REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING & PLANNING SERVICES: Development of Comprehensive Plan for City of Branson, Missouri
- kelsiburton
- Jul 10
- 15 min read
Updated: Aug 4
The Southwest Missouri Council of Governments (SMCOG) and the City of Branson requests proposals for professional advisory services to assist in the development of a Comprehensive Plan for Branson, Missouri. This project is partially financed with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
Project Background:
SMCOG is a regional planning commission based in Springfield, Missouri and serves a ten-county area. SMCOG has served as the leading planning and grant administration organization in Southwest Missouri for more than 35 years. Over those years, SMCOG staff have acquired extensive experience developing community planning projects, including transportation, infrastructure, public transit services, economic development, disaster recovery and mitigation, land use, conservation, and comprehensive planning. SMCOG is tasked with overseeing the growth and development of the region and guiding regional policies for local governments. Our mission is to improve the quality of our communities through regional cooperation.
The City of Branson is located in the beautiful, rolling hills of the Ozark Mountains in southwestern Missouri. The City is home to over 12,780 residents and also sees nearly 10 million in visiting tourists each year. The predominant land uses in Branson, other than Vacant, Agricultural, and Open Space, are Single-Family, Commercial, and Lodging. The City’s existing commercial land use is largely made up of retail, entertainment, lodging, and office properties. In addition, Branson Parks and Recreation Department oversees 15 city parks totaling nearly 300 acres, ranging from small neighborhood parks to large conversation areas. Lastly, Branson resides in close proximity to several waterways, small creeks, and notably Lakes Taneycomo and Table Rock, which can all lead to increased environmental risks of flooding, stormwater management, and water quality concerns.
In September 2023, SMCOG prepared and submitted an application under CDBG’s DR-4317 Planning and Capacity Building program to financially assist with the development of a comprehensive plan for the City of Branson, Missouri. SMCOG received the award notification for this project in January 2024. SMCOG, as the grant recipient, will be responsible for administering and overseeing the development of the Branson comprehensive plan. Activities to-date include data collection, GIS mapping, creation of the Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC), four meetings with the CPC, drafting of plan chapters, creation and distribution of the community survey, survey analysis, stakeholder meetings with relevant organizations, and SWOT analysis. SMCOG has prepared several draft chapters for the plan, including but not limited to, Transportation, Land Use, Housing, Tourism, Economic Development, and Parks, Open Space & Recreation. The draft chapters contain a fair amount of material and data to be incorporated in the final plan. It is anticipated the firm will begin work starting September 10, 2025 at the next scheduled CPC meeting. Overall planning activities remaining include, but are not limited to the following: attendance to CPC meetings, identification of goals and objectives, current and future land use scenarios, additional data collection and analysis, prioritization of goals and objectives, development of implementation schedule, drafting and finalizing plan chapters, public engagement, open house events, and official plan adoption. For more information about work performed to-date, please visit www.BransonMo.gov/Plan.
Purpose:
The Plan will serve the City of Branson as a detailed guide for the city’s future through direction and recommendations relating to current and future land use activities, housing, economic development and tourism, community character, recreational opportunities, public infrastructure and environment, hazard and mitigation measures, governance, and implementation.
The Plan will consider strategies to improve the quality of life for all residents in the long term through the utilization of goals and strategies that can be easily updated by the City to meet the community’s future needs. The Plan will implement new tools and strategies that have been developed since the previously adopted 2012 plan as well as recommend improvements to current strategies to help raise mitigation measures, resiliency strategies, and public safety considerations in community land use and planning decisions. Additionally, the updated Comprehensive Plan will better prepare the City of Branson to leverage federal and state funding programs to support proposed implementation activities.
Due to the unique characteristics of the City of Branson, primarily its high influx of seasonal tourism which directly influences city operations, land uses, local concerns, and economic strength, SMCOG intends to procure an outside consultant group to facilitate plan development, implementation, and other services, as needed. For the purpose of this RFP, requested services will be broken into three separate proposal requests: 1) plan implementation; 2) general plan oversight and development; 3) build-out/future land use scenario planning. Firms are invited to respond to one or more of these services, further described in the Scope of Work below.
The final product will be a comprehensive plan tailored to the unique community characteristics, economy, and image of the City of Branson. The plan will serve the City as a “living document” in which the City can continue to the update each year after completion of implementation goals and strategies.
Scope of Work:
SMCOG will act as the project lead and is the responsible entity to ensure grant deliverables are met, including the completion of the comprehensive plan. SMCOG seeks a qualified firm to assist our organization with developing the Comprehensive Plan, as well as provide technical expertise. It is anticipated that a minimum of 80% of the consultant’s work can be performed remotely, however, we do expect the firm will visit the City in person throughout the project period as needed.
Components to be included in the consultant’s Scope of Work (SOW):
Proposal #1 – Plan Implementation
· The Consultant’s primary responsibility is to develop the implementation chapter of the comprehensive plan, where SMCOG will develop other plan components.
· The selected firm will be responsible for assisting in the development of goals and objectives for each of the plan chapters in partnership with SMCOG and the City of Branson.
· Provide guidance and technical assistance to SMCOG staff in developing the Comprehensive Plan with an emphasis in planning for implementation activities through the utilization of adaptable goals and strategies.
· The Plan should define a schedule of milestones for the City’s anticipated implementation of goals and strategies (i.e. achievable completion dates should be recommended for each implementation action).
· Participate and assist in the facilitation of community engagement activities and materials throughout Plan development.
· Quality Assurance Review: Conduct a thorough review of the draft and final Comprehensive Plan to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with standards and regulations.
Proposal #2 – General Plan Oversight and Development
· The Consultant will replace SMCOG as the project lead and be responsible for all comprehensive plan development activities, including those mentioned in Proposal Request #1.
· The vast majority of remaining planning services will be provided by the selected firm and SMCOG planning staff will function as a supportive role in plan development and public engagement activities.
· With assistance from SMCOG staff and the City of Branson, the Consultant will complete remaining planning activities, including but not limited to identification of goals and objectives, current and future land use scenarios, additional data collection and analysis, prioritization of goals and objectives, development of implementation schedule, drafting and finalizing plan chapters, public engagement, open house events, and official plan adoption.
Proposal #3 – Build-out/Future Land Use Scenario Planning
· Consultant shall develop build-out scenario planning to illustrate current and future density levels among various types of land uses. This should include visual renderings.
· Proposal #3 activities are stand-alone and are considered supplemental to the two proposal requests described above.
Interested firms are encouraged to submit proposals to one or more of the above requests.
Required Information:
The selected firm will share best practices and guide SMCOG staff in the development of the Plan and may provide recommendations to SMCOG staff and/or the City of Branson staff and departments.
Information provided to SMCOG in response to this RFP must include at a minimum:
1. The specialized experience and technical competence of the firm and specific firm personnel with respect to comprehensive plans or other related work. In addition to a written response providing this requested information, supplemental documents such as previously completed plans or portfolios of work may be provided as an attachment or via a website link.
2. A description of the proposed project approach. This may include the order in which activities would be completed, how the firm will emphasize implementation within the Plan, and the firm’s approach to creating an adaptable, living Plan for the City of Branson.
3. The past record of performance of the firm with respect to such factors as control of costs, quality of work, and ability to meet deadlines.
4. The firm’s proximity to and familiarity with the area in which the project is located.
5. References from previous clients of related work with the firm within the past five years.
6. Documentation of compliance with E-Verify requirements.
7. Anticipated cost estimate for each Proposal of interest described in Scope of Work.
8. Anticipated timeline of project completion (grant expenditure deadline is January 2027).
9. (Optional) The firm’s experience in supplemental comprehensive planning services, including housing planning, tourism planning, and build-out land use scenario planning.
Submissions:
The firm will be selected based on the above information. SMCOG may negotiate a contract rate with the selected firm based on experience, cost, and qualifications.
The above information should be submitted no later than Monday, August 11, 2025, 5:00 PM, via mail or parcel services to:
SMCOG c/o MSU-CRPM
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, MO 65897
or via email to KelsiBurton@MissouriState.edu. For more information, contact SMCOG’s Grant and Environmental Manager, Kelsi Burton, at 417-836-3031 or the email above.
Questions regarding this Request for Proposals should be provided no later than 5:00 PM, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 to SMCOG via email at KelsiBurton@MissouriState.edu or via postal mail to the SMCOG address referenced above. SMCOG responses to questions will be provided in the form of an addendum to this RFP to be distributed via email to all solicited firms no later than Monday, August 4, 2025.
Request for Proposals Schedule:
Post Request for Proposals (RFP): July 10, 2025
Final Questions Due: July 30, 2025
Responses to Questions Provided: August 4, 2025
Submissions Due: August 11, 2025
Selection of Highest-Ranking Firms: August 18, 2025
Notification of Selection: August 25, 2025
Project Start Date: September 9, 2025
Additional Information:
These services are to be administered and overseen by SMCOG on behalf of the City of Branson. This planning project is partially financed by Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grant funds. The remainder of the project’s financing is provided by the City of Branson. SMCOG, as the grant recipient, will be responsible for administering and overseeing the development of the comprehensive plan. SMCOG will work with the most qualified and responsible firm to finalize a cost and scope that will meet all expectations for the project objectives.
Existing planning documents will be made available at the discretion of SMCOG and the City of Branson as applicable and deemed beneficial for project completion.
SMCOG will begin evaluating responses to this request on August 12, 2025 and may conduct phone or virtual interviews with the highest ranking firms beginning on August 18, 2025. SMCOG will notify all respondents once a firm has been selected. SMCOG will schedule a meeting with the selected firm following the notification of selection for any applicable contract negotiations and to discuss the firm’s role and responsibilities in the overall project. SMCOG anticipates having an executed contract with the selected firm no later than September 9, 2025.
The Southwest Missouri Council of Governments is an Equal Opportunity Employer and invites the submission of proposals from minority, women, disadvantaged, and Section 3-owned firms. The selected firm is not required to be certified as one of the above entity classifications. The selected firm will be required to pass the state’s debarment check prior to contract execution.
All documents submitted in response to this RFP become the property of SMCOG, and as such public records which may be subject to public review.
Addendum #1
Distributed August 4, 2025
1. Have you worked with/partnered with any other architects or engineers on the noted meetings or any part of the project to date?
SMCOG has not worked with any other architects, engineers, or consultants on this project. SMCOG has completed work to-date from internal SMCOG staff, the plan’s CPC, and staff from the City of Branson.
2. It appears you have already done significant information gathering with SWOT analysis, public meetings, stakeholder meetings, surveys and creation of the CPC. Will the consultant be taking information already gathered in creating the goals and objectives?
The consultant will utilize information and data previously gathered in the drafting of the plan to create the goals and objectives in coordination with the City’s Comprehensive Planning Committee (CPC) at their meeting on September 10th and a future meeting TBD. It is anticipated that the selected firm may need to obtain additional information and data to support SMCOG’s findings. SMCOG and City Staff will also be eager to work with the selected consultant once a contract is issued to be brought up-to-date on data found up to the goal development phase of the project.
3. If additional community engagement activities are being requested, what additional populations are we reaching out to?
Additional community engagement activities include, but are not limited to, facilitating an open house event designed around the prioritization of draft goals/objectives and holding a public hearing at approximately 80% project completion. The selected firm will assist in promoting these engagement activities through various media. All additional community engagement activities will be community-wide.
4. What will be the management structure between the City and SMCOG? We see that SMCOG will be the project lead but what role will the City have in the management?
The City and Branson residents will be the primary beneficiaries of the project’s outcome. Therefore, the City of Branson will be responsible for guiding direction of plan deliverables as well as providing feedback on plan findings.
The reason for separating Proposal #1 and #2 is to gauge potential project costs between the two scopes of work.
6. What is the budget or budget range for this project?
The original budget for the third-party consultant was $30,000 where scope of services would be closest to work described under “Proposal #1”. It is anticipated the budget for work described under “Proposal #2” will be greater than the originally planned budget. Proposals in excess of $30,000 will be reviewed as SMCOG and the City of Branson will consider additional funding options.
7. Are you sharing the fee or grant amount for each proposal?
See above response.
8. Have you worked with a tourism planner in the past and who was it?
SMCOG has not worked with a tourism planner on this project, however, SMCOG has partnered with Missouri State University’s faculty on tourism projects in the past.
9. How much access would we have to groups that have done the previous work?
All materials, prior work, and access will be provided to the selected firm.
10. Have you identified additional data points that require collection and analysis for chapters of the plan that aren’t done?
SMCOG has data for most, if not all, topics of the plan. It's likely that the selected consultant will need to “dig deeper” in these topics though. The previously collected data will be shared with the selected consultant.
11. Can you further define the public engagement requirements that remain and identify at what points you image these would occur?
The level of involvement in the public engagement process will depend on which Proposal /Scope of Work is submitted. However, we anticipate there being 2-3 more CPC meetings, creation/distribution of goals and objectives prioritization survey, an open house, presentation to Planning and Zoning Commission, and presentation to Board of Aldermen. An estimated timeline of the planning and public engagement activities remaining are listed below:
Project Start Date:
· Once the contract is executed.
Month 1:
· Goals and objectives meeting held with the CPC, which provides suggestions for establishing implementation strategies.
Month 2:
· Goals and objectives meeting #2 held with the CPC to continue discussions and finalize implementation strategies. Additionally, present future land use scenarios to the CPC.
Months 3-6:
· Goals and Objectives Prioritization. Develop and publish community-wide survey to prioritize goals and objectives. Conduct survey analysis to be included in the implementation section of the plan. Goals and objectives priority survey allows the public to determine which issues the city should address first over the life of the plan.
· Open House. Facilitate a public Open House to present all information including goals and objectives and land use scenarios through interactive boards.
· Draft the Plan. Selected consultant will work with SMCOG and the City to write and summarize the findings of all information, survey results, and recommended strategies necessary to implement the plan. Draft plan is sent to the City, CPC, and public for review and edits before public notice for adoption.
o Under Proposal #1, Consultant will be primarily responsible for writing the implementation chapter.
o Under Proposal #2, Consultant will be responsible for compiling draft and final plan.
Months 7-10:
· Final Plan, Presentation, & Adoption. The plan is updated with graphics, images, and final revisions. The plan is presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission for comments and adoption. Once adopted, the plan is presented to the Board of Aldermen for a resolution of support.
12. How involved is the COG going to be in the planning process?
This will also depend on which Proposal/Scope of Work is being submitted. Under Proposal #1, SMCOG will be responsible for developing all remaining plan topics, except for the Implementation Chapter. Under Proposal #2, SMCOG will provide minimal support through the remainder of plan development and engagement activities.
13. What deliverables are you looking for related to tourism and what topics should this cover?
Tourism will be a large topic in the plan. Tourism and how it connects to all other topics (housing, transportation, etc.) is a very important topic for Branson. All components of the plan will have a connection to tourism. There has also been discussion about how to make Branson's economy more resilient to downswings in the tourism world.
14. What has been your level of engagement with tourism/attraction operators thus far, and are there expectations to engage them further?
We held a stakeholder meeting with individuals in the tourism field. This has also been discussed at multiple CPC meetings. Yes, there will likely need to be more engagement with them in the future.
15. The request for proposals references “…three separate proposal requests.” May we assume that our response to any/all these services may be consolidated into a single proposal document?
Yes, responses to the RFP can be consolidated all in one proposal document. If you would like to be considered for multiple proposal numbers/scopes of work, please be sure to include proposed costs for each individual item.
16. How many copies of the proposal document should be submitted? Is there a page limitation? Binding preferences?
If submitting physical copies, please include at least one printed version AND a flash drive containing a digital copy. There is no limit on length and no binding preferences. If submitting physical proposal(s), we strongly recommend sending a copy via email as well to ensure submittals are received by the due date. Lastly, our office is currently in an active construction zone and we do not recommend submitting in person.
17. Is there a specific format in which you would like to receive verification of compliance with E-Verify requirements? Is there a specific local affidavit or form which must be completed?
If possible, please include your organization’s E-Verify Full MOU or E-Verify signature page. If selected, we will include a federal work authorization affidavit in the contract documents.
18. Did any consultants attend the public open house on Tuesday, July 29th? If so, please share any information that attending firms may have been privy to by being at the event and speaking with City staff, if applicable.
There were no consultants who attended the Public Open House on 7/29.
19. Is there a budget range for each of the three proposal options?
At this time, we do not have a set range. The original budget was $30,000, however, we will review all proposals greater than this amount. Submittals will be evaluated by all criteria listed in the RFP, where cost is only one evaluating factor.
20. If teams submit Proposal 1 or 3, how do you envision consultants will interact with the City of Branson?
Proposal #1 – Firm will be directed by SMCOG, with support from the City of Branson. It is also expected the firm will need to communicate directly with City staff/CPC during the development of the implementation chapter.
Proposal #3 – SMCOG would not be involved and firm would work with the City for all direction.
21. Is there an instance where two different firms would be selected for Proposal #1 and Proposal #2?
It is anticipated that SMCOG and the City of Branson will choose to select a firm to complete work under Proposal #1 -OR- Proposal #2. It would be very unlikely that two firms would be selected to complete both of the first two proposals. However, it is possible that a firm could be selected for work under Proposal #3 and a different firm would be selected for Proposal #1/Proposal #2. The City may also engage a consultant for further planning needs after the plan is adopted.
22. The RFP states that several draft chapters have been drafted by SMCOG staff and it also states in proposal #2 that the consultant will be tasked with “drafting and finalizing plan chapters.” Can you offer additional context to help us understand the level of effort that will be needed to accomplish this?
Initial drafts for the introduction of each chapter have been completed. Additional data collection may be necessary. Final goals and objectives will need to be completed for each chapter, with a heavy emphasis on the development of an action plan that is both realistically achievable and implementable.
23. Are the draft chapters ready for a technical review, or simply outlined?
See above response.
24. How much content do you anticipate the consultant will need to draft from scratch (using provided data and research)?
Under Proposal #1, the firm will need to review existing data and research. No work has been started for the implementation chapter and the selected firm will need to fully develop this chapter based on the previously collected data in addition to new data collected by the selected firm, if applicable.
Under Proposal #2, a significant amount of plan development will be required of the selected firm. The selected firm may use existing data to complete plan chapters and may need to collect new/supportive data as necessary.
25. Is there a template or shell document already in place to house content for the final deliverable? Will the consultant need to develop a brand, graphics, style sheet and InDesign template?
The City of Branson has specific branding to be used in the plan and will be provided to the selected firm. No templates/style sheets have been created. All documents and maps shared with the public, stakeholders, and the CPC have adhered to the city’s branding guidelines thus far in the process.
26. Is there a definitive list of all plan chapters? References within the RFP state “including but not limited to” which makes it difficult to determine required effort and resources for putting together a schedule and budget.
Full list of current chapters include:
· Community Vision
· Land Use
· Housing
· Tourism
· Economic Development
· Community Character
· Infrastructure & Environment
· Parks, Open Space, and Recreation
· Transportation
· Governance
If the selected firm believes additional chapters are necessary, SMCOG and the City of Branson are open to modifying current chapters.
27. Does the CPC have a schedule of meetings or expectations for a certain number of meetings for the remainder of the project? Are their meetings all conducted in person? Would virtual meetings be acceptable for some future meetings?
We anticipate at least 2-3 CPC meetings will occur once a firm is selected. These meetings may have possible flexibility; however, it is preferred that these meetings are attended in-person.
28. How many staff (City and SMCOG) are available to support public engagement efforts?
SMCOG: up to three (3) staff
City of Branson: up to three (3) staff
29. Response to the community survey looks like residents and local stakeholders are fairly engaged. Are there channels of communication already in place that work for the City/community (e.g., newsletters, website, social media)?
Currently, the City of Branson utilizes social media, press releases, direct mail, and a dedicated webpage for the comprehensive plan hosted on their municipal website (BransonMo.gov/Plan).
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