Medford City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting, 09/30/2026

The Medford City Council Committee of the Whole met on September 30, 2026, to review a draft RFP for the next phase of the City’s zoning updates project and the procurement of a zoning consultant. Planning Director Alicia Hunt explained that the consultant would be selected through a qualifications-based process: technical proposals would be scored against published criteria, with sealed price proposals considered later, and references or interviews possible. The draft scope covers zoning work in discrete areas, public engagement, coordination with a separately procured communications consultant, and potential design standards or guidelines. Council feedback called for those design provisions to account for project feasibility and for consultants to have flexibility to recommend an effective engagement process. The contract term was discussed as three years, though the draft also contained an inconsistent reference to two years plus an optional extension; no final solicitation dates were set in the meeting.

On a motion by Councilor Callahan, seconded by Councilor Malane, the committee authorized the Planning Director to continue the RFP process incorporating the meeting’s feedback. The motion passed with three affirmative votes and three members absent; no consultant was selected and no contract award or dollar amount was approved. Members also requested a public opportunity for the Council and Community Development Board to review the evaluation process before a finalist is selected. A separate communications-consultant RFP had received five responsive proposals, but the selection committee had not yet made a decision.