RFPMUL-PS-2026-02

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA
Office of the Chief Marshal
Police Department
Feasibility and
Implementation Study
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP MUL-PS-2026-02)
Prepared for Mayor and City Council
City of Mulberry, Gwinnett County, Georgia
STATUS SERVICE TODAY POPULATION LOCAL FORCE
City lite * No ad valorem millage Gwinnett County Police contract Approx. 41,400 * 28 sq. mi. Marshal's Office
established 2025
RFP No. MUL-PS-2026-02
September 17, 2026
2078 TERON TRACE, SUITE 100 * MULBERRY, GEORGIA 30019
www.mulberryga.gov

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
1. INVITATION - RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02 ................................................................................................................... 3
C2. onPtLeAnNNtsIN G CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
3. OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
4. SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................................................................................................................ 6
5. DELIVERABLES ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9
6. SCHEDULE AND BUDGET GUIDANCE ............................................................................................................................... 9
7. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 9
8. PROPOSAL CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 10
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA (100 POINTS) .......................................................................................................................... 10
10. CITY-FURNISHED INFORMATION .................................................................................................................................. 11
11. CONTRACT TERMS (SUMMARY) ................................................................................................................................... 11
12. SUBMISSION AND ATTACHMENTS ................................................................................................................................. 11
EXHIBIT A - COST PROPOSAL FORM ................................................................................................................................... 12
EXHIBIT B - COMPARABLE REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 12
EXHIBIT C - OFFEROR CERTIFICATION .............................................................................................................................. 13
EXHIBIT D CONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT AND AGREEMENT .............................................................................................................. 14
HOW PROPOSALS WILL BE SCORED ..................................................................................................................................... 15
PROPOSAL EVALUATION SCORECARD .................................................................................................................................. 18
RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02 | SEPTEMBER 2026 PAGE 2 OF 15

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
1. INVITATION - RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02
The City of Mulberry, Georgia invites proposals from qualified firms for a Police Department Feasibility and
Implementation Study. This is a professional-services study only. It does not create a department, buy
equipment, build a facility, or change any current service arrangement. The selected firm shall deliver
findings, a working cost model, and an implementation roadmap that the Mayor, City Council, City Manager,
and Chief Marshal can use.
Finish all work within 90 calendar days after award and no later than Friday, January 29, 2027. Submission of
Service Provider Proposal. No later than 3:00 P.M. on October 16, 2026. Clearly marked RFP MUL-PS- 2026-
02, the proposal package must be sent within one sealed envelope, consisting of two separate envelopes
(one envelope for the Technical Proposal and one envelope for the Cost Proposal). Within the Technical
Proposal envelope, there shall be one electronic copy in PDF format. Within the Cost Proposal envelope,
there shall be one electronic PDF copy. Failure to submit your technical and cost proposals will cause your
proposal to be deemed non-responsive.
Proposals must be addressed as follows: City of Mulberry
Attn: City Clerk
RFP MUL-PS-2026-02
2078 Teron Trace, Suite 100
Mulberry, Georgia 30019
THE QUESTION THIS STUDY MUST ANSWER
Within the budget the City will spend, and with no tax increase, which service model gives Mulberry the best coverage
compared with the current Gwinnett County Police Department contract, keeps response intact during any transition,
and uses the Marshal's Office well?
RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02 | SEPTEMBER 2026 PAGE 3 OF 15

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
Item Detail
Issuing office City of Mulberry - Office of the City Manager, in coordination with the Chief Marshal
RFP number MUL-PS-2026-02
Issue date September 22, 2026 (or next business day after Council authorization)
Pre-proposal conference Virtual - Tuesday, September 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. Eastern (optional)
Item Detail
Questions due Friday, October 2, 2026, 5:00 p.m. Eastern
Answers posted Monday, October 6, 2026
Proposals due Friday, October 16, 2026, 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Interviews (shortlist) Week of October 20, 2026
Target award On or before Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Notice to proceed Within five business days of award
Performance period 90 calendar days after award, and no later than Friday, January 29, 2027. Final report and Council
presentation are due by the earlier of those dates.
Submission One electronic PDF to the City Clerk, plus six bound color copies if requested after shortlist
Point of contact City Manager Jamieson Palmer * Chief Marshal Robert Jones * 2078 Teron Trace, Suite 100, Mulberry, GA
30019
RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02 | SEPTEMBER 2026 PAGE 4 OF 15

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
2. PLANNING CONTEXT
Figures in this section are planning information. The consultant shall validate, reconcile, and document the baseline
before modeling alternatives. A planning assumption is not an authorized staffing level, budget, or facility.
Topic Planning information
Community Newly incorporated City of Mulberry in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Operations began January 1, 2025.
Service area About 28-30 square miles; estimated population about 41,400 to 43,000; roughly 15,000 parcels.
Consultant shall lock a verified figure.
Operational demand Preliminary estimates range from about 33,000 dispatched calls a year to about 41,000 when
officer-initiated activity is included. Validate definitions before use.
Traffic and schools About six miles of Interstate 85. The S.R. 124 corridor includes three schools within about one mile and
heavy school-peak traffic.
Current environment Gwinnett County Police Department is the principal provider of traffic and criminal law enforcement. The
City operates a Marshal's Office. Sworn marshals already meet the same POST standard as municipal
officers.
Dispatch The City does not presently plan to operate a municipal PSAP. Alternatives shall assume an interoperable
external dispatch arrangement unless the City directs otherwise.
Staffing and facilities Preliminary planning figures are about 65 sworn and 12 civilian professional positions. These numbers may
scenario change. Use them as a starting envelope only, not an authorized roster. Size command, detectives, K-9,
traffic, and other support from workload, not from the preliminary total.
Budget envelope At kickoff the City will state what it will spend on police services. It will not raise taxes to establish a police
department. A tax increase is not an option and is not part of this study.
Patrol schedule Compare 8-hour, 10-hour, and 12-hour patrol shifts on the same workload and relief-factor basis.
Recommend one model. Show coverage, cost, overtime, supervision, recruitment, and well-being tradeoffs
for all three.
Topic Planning information
Specialty support State assets: crime laboratory; Georgia State Patrol SWAT and air support; GBI for major crime scenes and
major cases. City detectives investigate serious crime and may request GSP or GBI help. Do not design a City
lab, SWAT team, or aviation unit.
Fleet Enterprise Fleet Management - leased vehicles and Enterprise fleet services. Cost the fleet on that model.
Stakeholders Mayor and Council, City Manager and staff, Marshal's Office, Public Safety Advisory Committee, schools in
the city, and Mulberry residents.
Coverage note Committee materials have described current contracted field coverage at about 3.5 officers per shift. Treat
as a starting point only.
RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02 | SEPTEMBER 2026 PAGE 5 OF 15

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
3. OBJECTIVES
1. Establish a verified baseline of service demand, staffing capacity, response performance, existing costs, and
operating conditions.
2. Compare the present GCPD service environment with a municipal police department, a hybrid expanded
Marshal's Office, an improved contract, and any City-directed variant.
3. Develop workload-based staffing, deployment, organization, technology, fleet, facility, and operating-cost
requirements for each alternative.
4. Show whether each alternative fits inside the annual amount the City is willing to spend, and what service is given
up if it does not.
5. Produce a phased implementation roadmap that preserves 911 continuity and names decisions, dependencies,
risks, and responsible parties.
6. Deliver materials City leaders can use in public: facts, assumptions, tradeoffs, costs, and next steps.
7. Leave the City a reusable staffing and cost workbook, not only a static PDF.
4. SCOPE OF WORK
Proposers shall address every task below. Optional add-ons must be priced separately and shall not be required to
complete the base study.
Out of scope. Do not study a tax or millage increase - the City will not raise taxes to establish a police department.
Do not brief POST or sworn-marshal legal authority; those questions are already settled.
Task A - Project initiation and data protocol
* Kickoff with City Manager, Chief Marshal, City Attorney, Finance, and the Public Safety Advisory Committee chair.
* Within ten business days after notice to proceed, submit a work plan, week-by-week schedule, interview plan,
communication protocol, risk register, and complete data request.
* Establish procedures for secure handling, use, retention, return, and destruction of City and criminal-justice data.
* Data request shall cover CAD/RMS extracts and contract invoices for service inside city limits, crime and collision
data geocoded to city limits, Marshal's Office workload, development pipeline, and comparable-city pay data.
* Identify data limitations promptly. If CAD or other third-party data is slow, document the gap and finish on the
best available proxy. The 90-day / January 29, 2027 clock does not pause.
Task B - Current-state assessment of GCPD service to Mulberry
* Map calls for service, response times, uncommitted / proactive time, and on-view activity inside city limits by hour,
day, and beat-equivalent geography, including I-85 and major corridors.
* Describe investigative intake, case follow-up, and clearance experience for crimes occurring in the city.
* Describe community-facing work (schools, events, problem-solving) actually delivered in Mulberry, as distinct from
countywide programs.
* Reconstruct what Mulberry residents pay for county police and how those dollars are allocated (patrol, investigations,
specialized units, dispatch, jail, overhead, capital, vacancy credits, overtime).
* Benchmark service and cost against a negotiated set of peers (suggested starting set: Johns Creek, Milton, Peachtree
Corners, Sugar Hill, Braselton, Buford, and one similarly sized newly formed or recently transitioned agency).
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CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
Task C - Mulberry stakeholder and community input
* At least two advertised public meetings (one weeknight, one weekend) inside the city.
* Structured interviews with the Mayor, each Councilmember, City Manager, Chief Marshal, City Attorney, and
Public Safety Advisory Committee.
* Summarize that input in an interim memo before alternatives are locked.
Task D - Alternative service models (mandatory three, plus variants)
Every proposal must analyze, at minimum, the three models already before the City, using the same workload,
service-level, and accounting rules so they can be compared.
* Alternative 1 - Status quo (improved contract). Remain with GCPD. Identify contract terms the City should seek
(minimum on-duty strength in the city, named community officers, data-sharing, after-action reporting) and the
cost of those terms.
* Alternative 2 - Municipal police department. Full-service City agency for patrol, traffic, community service, and
investigations. Detectives shall be staffed and trained to investigate serious crime. High-cost specialties are state
assets, not City units: state crime laboratory; Georgia State Patrol SWAT and air support; GBI for major crime
scenes and major cases. The study shall describe request protocols and cost implications, not stand up those
units.
* Alternative 3 - Hybrid. Expand the Marshal's Office for traffic, ordinance, quality-of-life work, selected
misdemeanor follow-up, and community presence. GCPD would keep 911,, pppaaatttrrroooll,la,,a naandnndddf effeleolnonlnoynyynyiininnyivnvv ivenssesttvstiigitgegiaagsattattiiotiiooginonnasnss.t..siUo. n s. Useset hthheee
City's existing marshal powers as they stand.
* Proposers may add a fourth variant (for example a delayed stand-up in two phases, or a multi-city JPA) if it is
costed with the same rigor.
Task E - Staffing, organization, and operations design
* Workload-based patrol staffing: CAD analysis, travel time given 28-30 square miles and the interstate, relief
factor (leave, training, court, light duty), minimum and target staffing by day and hour, and target proactive time.
Build three patrol-shift comparisons - 8-hour, 10-hour, and 12-hour - on the same call-for-service base.
Recommend one model and show coverage, cost, overtime, supervision, recruitment, and officer well-being for
each.
* Command staff, first-line supervision, detectives, K-9, traffic, community and school resource, professional
standards, records, property and evidence, fleet administration, fiscal, and other support. Size detectives to
investigate serious crime in-house. GBI and GSP are request-for-assistance resources on major scenes, major
cases, SWAT, and air support - not a substitute for a capable detective function. These units shall be analyzed
even if the preliminary 65 sworn / 12 civilian envelope changes.
* Civilianization opportunities and the role of existing Marshal personnel (pay alignment, whether marshals remain
a separate office or fold into the new department). POST eligibility is already established and is not a study
question.
* Dispatch / 911: assume an interoperable external arrangement (county or other qualified center). Do not design a
City PSAP unless the City directs that option in writing.
* Organization chart for each alternative at Year 1, Year 3, and Year 10.
RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02 | SEPTEMBER 2026 PAGE 7 OF 15

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
Task F - Facilities, fleet, and technology
* Conceptual facilities needs assessment: interim, adaptive reuse, leased, expanded, and new-construction
options. Space program: public access, administration, investigations, report writing, interview rooms, evidence
and property, K-9 kennel or vehicle support, equipment storage, secure processing if needed, training space for
about 50 people, locker rooms, fitness, parking, and fleet support. Size the building to the recommended roster,
using 65 sworn / 12 civilian only as a preliminary envelope that may change.
* Reuse of existing City space versus lease versus new construction; order-of-magnitude capital ranges, lead
times, and sequencing - not architectural design and not a vendor specification.
* Fleet shall be modeled on Enterprise Fleet Management (lease plus Enterprise fleet services). Include marked,
unmarked, K-9, and command vehicles under that lease model. Radios and interoperability, CAD/RMS interfaces,
body-worn and in-car video, digital evidence, e-citation, evidence tracking, camera or ALPR options, analytics,
cybersecurity, and IT staffing. Do not specify a vendor for radios or cameras.
* Cybersecurity and CJIS compliance path for a new agency.
Task G - Operating-cost model inside the City's stated budget
At kickoff the City will state what it will spend. Price each alternative so Council can see what that budget buys. If an
alternative costs more, show what service would have to be cut.
* Build a working workbook (Excel or Google Sheets) the City keeps. Staff must be able to change headcount, wage
assumptions, take-home car policy, start date, and call volume and see operating and capital results update.
* Personnel costs built from the Atlanta-metro hiring market only as needed to cost the recommended roster: base
pay, incentives, overtime, and standard benefits load.
* One-time stand-up costs: recruitment and academy, uniforms and weapons, Enterprise vehicle lease initiation
and outfitting, IT, furniture, policy manuals, accreditation start-up, and contingency. Do not assume a City-owned
fleet purchase unless shown only as a comparison to Enterprise.
* Show costs at startup and in Years 1, 3, 5, 10, and 20. Separate cost estimates from funding decisions.
* State whether each alternative fits the City budget. If it does not, name the service that would be cut.
* Sensitivity cases: high-growth call volume and "county raises the contract price 15 percent."
Task H - Transition risk and intergovernmental issues (in coordination with the City Attorney)
* Flag operational risks the City Attorney should review. Do not write a legal opinion.
* Liability insurance market for a new Georgia municipal police department and recommended coverage limits.
* Outline of an intergovernmental agreement if the City winds down or keeps selected specialized support.
* Records custody, open-records surge, and evidence chain-of-custody at transition.
* Dispatch / 911 continuity if the City stays on the county system or changes centers.
* This task is operational issue-spotting, not a legal opinion. The City Attorney remains counsel of record.
Task I - Transition and implementation plan
* Phased roadmap from City authorization through first service delivery and the first three years. Name tasks,
sequence, accountable parties, dependencies, decision points, risks, mitigation, and cost timing.
* Recruiting and lateral hiring in the Atlanta market; vacancy factor in Years 1-2; policy and accreditation readiness;
records and evidence; dispatch integration; facilities, fleet, and technology sequencing.
* Continuity-of-service protections if hiring lags. Decision gates to pause, stay with GCPD, or accelerate.
* Public communications plan. Note school and mutual-aid implications in the written report.
* List operational approvals the City Attorney should confirm before any transition.
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CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
Task J - Reporting
* Biweekly written status and monthly project meetings unless the City approves another cadence.
* Interim briefing to the Public Safety Advisory Committee after Tasks B-C.
* Draft report, City comment period of ten business days, final report.
* In-person presentation to City Council and a virtual executive briefing.
* All workpapers, maps, and the financial workbook delivered in editable form.
5. DELIVERABLES
# Deliverable Form
1 Kickoff package: work plan, schedule, data protocol, data request, stakeholder Within 10 business days of NTP
plan, risk register
2 Current-state profile of GCPD service and cost to Mulberry Memo + maps
3 Community and stakeholder input summary Memo
4 Alternatives framework (locked assumptions) Memo for City sign-off
5 Draft feasibility report covering Tasks D-I PDF + Word
6 Final report and 12-page executive summary PDF + Word, ADA-accessible
7 Working financial and staffing workbook Excel or Sheets
8 Slide deck and in-person Council presentation PPTX + appearance
9 Implementation / transition Gantt and RACI Spreadsheet + PDF
6. SCHEDULE AND BUDGET GUIDANCE
Finish the study, the final report, and the Council presentation within 90 calendar days after award, and no later than
Friday, January 29, 2027. Day 1 is the award date, or a notice to proceed issued that same week. The earlier of day 90
and January 29, 2027, controls. Slow data does not pause the clock unless the City Manager agrees in writing. Submit
one fixed price for Tasks A-J. Price optional modules separately; they must still fit the same deadline if the City adds
them at award.
Planning range for a complete proposal is $80,000 to $130,000. That is guidance, not a cap. The City will score
value against the scope, not the lowest number. Travel, on-site days, and two Council presentations belong in the base
price. Do not price tax analysis or POST legal research.
7. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
* Five years of consulting to local government public-safety agencies in the United States.
* At least two completed studies in the last seven years that evaluated creating a new police department or exiting
a sheriff / county contract. Provide the client, year, and a one-page description of the recommendation and what
the client did.
* A named project manager who will attend the kickoff, the interim briefing, and the Council presentation.
* Ability to execute a professional-services contract with a Georgia municipality and to carry professional liability
insurance of at least $1 million per claim.
* Disclosure of any work performed for Gwinnett County or GCPD in the last five years, and a conflicts plan.
RFP NO. MUL-PS-2026-02 | SEPTEMBER 2026 PAGE 9 OF 15

CITY OF MULBERRY, GEORGIA POLICE DEPT. FEASIBILITY STUDY
8. PROPOSAL CONTENTS
Submit one electronic PDF. Cap the technical proposal at 35 pages, not counting the cover letter, resumes,
references, sample work, Exhibits A-C, and certifications. Keep the offer open 120 days. Send questions only to the
City procurement contact. Do not contact elected officials, staff, or evaluators about this RFP except through that
contact or at a meeting the City notices.
Required contents
Tab Content
1 Cover letter signed by an officer authorized to bind the firm. State the fixed price and the calendar.
2 Understanding of Mulberry - city-lite charter, Marshal's Office, GCPD relationship, I-85 geography. Do not recycle a generic
suburban staffing pitch.
3 Methodology by task, including the exact workload formulas, relief-factor method, and financial-model architecture.
4 Work plan and week-by-week schedule for the 90 days after award, ending no later than January 29, 2027.
5 Team: organization chart, resumes, hours by person by task, and who is on-site when.
6 Relevant experience and three references with phone and email. Identify any Georgia work.
7 Sample work: one redacted executive summary from a comparable feasibility or contract-exit study.
8 Cost proposal: fixed price by task, hourly rates for change orders, travel assumption, optional modules.
9 Insurance certificates, Georgia business registration or qualification, and litigation disclosure.
9. EVALUATION CRITERIA (100 POINTS)
Factor Points What "excellent" looks like
Methodology and fit to Mulberry 30 Three alternatives on one ledger; designs fit the City's stated budget; CAD method
is specified; hybrid marshal option is real; no tax or POST-legal filler.
Team and relevant experience 25 Named people who have stood up or priced a new agency; at least one former
command officer and one financial modeler on the team; Georgia or Southeast
work.
Work plan, presence, and schedule 15 Credible 90-day plan that also finishes by January 29, 2027; enough on-site days;
a data-gap plan that does not pause the clock.
Cost and value 20 Complete base scope inside one price; transparent hours; optional modules not
used to hide the real number.
Clarity of writing and sample work 10 A Councilmember can understand the sample executive summary in fifteen
minutes.
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