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Contract Amendment with Freese and Nichols, Inc. for Schedule Extension for the Downtown Area Plan.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is to authorize the Town Manager to extend the contract with Freese and Nichols, Inc. (FNI) to complete the Downtown Area Plan
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Department
DEPARTMENT: Planning
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Council Direction
COUNCIL DIRECTION:
__X__ Race/Equity _X___ Climate _X__ Comprehensive Plan ___Other
Council Direction Statement
Completion of the Downtown Area Plan was included in the Carrboro Connects comprehensive plan's top 35 priorities, selected based on the opportunity to advance equity and support climate action and sustainability, as Land Use Strategy 2.1A. and Economic Development Strategy 2.1. The plan seeks to refine the twenty-year vision for the downtown area of Carrboro, through equitable community engagement and detailed analyses, and will have implications to the affordability, accessibility, and experience of residents and visitors to Carrboro. This plan will also inform the ongoing new Carrboro Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) project.
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Information
INFORMATION: The Town released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in November 2023, and authorized the Manager to enter into a contract with Freese and Nichols, Inc. (FNI) for consulting services on the Downtown Area Plan March 3, 2024. To ensure the Downtown Area Plan realizes Carrboro’s commitment to equitable engagement, and to include feedback provided by the Town Council at the May 13, 2025 work session, the contract previous ending June 30, 2025 must be extended. In addition to completed work, FNI’s scope includes the development of an implementation plan which will include analyses to gauge whether proposed changes are serving Carrboro’s community in ways that advance racial equity and climate resilience.
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Fiscal and Staff Impact
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no additional fiscal impact associated with this item. The amendment is necessary to extend the contract period to align with the current project timeline. Additional funding to address feedback from the Town Council and the community, not to exceed $27,000, was adopted as part of the FY26 Budget on June 3, 2025.
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Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Town Council consider the resolution (Attachment A) authorizing the Town Manager to execute a contract extension for Freese and Nichols, Inc., extending the contract to December 31, 2026.
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