ITEM TITLE:
Procurement Report: Professional Services Agreement With Agnew::Beck Consulting for a Housing Needs Assessment
SUBMITTED BY: Nicole Chase, Planner
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: $75,400.00
Unencumbered Balance: $0.00
Funding Source: 001-5500-43400
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive and file.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The City of Valdez has entered into a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Agnew::Beck Consulting for development of a housing needs assessment. The amount of compensation in this PSA is not to exceed $75,400.00 as was outlined in the quote received from Agnew::Beck Consulting on November 20, 2024 and included in the attached PSA.
In 2021, the Valdez City Council adopted Plan Valdez, a revised comprehensive plan for the community which identified housing as a top priority for the community. In 2020, the city conducted a housing needs assessment which provided information on housing needs at that time. In 2024, the city participated in a regional housing needs assessment, as a part of the Prince William Sound Housing Working Group. This study utilized a handful of stakeholder interviews to refresh the 2020 study based on recent housing developments, but did not do a community survey or comprehensive study of the community’s current housing needs.
In order to provide staff and Council Members with updated data to target our ongoing housing efforts, Community Development staff are now pursuing an updated housing needs assessment. This study will gather more specific information regarding what type and number of long- and short-term housing units are needed in Valdez. Staff is working with Agnew::Beck Consulting to develop a robust study that can be updated on a regular basis into the future to continue a data-informed and targeted approach to addressing this priority.