RFP 4642 - Zoning Ordinance - Sign Regulation Update

Location:	Michigan
Posted:	Mar 3, 2026
Due:	Apr 7, 2026
Agency:	City of Midland
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	36 - Special Industry Machinery
Solicitation No:	RFP - 4642
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

Attachment Preview

City of Midland Zoning Ordinance – Sign Regulations Update

RFP # 4642

□ 1.0 Public Notice-Invitation for Zoning Ordinance – Sign Regulations Update

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by:

City of Midland (hereinafter “City”), 333 West Ellsworth Street, Midland, MI 48640.

□ 2.0 Background

The City seeks professional services to modernize Article 8.00 (Signs) of the City’s zoning ordinance.

The City’s zoning ordinance was adopted in 2004, and the City’s master plan was adopted in 2024. The master plan includes

several goals and objectives which can be achieved in whole or in part through an update to the zoning ordinance. In

response, the City Planning Commission has initiated a phased modernization of the zoning ordinance. To date, articles of the

zoning ordinance establishing definitions, zoning districts, use standards, overlay standards, and dimensional standards have

been updated. Other updates will include parking regulations, planned unit development standards, and administrative

procedures. These updates are generally being facilitated by staff. However, professional services are desired to support the

modernization of sign regulations. The City is seeking a modern, implementable update that is aligned with current legal

precedents, promotes public safety, enhances aesthetics, ensures equal protection and fairness, and meets the City’s land use

planning objectives. The revised ordinance should also be clearly organized, internally consistent, and written in plain,

accessible language so that property owners, businesses, and residents can readily understand applicable standards and

permitting requirements.

The City’s zoning ordinance is available online at https://www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/zoning. The City’s master plan is

available online at https://www.midlandcitymodern.com/.

□ 3.0 Scope of Services

Article 8.00 contains sign regulations, including standards for permitting and enforcement; inspection and maintenance; non-

conforming signs; exempt signs; prohibited signs; temporary signs; and permanent signs. The ordinance also includes special

standards for the Downtown Northside Overlay (DNO) zoning district. The selected consultant will prepare a new Article

8.00 which aligns with contemporary best practices for sign regulation and the land use goals and vision contained in the

City’s adopted master plan. The consultant shall review the existing sign regulations for consistency with current federal and

state legal standards and recommend updates to ensure the revised ordinance is defensible, clearly organized, and practical to

administer. The updated Article 8.00 should simplify structure and reduce unnecessary complexity in tables and cross-

references. Proposals will be scored using a qualification-based selection process. Proposals should include a proposed

methodology, work plan, and qualifications.

Deliverables

The selected consultant shall provide the following:

• The consultant will schedule a kick-off meeting with the Planning Department to review and confirm alignment with the

scope, schedule, and deliverables.

• The consultant will work with the Planning Department to schedule progress meetings as needed, provide monthly

progress reports, and submit monthly invoices that provide clear explanations of the charges included. The consultant is

expected to lead the meetings and complete meeting minutes. Monthly progress reports should include issues requiring

City direction; performed work; upcoming tasks or milestones; status of scope, schedule, and budget; and risk

assessment and proposed mitigation. Progress meetings may occur virtually.

• The consultant will collect and analyze best practices in sign regulation from no fewer than five (5) municipalities,

including no fewer than three (3) located in Michigan. Best-practice examples should reflect Midland’s key contexts

(downtown, corridors, neighborhood nodes) and include municipalities that have successfully modernized sign standards

which enhance community aesthetics while meeting the communication and advertising needs of the public. The

consultant will provide the City with a report summarizing these findings. The consultant will utilize these findings to

develop the proposed ordinance. The consultant shall also provide a summary of key legal and regulatory considerations

relating to municipal sign standards and describing how those considerations are addressed in the proposed ordinance.

City of Midland Zoning Ordinance – Sign Regulations Update

RFP # 4642

• The consultant shall identify where graphics, diagrams, or measurement illustrations would improve clarity and

incorporate them into the revised Article 8.00, as necessary. Graphics should clearly depict common sign types,

measurement methods, and placement standards.

• The consultant shall review and provide recommendations regarding temporary sign standards, digital and electronic

message sign regulations, overlay district sign provisions, and existing permitting/enforcement procedures to improve

clarity, reduce unnecessary complexity, and ensure the revised Article 8.00 is practical to administer and easy for the

public to understand.

• The consultant will provide a draft ordinance for review at 60% completion. The 60% draft shall identify major policy

decisions, open issues requiring City direction, and any unresolved cross-references or definitions. The consultant shall

also provide a brief summary of key changes from existing standards. City staff will provide commentary that is tracked

in a comment log maintained by the consultant. Where multiple regulatory approaches are available, the consultant shall

identify options and briefly describe the trade-offs associated with each option.

• The consultant will provide a draft sign ordinance for review at 90% completion. The 90% draft shall include a concise

summary of major changes, rationale, and anticipated impacts. The consultant will present the draft ordinance to the City

Planning Commission at a regularly scheduled meeting to solicit their feedback. The presentation should include visual

examples using typical Midland site conditions. City staff will provide final commentary to be included in the final

ordinance. The consultant will document and respond to all City comments and incorporate revisions as directed by the

City.

• The consultant will provide a final ordinance for adoption, including both redline and clean versions, and a brief

summary highlighting major changes and key cross-references. The summary should identify any administrative

procedures, definitions, or related sections of the zoning ordinance that should be updated for consistency.

□ 4.0 General Information

The City provides equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disabilities, or veteran status or

any other classification protected by federal constitutional statutory law in educational programs and activities. This includes,

but is not limited to, admissions, educational services, financial aid, employment and retention of consultants and contractors.

Accordingly, all proposers entering contracts with City shall, upon request, be required to show proof of such

nondiscrimination.

The City encourages participation from small, minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned and labor surplus area

businesses. Incorporation of these types of firms into the proposer’s team is encouraged.

Proposer, their consultants, sub-consultants, or other parties representing the proposer for this solicitation may not contact any

member of the City of Midland Selection Panel concerning this project from the date of advertisement until after the date of

award.

The City intends to award a single contract for the entire scope to the proposer achieving the highest overall point score total,

as defined in the Evaluation section herein. The City reserves the right to reject any and/or all of the proposals, award portions

of the proposed work, or award portions of the proposed work to more than one proposer.

□ 5.0 Proposal

The purpose of the proposal is to provide members of the City of Midland Selection Panel with specific information

regarding the qualifications of the proposer and the proposed fee to complete the required services.

The proposer’s submittal must include the following, in the order listed, with sections divided by labeled tabs. No other

information is to be included. Inclusion of extraneous materials may result in rejection of proposal.

COVER LETTER (maximum 1 page): Cover letter to be submitted on official business letterhead addressing:

• The intent of the proposer to submit a response to this RFP.

• Acknowledgment of any Addenda.

• Acknowledgment that proposal is valid for ninety (90) days from submittal due date.

• Acknowledgment that proposer has no conflicts of interest that would affect its ability to enter into a contract if

selected.

• The primary contact person.

• Affirmation that signer is authorized to submit the proposal on behalf of proposer.

City of Midland Zoning Ordinance – Sign Regulations Update

RFP # 4642

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE (maximum 3 pages, not including resumes): Proposer, and any sub-

consultants anticipated to participate, should include:

• Brief history and description of proposer, including current corporate structure.

• A summary of proposer’s qualifications, including ability to fulfill the specific requirements of the RFP.

• Narrative describing prior experience preparing updating zoning standards for signs for no fewer than three

municipalities, including at least two Michigan communities.

• Brief resumes for all members of the proposed project team, including proposer’s personnel and any sub-consultants

proposed (resumes not to exceed 2 pages per team member).

• Provide firm’s proof of insurance which meets Federal, State, County, and local regulations.

• Provide proof of insurance that the licensees, lessees, and vendors have an approved Certificate of Insurance.

APPROACH & METHODOLOGY (maximum 3 pages): Provide a detailed explanation of the proposer’s approach

and methodology, including resources, methods, systems, and technologies to accomplish the tasks, services, and deliverables

specified in the Scope of Services.

REFERENCES (maximum 1 page): Include contact information of at least three references familiar with the professional

services performed by proposer on similar efforts.

COST PROPOSAL: Include completed Attachment II – Cost Proposal.

A single lump-sum fee is required on the Cost Proposal form. Proposer’s fee will be entered into the cost proposal

calculation, and the resulting point score comprises fifteen percent (15%) of total point score, as defined in the Evaluation

section herein.

No compensation other than the lump-sum fee for the full scope of the services will be available.

5.1 Deadline and Submittal

One (1) hardcopy original in a binder and one (1) electronic version consisting of single .pdf file exactly matching the

hardcopy version on USB drive shall be submitted to the City’s official point of contact not later than the date and time

advertised. Proposer is solely responsible for properly labeling, mailing and/or delivering of proposal, at proposer’s sole cost.

Proposals may be hand-delivered if preferable.

The outside of the proposal’s envelope/box (or outermost envelope/box if mailed by and delivered by United

States Mail, Express Mail, Priority Mail, UPS, Federal Express, and all other similar types of carrier delivery,)

must be labeled with proposer’s company name and RFP Number: Zoning Ordinance – Sign Regulations

Update RFP # 4642.

5.2 Point of Contract for RFP

Official City of Midland Point of Contact, for submission of Proposals and any correspondences related to this RFP:

Christina Evans

Accounting Manager

City of Midland, Michigan

333 West Ellsworth Street

Midland, MI, 48640

(989) 837-3331

purchasing@midland-mi.org

Any inquiries or other correspondence regarding this RFP are to be transmitted via US Mail or email to the Official Point of

Contact. DO NOT CALL – the telephone number is provided for courier delivery purposes only.

5.3 Required Review and Waiver of Objections by Proposers

Proposers should carefully review this RFP and all attachments for defects, objections, or any other matter requiring

clarification or correction. Questions or comments must be received by City in writing no later than six (10) business days

City of Midland Zoning Ordinance – Sign Regulations Update

RFP # 4642

prior to the RFP submission deadline, to allow issuance of any necessary addenda.

*Submittal of a proposal shall constitute acceptance of the terms, conditions, criteria, requirements, and evaluation process of

the RFP and resulting contract, and operates as a waiver of any objection.

5.4 Response Withdrawal

Proposers may withdraw a submitted proposal at any time up to the deadline for submittal. To withdraw a response, the

respondent must submit a written request, signed by the proposer’s authorized representative, to the City’s point of contact

before the submission deadline. After withdrawing a previously submitted proposal, the proposer may submit another

proposal at any time up to the submission deadline.

5.5 Response - Amendments and Errors

Proposers are liable for any errors or omissions contained in their proposals. No amendments, revisions, or alterations to

proposals may be made following submission.

5.6 Property of Response

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of City. Selection or rejection of a response does not affect

this right. All submitted information shall be held in confidence during the evaluation process.

5.7 Insurance Requirements

Proposer is required to possess the following minimum insurance coverages:

General Liability

$1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate

Automobile liability

$1,000,000

Workers’ Comp

$500,000

Umbrella

$2,000,000

5.8 Addenda

Prior to the deadline for submission of RFP, the City reserves the right to issue addenda to this RFP. Proposers are

responsible for ensuring receipt of all addenda and incorporating any changes into their proposal. Proposers shall

acknowledge receipt of all addenda by listing those received in the RFP. The City reserves the right to reject a RFP for failure

to acknowledge receipt of any addenda. Addenda will be posted at https://www.cityofmidlandmi.gov and

https://bidnetdirect.com.

□ 6.0 Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process

6.1 Evaluation and Selection

Proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be evaluated by a City of Midland Selection Panel for the purpose of selecting the

Consultant that provides the best value for the City, based on the following criteria:

Statement of Understanding (0 to 25 points possible)

Consultant will be evaluated based on their understanding of the scope of services requested.

Approach & Methodology (0 to 35 points possible)

Consultant will be evaluated based on their proposed methodologies, technologies and strategies for providing the services

requested in this RFP.

Qualifications & Experience (0 to 25 points possible)

Consultant will be evaluated based on their experience related to projects similar in scope and magnitude of services requested in

this RFP and their ability to deliver a quality product on time and on budget. Each resume should include breadth and depth of

experience related to city planning, zoning administration, and sign regulation and design best practices, citing specific projects with

references. References may be contacted.

City of Midland Zoning Ordinance – Sign Regulations Update

RFP # 4642

Financial Proposal (0 to 15 points possible)

Consultant will be evaluated based on their lump sum bid provided on the Financial Proposal form, included herein. Consultant shall

include completed Financial Proposal form with their proposal. Proposer’s fee will be entered into the Cost Proposal calculation to

derive point score. Selection Panel reviewers will be provided with lowest total fee for purposes of calculating Cost Proposal Score.

The Cost Proposal calculation for this RFP:

Cost Proposal Score = (Lowest Total Fee from any responsible Proposer divided by Proposer’s Total Fee) multiplied by 15.

6.2 Selection Process

All responsible Proposals submitted for this project will be reviewed by the Selection Panel. The selection process shall be as

follows:

• Each Selection Panel member will independently evaluate each proposal submitted in accordance with the

aforementioned criteria.

• Each member will compile a total point score for each proposal. The highest possible score for each proposal is 100

points.

• Member scores shall be combined for each consultant to produce a cumulative score.

• At this point the Selection Panel may select the highest scoring firm/team and award the contract. The Selection

Panel may also choose to invite the highest-ranking firms to make Oral Presentations to the RFP Selection Panel at a

subsequent meeting.

o If oral presentations are deemed necessary by the Selection Panel, the Selection Panel shall convene to hear Oral

Presentations. Upon completion of the Presentations each member shall re-evaluate and complete their scoring

and member scores shall be combined for each presenting consultant to produce a cumulative score.

• The Selection Panel reserves the right to discuss consultants being considered after initial scoring and before award

of contract.

• After review and approval, the City will create a short-form agreement (contract), which will incorporate the lump

sum price. The contract shall be signed by the consultant and the City.

□ 7.0 Anticipated Schedule of Events

The City anticipates the following schedule for this solicitation. The City reserves the right at its sole discretion, to adjust this

schedule, as it deems necessary.

Advertisement: .................................................... Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Deadline for written inquiries: ............................ Monday, March 23, 2026, at 2:00 pm EDT.

Deadline for issuance of Addenda: ..................... Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 5:00 pm EDT.

Proposal Due Date: ............................................. Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 2:00 pm EDT.

Anticipated Date of Award ................................. Monday, April 27, 2026.

Final Deliverable due December 31, 2026.

□ 8.0 Exhibits and Attachments

Attachment I: Certification Statement form.

Attachment II: Cost Proposal form.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Bid Number:	RFP - 4642
Bid Title:	RFP 4642 - Zoning Ordinance - Sign Regulation Update
Category:	City of Midland Bid Opportunities
Status:	Open