQs, to waive any informality or
irregularity in any SOQ received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective SOQs
received.
1.6 A pre‐submittal conference for the contract will be held at 15 Depot Park, Kalispell, MT on
February 14, 2025, at 9:00AM. City staff will discuss the scope of work, general contract issues,
and respond to questions from the attendees. Because staff will not be available to respond to
individual inquiries regarding the project scope outside of this pre‐submittal conference,
attendance at this pre‐submittal conference is highly recommended.
1.7 The Service Provider will be selected on the basis of demonstrated competence and
qualification for the type of services required and thereafter the City will negotiate the services
agreement with what it deems to be the most qualified company.
2 ‐ ANTICIPATED SCOPE OF WORK
After being selected, the Professional Service Provider will execute a services agreement with
the City to provide the scope of work set forth below. The Professional Service Provider and the
City shall negotiate the exact scope of practice after selection.
See Exhibit A.
3 ‐ STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS SELECTION CRITERIA
3.1 The Professional Service Provider will be selected through a qualification‐based selection
process. Firms interested in providing requested scope of services to the City of Kalispell must
submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) that addresses the following evaluation criteria.
Applicants are encouraged to organize their submissions in such a way as to follow the general
evaluation criteria listed below. Information included within the SOQ may be used to evaluate
your firm as part of any criteria regardless of where that information is found within the SOQ.
Information obtained from the SOQ and from any other relevant source may be used in the
evaluation and selection process.
3.2 Cover Letter (1‐page) containing at a minimum: Company name, contact name, address, fax
number, and email address.
3.3 Qualifications Criteria
3.3.1 General Information
Description of company
Legal company organization; organization chart with names
List of applicable Montana licenses
3.3.2 Relevant Company Experience (20 points)
a. Applicant’s overall reputation, service capabilities, and quality as it relates to this
service agreement.
b. List and briefly describe the professional services the company provides to 3-5 other
jurisdictions and the length of time the services have been provided.
c. A minimum of three referrals and references from other municipalities or local
governments.
d. List and describe any litigation; arbitration; claims filed by your firm against any other
jurisdiction as a result of a contract dispute; any contract or negligence claims filed
against your company; premature termination from a services agreement.
e. Applicant’s capacity and intent to proceed without delay if selected for this contract.
3.3.3 Company Qualifications (20 points)
a. Describe the company’s history in the industry. Provide resumes of key personnel in
Appendix A. List professional continuing education.
b. Briefly describe certifications and licensure held by the company in the state of
Montana.
3.3.4 Contract Understanding and Approach (20 points)
a. Describe your understanding of the current needs of the City of Kalispell for the
professional services being requested.
b. Identify and discuss any potential difficult issues your company may face in providing
services within Flathead County.
c. Identify and discuss methods to mitigate these difficulties.
3.3.5 Approach to Contract Management (20 points)
a. Describe your company’s approach in initiating and establishing the service that meet
the needs and requirements of the City.
b. Describe systems used for planning, scheduling, estimating and managing manpower
requirements.
c. Describe the firm’s experience in maintaining training and certifications of personnel.
3.3.6 Other Factors (20 points)
a. Current contracts and ability to proceed promptly.
b. Willingness to abide by the City’s needs and requirements with few or no objections or
changes.
c. Relevant factors impacting the quality and value of service.
4 ‐ SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS
4.1 The SOQ shall include a one‐page cover letter plus a maximum of fifteen (15) pages to
address the SOQ criteria specified in Section 3 (excluding resumes). Table of Contents and
section divider pages do not count towards the total page count.
4.2 Five copies of the Statement of Qualifications must be submitted to the City Clerk at 201
First Avenue East, (PO Box 1997, 59903) Kalispell, Montana, by 5:00PM local time, February
20, 2025.
4.3 Failure to comply with the following criteria may be grounds for disqualifications:
Receipt of submittal by the specified cut‐off date and time.
The number of originals and/or copies of the submittal specified.
Adherence to maximum page requirements.
4.4 Adherence to the maximum page criteria is critical; each page side (maximum 8 1/2” x 11”)
with criteria information will be counted. Pages that have photos, charts and graphs will be
counted towards the maximum number of pages.
5 ‐ SELECTION PROCESS AND SCHEDULE
5.1 A 5‐member Project Evaluation Committee will evaluate each Statement of Qualifications
(SOQ) according to the above criteria, as well as past performance evaluations, and select up to
three finalists that will be Short Listed for the contract. The Short List firms will meet with the
Project Evaluation Committee for interviews. The purpose of the interview will be to expand on
the information provided in the SOQ, not to repeat information already provided. Those firms
selected for the Short List will be provided additional instruction by the City. Those firms not
selected for further consideration will be notified.
5.2 The following tentative schedule has been prepared for this project. Firms interested in this
project must be available on the interview meeting date.
Pre‐submittal conference: February 14, 2025, 9:00AM MTN
SOQs due: February 20, 2025, 5:00PM MTN
Firms notified for interview: February 28, 2025, 5:00PM MTN
Interviews: March 11, 2025, or March 12, 2025
5.3 Following the interviews the Project Evaluation Committee will determine a ranking for each
Short List firm based on the published criteria in 3.3 of this RFQ. Consideration will be given to
both the written Statement of Qualifications and any oral presentations or interviews. No other
factors or criteria will be used in the qualification ranking.
5.4 The highest ranked firm will be recommended to the City Manager and City Council for
contract award.
5.5 Requests for debriefings or selection decisions shall be made in writing to the City. All
information submitted by firms and related Project Evaluation Committee evaluations and
rankings shall be considered confidential until after contract execution and award by the City
Council.
5.6 The City will enter into negotiations with the selected firm and execute a contract upon
completion of negotiations for the professional services for City Council approval. If the City is
unsuccessful in negotiating a contract with the highest ranked team, the City may then negotiate
with the second or third highest ranked team until a contract is executed, or may decide to
terminate the selection process.
5.7 The City will not reimburse any cost associated with the preparation, submittal, or presentation
of any Statement of Qualification. Consultant design firms are advised that in accordance with
Montana law, any information submitted may be subject to public inspection.
Publication Dates: January 26, 2025 February 9, 2025
Exhibit A:
Introduction
The City of Kalispell is seeking a consultant to update its 2006 Parks and Recreation Master
Plan.
Main Goals of the plan:
• Evaluate current conditions as they relate to both Parks and Recreation operations.
• Provide community-based direction for the department moving forward over the next ten
years.
• Provide realistic goals and recommendations for providing services for the parks and
recreational needs of Kalispell.
Background
Kalispell is one of the fastest-growing cities in Montana. The City of Kalispell has a population
of 27,000 and is within Flathead County, population 104,000. Kalispell is 49 miles southwest of
Glacier National Park and 24 miles north of Flathead Lake in the northwest corner of Montana
thus summer months bring an influx in tourism to the area.
Our four-recreation staff deliver approximately 60 programs each year with a strong focus on
youth and families. Our afterschool program averages 30 kids each day, and our summer day
camp is consistently full, with 100 participants daily. For over 30 years, Kalispell Parks and
Recreation (KPR) has hosted the Picnic in the Park summer concert series, providing a weekly
evening concert in the park during the summer months. Additionally, Woodland Water Park, our
municipal outdoor pool, features three pools: a lazy river, a zero-depth entry activity pool, and a
six-lane lap pool.
Our eight field staff manage:
• 384 turf acres, 85 non-developed acres, and 72 acres of natural area
• 9 miles of trails
• 28 parks
• 20 playgrounds
20 Acre Ashley Creek Park is soon to be Kalispell’s newest park. It has been purchased and
donated and will be developed by the Bibler Lagacy Fountain https://ashleycreekpark.org/ to the
City of Kalispell.
The Parks and Recreation budget for 2024-2025 is $3,329,000 with $1,621,000 allocated for
recreation and $1,708,000 for parks. Forestry and building maintenance are also housed within
the Parks and Recreation Department but are separate expenditures.
Scope of Services
To be considered, the firm must be a full-service consulting firm with proven expertise in master
planning and community needs assessments in the field of Parks and Recreation including
documented experience in planning, community outreach, needs assessments, recreation program
assessment, financial analysis and organizational analysis. The consultant should be able to
demonstrate that similar master plans have been successfully implemented.
The scope of services for this project should include the following components:
Baseline Assessment
1. Scope: Utilize Kalispell’s 2006 Master Plan. Define scope and purpose of the update
ensuring the scope covers all functions, and facilities under the current purview of the
Department and that realistic outcomes are provided.
2. Inventory: Complete assessment and inventory of existing facilities, parks, trails,
programs, equipment and services and compare to trends across the country.
3. Context: Review other existing city plans that are relevant to Parks and Recreation and
incorporate into the master plan such as Kalispell’s Growth Policy, Land Use Plan
Transportation Plan, and subdivision and zoning regulations.
4. Demographic: Look at future growth and community needs, including data such as age,
presence of children, household size, and income level as well as special populations
which may require specialized or disproportionate services and programming, such as
seniors, teens, preschoolers, individuals with disabilities, military families and veterans,
etc.
5. Land Demographic: Look at future growth and the manner in which parkland is
developed and accepted.
6. Community Engagement: Determine community interest, needs, and concerns relevant
to programs, parks, trails, open space, recreation facilities and services. Provide methods
to receive input from as many people as possible both users and non-users. Hold a
minimum of six (6) public meetings/workshops, to support and influence
recommendations, as well as attend (3) popular City events (pop-ups) to collect opinions
and information from residents unable to attend a more formal setting. Provide written
records and summaries of the results of all public processes and communication
strategies.
7. As an added alternative, provide a community-wide statistically valid survey that
determines community interest, needs, and concerns relevant to programs, parks, trails,
open space, recreation facilities and services.
8. City Engagement: Engage city departments, City Manager, and City Council to
determine department goals, priorities, operations, maintenance and staffing needs.
Engagement should include a minimum of one (1) initial scoping meeting with staff, four
(4) project management team meetings with staff, and two (2) City Council
presentation/work session.
9. Partners and stakeholder engagement: Engage partners that influence Kalispell Parks
and Recreation program delivery. Examples: School District 5, Chamber of Commerce,
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Flathead County Parks and Recreation.
10. Maintenance of Parks: Assess current state of facilities, identify deferred maintenance,
and assess future maintenance, and provide recommendations for policies and procedures
to address findings.
11. Policies/Fees: Assess current facility usage policies and fees.
12. Staff Review: Assess current staffing levels, modes of service and budget; identify gaps
and opportunities.
13. Funding review: Review current funding level and make tangible recommendations
prioritizing deferred maintenance and needs of the department. Other funding
alternatives should be reviewed such as public-private partnerships, grants, etc.
Analysis
1. Demographics: Analyze Data collected from the demographic assessment and prepare a
comprehensive report detailing current population factors. Use findings to forecast
changes in demographics and distribution, and how these changes will affect Parks and
Recreation over the next 10 years.
2. Inventory: Analyze the assessment and inventory of existing facilities, parks, and
programs, and services and forecast their capacity to meet future needs. Include physical
and technological infrastructure in this analysis.
3. Community and Stakeholder Engagement: Analyze data collected through community
engagement efforts. Determine current and future community needs as they relate to
programs, services, parks, trails, open space, and other recreational facilities.
4. Maintenance: Taking into account current state of facilities and equipment as well as
projected usage and other impacts, formulate a realistic projection for necessary
maintenance, repair, enhancement, and replacement and provide prioritization of
maintenance utilizing current funding available.
5. Policies/fees: Analyze current programs and facility usage policies and fees for
consistency, relevance, and effectiveness.
6. Staffing: Determine necessary changes to staffing levels, allocations of staff to specific
divisions or programs, and budget to accommodate future needs, both within Parks and
Recreation based on mode of service.
7. Funding: Analyze current funding sources and provide plan moving forward with current
funding. Identify gaps, needs, opportunities and potential additional funding sources.
Recommendations
1. Identify and prioritize modification to existing parks, facilities, open space, and trails
(possibly using a matrix based on urgency, cost, and community impact).
2. Identify and prioritize opportunities for development and/or acquisition of new parks,
facilities, open space, and trails.
3. Identify and prioritize implementation of new recreational/community service programs
and services.
4. Identify staffing needs, including adjustments, to organizational structure, number and
type of position, and optimization for efficiency and effectiveness.
5. Identify potential partnerships and collaborations, internal and external, and with
surrounding agencies and service providers.
6. Address costs to implement recommendations, including operations and maintenance cost
increases.
7. Provide recommendations to meet funding needs included, but not limited to, financing
options, private and public funding opportunities, and partnerships.
8. Employ statistically significant analytical methods to support findings, and
recommendations generalized across the entire community.
9. Provide implementation action plan for recommendations.
10. Include estimates of annual cost for implementation (capital, operating, maintenance, and
replacement) and identify funding sources.
Draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update Report
Analyze all information gained from the previous task and synthesize into a comprehensive
report.
Provide draft document segments to the Department’s Project Team for review at the 30% phase,
60% phase, and 90% phase.
1. Presentation to City/Council
Present draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update document to the Project Team for
two rounds of review and comments. Present final draft to City Council for review,
comments, and final direction.
2. Preparation of Final Master Plan Document
After incorporating Council comments, and final direction present draft Parks and
Recreation Master Plan Update to the Project Team for two rounds of review and
comments. Present final Master Plan Update to Council for final adoption.
The adopted Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update shall be provided in hard and
digital copy. The document shall be produced in such a manner as to easily allow
updates. All data, information, materials, and work produced including final text, maps,
and graphics including all digital files shall become sole property of the City of Kalispell.
The following items will be provided:
a) A color version of the Master Plan document consisting of ten (10) printed and
bound color copies and an electronic copy in word & pdf. format.
3. Review and Adoption
Attend City Council meetings as needed in regard to the review and adoption of the
Kalispell Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update.
Timeline
The total project is to be completed within 12 months of executing a contract.
Oral Presentation/Interview: Those proponents considered most qualified to provide the
required services will be requested to participate in an oral presentation/interview at the City’s
discretion. It is expected that key members of the engagement team will be present for the
presentation/interview process. It is anticipated that the meeting would last no longer than 1.5
hours.