Authority Background

Incorporated January 19, 1999, the Central Brown County Water Authority (CBCWA, the Authority) is a joint local water authority formed in accordance with Wisconsin State Statutes, Section 66.0823. The CBCWA is a unique intergovernmental collaboration and remains the first and only "joint local water authority" in the state of Wisconsin. The Authority's basic function is providing wholesale drinking water to seven of the communities in the greater Green Bay metropolitan area. These communities include its six Charter Members: the City of De Pere, the Villages of Allouez, Bellevue and Howard, and the Towns of Lawrence and Ledgeview. The Village of Denmark recently joined the Authority in 2022, becoming its first new Customer Member, which began water service in early 2024.

Water service to the Charter Members began in 2007 after construction of a water transmission system supplying treated Lake Michigan water to the service area via Manitowoc Public Utilities (MPU). Treated water is purchased from MPU and delivered to the Members through 65 miles of Authority-owned pipeline and related facilities. The Authority is governed directly by the Member communities under the terms of two contractual agreements – one establishing the Authority and a second agreement setting the terms of water purchase and sale. A contractual agreement with MPU then governs the relationship between the Authority and its wholesale provider of drinking water.

Our Mission: Supplying clean, abundant, affordable water – for life, for business, for growth.

Our Vision: Over the long term, the Central Brown County Water Authority will:

• Maintain the highest quality, safe drinking water supply supporting the continued growth and prosperity of our communities.
• Continuously improve the efficiency and reliability of our infrastructure, ensuring the lowest cost and best value for our customers.
• Grow our membership and lead the way in pursuing regional drinking water solutions.

Our Core Values

• Safety
• Public Health
• Reliability
• Affordability
• Growth
• Innovation
• Collaboration
• Trust
• Respect

As reflected in the Authority's mission, vision, and values, its Member communities are progressive and growth minded. The Authority Members celebrate the success and value of this Lake Michigan water supply as it solved significant issues and limitations related to water quality and quantity as compared to their past water sources. Authority Members also share a collective pride, not only in the accomplishment of a vastly improved water source, but also in the cooperation that was required to create the Authority and continues to serve as a model for other intergovernmental efforts.

Anticipated Scope of Services

The Authority seeks Consultant services to facilitate development of a new Strategic Plan (the Project) to help guide its leadership and decision making over the next three to five years. The Authority's existing Strategic Plan was first created in 2015, was utilized regularly, and updated periodically. Its strategies and initiatives are largely accomplished at this point. Therefore, this effort is an update in the sense that the existing plan can be referenced for context, but the Authority is looking for a significant rewrite of the plan. The selected Consultant should plan to bring fresh perspectives and to create a new plan that is not limited by the existing and outdated Strategic Plan.

A. Consultant Services and General Deliverables

The selected Consultant will be responsible for providing the following services and deliverables.

1. Conduct Research and Preparation. Prepare for the strategic planning process by gathering information and talking with the Authority's Project Manager and other key stakeholders as needed. Gain an understanding of the Authority's planning needs and expectations for this Project. Design an appropriate planning process based on this understanding. Meetings held at this stage may be virtual/online.
2. Facilitate the Planning Process. Facilitate at least two strategic planning sessions with the Authority's stakeholder group. These must be in-person meetings where the Consultant utilizes planning tools to engage the Authority's stakeholders to meaningfully participate in development of the Strategic Plan.
3. Strategic Plan Document. Create a document that captures and organizes the results of the strategic planning process. This document should identify specific strategies and initiatives to be pursued, identify responsible parties for each initiative, and set priorities and targeted timeframes for completion. The final document must be provided to the Authority in an editable formaty

B. Authority Involvement

Consultants can expect that the following Authority stakeholders will be involved in the Project in the roles identified as follows.

1. CBCWA General Manager. The General Manager will serve as the Project Manager for the Authority and will also participate in the process as a stakeholder. The General Manager will ensure that the Consultant has access to all Authority resources needed to complete the Project. He will enlist participation by other Project stakeholders in cooperation with the selected Consultant. He will coordinate logistics for Project meetings including any required public notice or other Open Meetings Law requirements as applicable. He will timely review and comment on any Consultant reports needed to document the results of the Project.
2. CBCWA Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Authority providing all policy and financial oversight. The Board is made up of one appointed Director from each of the Member communities. The strategic planning stakeholder group will include the Board of Directors. The Board will also have the approval authority for all Project deliverables.
3. CBCWA Technical Committee. The Technical Committee is a standing committee of the Authority that oversees all operational aspects of the water system. The Committee is made up of Public Works and Water Utility staff from each of the Member communities. The strategic planning stakeholder group will also include the Technical Committee.
4. CBCWA Designated Consultants/Contractors. The Authority engages several consultants and contractors that provide long-term services including engineering, legal support, financial and rates advice, public communication, and water system operation and maintenance, as examples. The planning process and/or strategic planning stakeholder group may additionally involve these consultants as determined to be necessary. At a minimum, participation by the Authority's engineer and public communication consultants can be expected.

C. Project Budget and Timeline

The Authority's anticipated budget for Consultant fees for this Project is $15,000. The anticipated timeline for completion is 60 days from initiation with the goal of completing the Project by June 1, 2026.

Submittal Requirements

Consultants are requested to send in PDF format via email (or ship on a USB drive) a statement of qualifications (Qualifications) for "CBCWA 2026 Strategic Planning Services" that includes all of the following elements.

1. Cover letter. In the cover letter, please address the Consultant's interest in the project and availability to take on the work.
2. Project Team. Identify the Consulting firm that will be responsible to complete the Project. Also identify any other partnering or subcontracting firms, if applicable. Please identify the Consulting team member(s) that would work on this Project including the assigned planning process facilitator. Define each individual's team roles for this Project and provide each individual's resume or CV.
3. Qualifications. Describe the Consultant's relevant experience, including the qualifications of both the firm and the individuals assigned to this Project (the Project Team), as appropriate. Identify comparable strategic planning projects performed by the Project Team member(s) and describe the methods or techniques that were applied to engage the stakeholders in planning process participation. The Authority is looking for Consultants with strategic planning experience with clients that are units of government, especially at the local or regional level, and especially those addressing water resources and drinking water supply with significant infrastructure assets.
4. Example Plan(s). Provide at least one example (but not more than three examples) of a strategic plan document created by the Consultant for another client or project. Proprietary or otherwise confidential information may be redacted in such examples. Specify which Project Team member(s) were involved in the example project and what role they played.
5. References. Provide three client references for strategic planning work performed by the Consultant and Project Team member(s). Ideally, a reference related to each example plan(s) should be included. Include a contact name, current email address, and current phone number for each reference.
6. Response to Project Scope and Budget. With the understanding that this is a request for qualifications, and that the specifics of the Project approach will be determined in cooperation with the selected Consultant, provide an initial response to the Consultant Services and General Deliverables identified above. Please inform the Authority whether the Consultant finds this approach to be generally on track or whether you would anticipate recommending a significantly different approach. Please also provide an initial response to the Project Budget and Timeline above. Similarly, please inform the Authority whether the Consultant finds the anticipated project budget and timeline to be generally on track or whether you would anticipate a significantly different Project cost or timeline.

Consultant Selection

A. Process

The Authority will use the following process to select a Consultant for this Project.

1. Review of Qualifications. An initial selection of potential Consultants will be made based on their Qualifications and the identified Submittal Requirements above.
2. Consultant Interviews. If after the review of Qualifications, the Authority determines that interviews are needed to gain further information, interviews will be scheduled. The Authority may determine that interviews are not necessary and may elect to proceed directly to contract negotiation with the Consultant it finds most qualified.
3. Contract Negotiation. Based on the steps above, the Authority may select a Consultant to enter into contract negotiation to formalize the scope of work, Project costs, and other obligations for execution of the Project. The Authority anticipates that this stage of the process will involve communication and cooperation with the Consultant to finalize the planning process, work plan, and project cost for review by the Authority. The Authority may end contract negotiation at any time at its sole discretion and reserves the right to select another qualified Consultant with which to begin contract negotiation.

B. Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation of Consultant responses to this Request for Qualifications will serve as the basis for the Authority's selection of Consultants to invite to interviews or of a Consultant to proceed to contract negotiation if interviews are not deemed necessary. Qualified Consultants will demonstrate expertise and a proven track record in facilitating strategic planning. Evaluation of Consultant Qualifications will utilize the following criteria, and the Authority reserves the right to determine the weight given to each criterion for each qualified firm.

1. Project Team qualifications and experience, and overall firm qualifications and experience, in facilitating strategic planning for clients with needs similar to those of the Authority. References may be considered here.
2. The appropriateness of the stated methods or techniques used to engage stakeholders in planning process participation.
3. The quality, helpfulness, and relevance of the example strategic plan document(s) provided.
4. The quality and completeness of the statement of Qualifications document itself, including the composition of all written responses.

C. Selection Decisions

Review of Qualifications will be performed by the General Manager, and he may request the input of other stakeholders. The General Manager will provide recommendations to the CBCWA Board of Directors. All Consultant selection decisions will be made by the CBCWA Board of Directors unless they are delegated to a Selection Committee. If interviews are conducted, a Selection Committee may be established for that purpose.

D. Schedule

1. Responses Due. Responses to this Request for Qualifications must be received by the Authority no later than 4:00 p.m. on February 24, 2026. Evaluation of the responses by the Authority will be completed within 10 working days of the submittal deadline. Contacting references provided for examples of comparable work will also take place in this timeframe.
2. Interviews. If the Authority elects to conduct interviews, they will be scheduled with the Consultants selected for interviews to take place in March of 2026. The interview questions and evaluation criteria will be provided in advance of the scheduled interviews.
3. Contract Negotiation. A Consultant to enter into contract negotiation will then be selected with the anticipated Project start occurring in March or April of 2026.

Communications and Questions Regarding the RFQ

All questions regarding this RFQ can be directed to Nic Sparacio, AICP, General Manager, at manager@cbcwa.com or by calling (920) 639-0078. Any responses to Consultant questions that provide additional information beyond that contained in this document, or that provide important clarifications to the information in this document, will be provided via email as an addendum to the RFQ.

RFQ Attachments (available upon request)

• Authority summary and Member communities map
• Existing CBCWA Strategic Plan (2021-2023+) as updated