San Anselmo picks consultant for general plan update

San Anselmo officials have selected a consultant to guide the town’s general plan update.

The San Anselmo Town Council voted April 23 to approve a $1,022,805 contract with O’Rourke and Associates, a San Francisco firm. Mayor Eileen Burke said the cost gave her some pause, but she noted the plan is essential to the future of the town.

“We need to chart our progress going forward,” she said. “They seem like a good crew. I want to make sure we get our money’s worth, though.”

O’Rourke and Associates also worked with Tiburon on the development of its housing element.

Lindsey Klein, a town planner, said five companies submitted proposals. The town picked four companies for interviews.

“We advertised very widely,” Klein said.

The five bids for the project ranged from $783,518 to $1,338,861, according to the town planning office.

Klein said O’Rourke was selected in part for its previous work in Marin.

“We heard rave reviews from their references, and rather than making assumptions, they really showed an interest in learning from the community what they want instead of showing us what we need,” Klein said.

Klein said the cost for the general plan contract will amount to $4 a year per resident over the next 20 years.

The council also passed a resolution to create a general plan advisory committee of up to 15 members. It will include councilmembers, planning commissioners, members of various advisory committees, a high school student, residents and other stakeholders. The Town Council will select the panelists following an application process.

The purpose of the committee would be to serve as a sounding board for the plan’s development, Klein said. The committee would not be a decision-making body and would not have access to information unavailable to the public.

The committee’s role would be to provide comments to the consultants and staff during milestones and review the draft of the document before publication.

Councilmember Tarrell Kullaway expressed interest in serving on the committee, noting she served on an ad hoc group that selected the consultant.

“It was pretty laborious, this process,” she said. “If it is once a month, I would be willing to revisit serving again.”

The general plan will cover issues such as housing, aesthetics, resources, land use, recreation, transportation and utilities. Burke recommended the establishment of a public communications program.

“That seems as we move into the future, an important piece,” she said.