Develop the Sunset Zoo Master Plan and Strategic Plan
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CITY COMMISSION AGENDA MEMO November 23, 2016 FROM: Scott Shoemaker, Zoo Director MEETING: December 6, 2016 SUBJECT: Request for Qualifications – Sunset Zoo Master Plan and Strategic Plan (CIP #SZ025P) PRESENTER: Scott Shoemaker, Zoo Director BACKGROUND In 1987, Sunset Zoo commissioned a master plan by ZOOPLAN, of Wichita, Kansas. This Plan has been the basis for much of the growth Sunset Zoo has experienced since that master plan’s inception. In 1999, Staff completed an “in-house” revision of the 1987 master plan. This plan included revised cost estimates and identification of some new facilities. Much of the 1999 master plan revision has been accomplished and a new master plan and strategic plan are needed to help guide Sunset Zoo into the future. DISCUSSION As Sunset Zoo prepares for the future, City Administration is seeking to advertise a Request for Qualifications to select a consultant to prepare a new master plan and strategic plan for Sunset Zoo. It has been almost 29 years since Sunset Zoo had a master plan created by a professional firm, and much has changed in the zoo profession since that time. A professional master plan and strategic plan are requirements for Sunset Zoo’s accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). A master plan will provide Sunset Zoo and the City of Manhattan with direction in regards to future exhibits, service facilities, pedestrian circulation patterns and accessibility, wayfinding, staffing levels and estimated costs. The strategic plan will provide Sunset Zoo and the City of Manhattan with the mechanisms and information necessary to achieve the master plan. Both support organizations for the Zoo, The Friends of Sunset Zoo, and the Sunset Zoological Park and Wildlife Conservation Trust, have endorsed this Request for Qualifications proposal, and offered to have a representative sit on the selection committee, along with City Staff. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board also unanimously endorsed the request at its regular meeting on November 7, 2016. The Selection Committee will consist of five members, including a representative from the Friends of Sunset Zoo, The Sunset Zoological Park and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Senior Park Planner, and two representatives from Sunset Zoo. The selected firm will develop a master plan and strategic plan based on a series of public meetings with the community, Zoo staff, Zoo support organizations, relevant governing authorities, and various stakeholders yet to be identified. The resulting master plan and strategic plan will guide the Zoo and the City in its decision-making processes to provide services and exhibits the community wants to see, and are willing to support. FINANCING In the 2017 Capital Improvements Program (CIP), $85,000 has been budgeted for the retention of a firm to develop a Zoo Master and Strategic Plan. The CIP indicates split funding between Friends of Sunset Zoo, and the Sunset Zoological Trust as well as the utilization of surplus Economic Development Funds from the past sales tax initiative. The surplus Economic Development Funds from the Riley County 1/2 cent sales tax from 2002 to 2012 will be utilized to fund $42,500 of the Zoo Master Plan project. This decision was made during the second reading of the 2017 budget approval to reduce the mill levy in the General Fund. ALTERNATIVES It appears the Commission has the following alternatives concerning the issue at hand. The Commission may: 1. Authorize City Administration to seek qualifications for professional services to develop a master plan and strategic plan for Sunset Zoo. 2. Deny City Administration to seek qualifications for professional services. 3. Modify or develop alternatives if other concerns or factors arise. 4. Table the item and provide further direction to City Administration. RECOMMENDATION Authorize City Administration to seek qualifications for professional services to develop the Sunset Zoo Master Plan and Strategic Plan. POSSIBLE MOTION Authorize City Administration to seek qualifications for professional services to develop the Sunset Zoo Master Plan and Strategic Plan (CIP #SZ025P). Enclosures: 1. Request for Qualifications 2. Draft Minutes for 11/07/2016 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board 3. Parks and Recreation Advisory Board presentation REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Sunset Zoo Master Plan and Strategic Plan (Project #SZ025P) City of Manhattan, Kansas December 7, 2016 I. PURPOSE The City of Manhattan, through Sunset Zoo, a division of the Parks and Recreation Department, is requesting qualifications from professional design consultants to assist the City with preparation of a Master Plan, and Strategic Plan for Sunset Zoo. The Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and a premier attraction for the city of Manhattan and surrounding area. The Zoo is preparing to make significant capital investments in facilities during the next 20 years and seeks a clearly defined Master Plan and Strategic Plan, which will provide guidance for future capital development. II. BACKGROUND The Sunset Zoological Park was founded in 1933 through a collaboration between Mr. Hurst Majors, a prominent community member and City Commissioner, and Dr. E.J. Frick, Head of Surgery and Medicine at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Mr. Majors envisioned the Zoo and parkland as a wonderful benefit to the community and rallied community organizations around this idea. This idea met with great enthusiasm, and several enclosures were built and filled by Dr. Frick. The City left the operation of the Zoo to Dr. Frick, who managed to route Works Progress Administration (WPA) money and donations to the construction of many facilities. Dr. Frick acted as volunteer Zoo Director for 43 years and was given carte blanche in his methods of operation. Former City Park workers were employed to care for the animals, which were mostly retired circus and movie performers, unwanted exotic pets, surplus zoo specimens and native fauna. The collection was little more than a menagerie or "stamp collection," although the Zoo did house several rare or unusual animals Dr. Frick managed to acquire from friends in the zoo field. Sunset Zoo Master Plan and Strategic Plan | Request for Qualifications Page 1 of 6 In the 1970s, the Zoo came under fire by local humane and animal rights organizations as well as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was nearly closed. An outcry from the public following Dr. Frick's retirement in 1976 forced the City to make a decision on whether to create a modern, accredited facility or close the outdated Zoo. The community demanded to keep their zoo and a master plan study was commissioned in 1987. The Plan, developed by ZOOPLAN Associates, of Wichita, Kansas, was adopted by the City Commission that same year and was the driving force behind the new gate admission policy. An entrance facility, consisting of a ticket booth, was constructed in 1989 and a gate charge initiated, providing the first assured source of funding for the facility through a special zoo revenue account. It was also in 1989 that the Zoo applied for and became an accredited institution of AAZPA, now known as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Zoo's mission "to inspire conservation of the natural world," as well as its commitment to connect the community to amazing animals, to serve as a source of cultural enrichment, and to promote conservation, scientific study and education, has not been clear throughout the Zoo's entire 83 year history. However, it has been a guiding force for the Zoo's more recent activities, as demonstrated by the creation of the master plan in 1987 and its subsequent revision in 1999. This dedication to animal stewardship, conservation, education and recreation has resulted in professional accreditation and the community's renewed commitment and enthusiasm for Sunset Zoo. Within the last few years a new life has been given to the Zoo, creating much public excitement and involvement and growth. Sunset Zoo currently occupies approximately 46 acres, 26 of which are developed. Over 40 major renovation or building projects have been completed in the last 20 years, including major projects such as the Chimpanzees of the Tanganyika Forest exhibit in 1997, a new Colobus of the Kakamega Forests exhibit in 1998, the Chautauqua Amphitheater in 2001, a new maned wolf exhibit in 2002, a new flamingo exhibit in 2003, a new spotted hyena exhibit in 2009 and the opening of the John Woodard Memorial Gibbons exhibit in 2012. In 2009, the citizens of Manhattan passed a quality of life sales tax initiative to fund a new zoo education building and entryway, the Nature Exploration Center. This facility, along with an accompanying ticket booth and gift shop, opened in 2012. In 2013, a newly renovated veterinary clinic also opened. In 2013, the Zoo also received a major capital gift from a local donor, providing the catalyst for a major renovation of the zoo’s sloth bear, Amur leopard, and tiger facilities. In 2014, the zoo constructed Phase II of the John Woodard Memorial Gibbons Exhibit. During this time, many other exhibits have been overhauled or renovated and a tremendous number of equipment upgrades and management guidelines have been created to ensure Sunset Zoo operates under the best practices. These additions, along with the continued investment of the local community, will ensure Sunset Zoo remains a modern facility committed to education, animal care and conservation, as well as providing a quality guest experience. Expansion of staff and volunteer support has also increased dramatically over the last two decades. In October 1991, a new Director of Conservation and Research position was added which brought conservation and research activities to an equal level with education and Sunset Zoo Master Plan and Strategic Plan | Request for Qualifications Page 2 of 6 recreation. In 2013, a Conservation Team was formed through the Zoo’s Friends of Sunset Zoo (FOSZ) support organization.