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CITY OF WAHOO REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS - DUE BY 5:00 P.M., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2025
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN
(PDF DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE)

The City of Wahoo, Nebraska is pursuing Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) to complete a Downtown Revitalization (DTR) Plan.

The City is requesting proposals from qualified consultants who have experience in developing DTR Planning documents. It is the City’s intent to create a plan that provides a comprehensive outlook of the current designated downtown area in addition to the development of goals and objectives that can further enhance the area, making it an attractive place to do business and visit. The plan will be used as a guide for the city to develop and improve the downtown area. The Scope of Work listed may be adjusted, but the focus will be on identifying the needs and wants through public input.

Scope of Work:

• Facilitation of a public engagement process to gather input from the community and to develop community-wide consensus on the needs of Wahoo. Citizen participation should include public meetings, surveys, committees, and any other method designed to maximize the involvement of the City's residents;
• Coordinating input from key stakeholders, including but not limited to, City of Wahoo and appointed boards, Wahoo Chamber of Commerce, Greater Wahoo Development Foundation, community business owners and civic organizations;
• Developing a plan, which identifies the goals and objectives arrived at through the need's identification process;
• Developing strategies for implementing said goals and objectives; and
• Preparing a cost opinion for proposed improvements needed to meet the goals and objectives.

Interested firms should submit their proposal in writing, with the following required information included:

1. A letter of interest that outlines the following:
   1. Qualifications of the firm and of the personnel/additional organizations that are assigned to this project.
   2. Previous experience in completing DTR plans.
   3. Knowledge of Wahoo, the proposed project, and CDBG funding requirements.
   4. A public engagement strategy.
   5. References and contact information for three (3) similar projects that have been completed within the last five (5) years.
2. Listing of the organization(s) included in the firm's project team. The list/discussion of this item should identify the role of each organization and an indication of how much of the total project workload each organization will undertake.
3. Listing of key team members on the project, including their qualifications and responsibilities for the proposed project.
4. The name, qualifications, experience, and availability of the project manager. Please include information on similar projects in which the project manager has previously worked.
5. A detailed project schedule that includes an outline of the scope, major tasks, completion dates for various phases, and the total project cost with certain costs attributed to each phase.

Submittals will be scored based on the following scale:

1. Technical expertise of the firm in connection with the scope of services to be provided and the complexity of the project. (25 points)
2. Past record of performance on administrative contracts with other clients including quality of work, timeliness, and cost control. (25 Points)
3. Capacity of the firm to perform the work within the time limitations, taking into consideration the current and planned workload of the firm. (20 Points)
4. Familiarity with the Community Development Block Grant Program Guidelines. (20 Points)
5. Cost of services. (10 Points)

Total possible points= 100 Points

The City of Wahoo will evaluate all submittals and make a recommendation to the City Council. A contract with a not to exceed amount will be required. Contract award for the Planning Consultant portion of the contract will be contingent upon award of the grant and Release of Funds by the DED.

The City of Wahoo reserves the right to accept any bid, which it deems most favorable to the City, to waive any irregularities or informalities in any bid received, to reject any or all bids submitted, and to hold as many bids as it desires for consideration for a period of thirty (30) days after the bids are open. Bids received after the specified time of closing will be returned unopened.

The City of Wahoo is an equal opportunity employer and requires all contractors and consultants to comply with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations.

Other submittal requirements:

• Proposals may not exceed a total of 12 single sided pages (not including the cover page, table of contents or separating "tabs")
• Only sealed written proposals will be accepted. Physical copies are required.
• Deadline for submission of written material is 5:00 pm, Tuesday, December 2, 2025.
• Submittals of 6 copies should be received, or hand delivered to the address below by the deadline:

RFP - Wahoo Downtown Revitalization Planning

Attn: Melissa Harrell, City Administrator

605 N. Broadway

Wahoo, NE 68066

If you have any questions, please call (402) 443-3222, Ext. 14 and speak to Melissa Harrell, City Administrator.

The City of Wahoo will be holding a public hearing on their proposed budget on Tuesday, September 23 at 6:00 p.m. at the Wahoo Public Library.  Members of the public are invited to come learn about what the City of Wahoo does, where the funding comes from, and gain an understanding of how our community is financed.

City of Wahoo Budget Information:

• City of Wahoo Budget Presentation (including all items listed below)
  • Property Tax and Levy Summary
  • 2025-26 Budget Summary
  • 2025-26 Budget Detail
  • Debt Service Summary
  • Capital expenses planned for FY 2025-26

DOWNTOWN WATER IMPROVEMENTS

CONSTRUCTION NOTICE UPDATE

Click HERE for printable Construction Update Notice (pdf)

The City of Wahoo Utilities continues to enhance its water infrastructure to provide reliable, high-quality service across the city. Here’s what you can expect in the next phase of construction that is replacing outdated water mains and service lines across 33 blocks of the downtown business area.

Current Work

• · Water Main Construction: 
  • East 5th 
  • East 6th 
  • North Broadway 
  • North Orange
•   Service Line Work - continuing in these areas: 
  • Along North Broadway Street between 4th Street and 7th Street
  • East 5th between Chestnut and Linden
  • East 6th between Chestnut and Broadway
•   Service Line Work - beginning in these areas: 
  • Between N Beech Street and N Broadway Street from 8th to 9th Streets

Important Information

• · Temporary parking spots and sidewalk closures will occur, but there will be no street closures at any location.
•   Access to all businesses will be maintained throughout the construction period.

Construction Map

• · Click HERE for a construction map.

CONTACT US

For specific comments or questions during the construction process, please call City Hall at (402) 443-3222. You can also visit our website at wahoo.ne.us for updated information.

Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation as we work to improve water service reliability and fire protection for our community.

Thanks to the Ten Free Trees program, an effort of the Nebraska Forest Service and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, the City of Wahoo received 10 trees for the Wahoo Cemeteries Re-Tree project. The Wahoo Cemeteries have been and will continue to be part of the Wahoo community since as early as the 1870s. Over the years trees have provided ambiance, shelter, and beauty for our cemeteries, but there have all been trees impacted by disease, age, and storms. The Ten Free Trees program is a great opportunity for the City of Wahoo to add to the canopy at our Wahoo cemeteries with diverse species of trees. Wahoo Scout Troop 140 was a great partner and helped us plant the trees shortly after their arrival. We thank them for their assistance!

Despite providing a wide range of social, economic, and environmental benefits, most Nebraska community forests have been in steady and sometimes dramatic decline. Many challenges contribute, including extreme weather, insects, disease, and lack of diversity. The Emerald Ash borer is the latest major challenge added to the list.

In an effort to stop this decline and increase community forest resilience, the Ten Free Trees program grants up to 10 high quality trees per project for tree-related educational events and community celebrations promoting trees and fall planting.

In addition to simply planting more trees, the program goals include increasing appreciation and awareness of the significant value of community forests in Nebraska. Special emphasis is placed on species diversity and higher impact projects, especially street tree planting and projects in neighborhoods of highest need.

Ten Free Trees is supported by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum’s Trees for Nebraska Towns Initiative, funded by the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the USDA Forest Service’s Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act funding received by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, and the USDA Forest Service Landscape Scale Restoration funding received by the Nebraska Forest Service.

The Nebraska Forest Service and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum are great resources for learning about trees, the value of replacement of our trees, what species to select, how to plant, how to water, etc.  Please check out these resources they provided to the City - we hope they help you as well!

  Why Trees Are Important to Communities  
  Why We Love Trees
  Tree Planting Guidelines
  Watering Guidelines for Newly Planted Trees

Agenda and Minutes can be found here

The Mayor and Council of the City of Wahoo meet regularly on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Wahoo Public Library, 637 N Maple St. They also convene as needed for special meetings which can be called by either the Mayor or by three of the six Council members. All meetings are open to the public and are held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act established by the Nebraska State Legislature.

If you would like to have an item added to the next regular meeting of the Mayor and Council, please print off the Agenda Request Worksheet, complete the worksheet, and return it to the City Clerk's Office at 605 North Broadway along with any supporting documentation by the close of business (5:00 p.m.) on the Thursday prior to the meeting. Once the item is received, the Clerk will contact you regarding the exact date and time of the meeting.

While each agenda is kept continually current and available for public inspection on request, the agenda is not final until posted on the Friday before the meeting. The City of Wahoo makes agendas available by email, on this website, and by posting at the Wahoo Post Office, First National Bank and City Hall. If you would like to have your name added to the email distribution list, please send an email to fasel@wahoo.ne.us.

Special meetings may be called from time to time as the need arises. Agendas for special meetings are posted at least 24 hours prior to the meeting time in the same manner as agendas for regular meetings of the Council.

The minutes of the Mayor and Council must be made available to the public within 10 days of the meeting or by the next meeting, whichever comes first. If the minutes you are looking for are not available below, please contact the City Clerk's Office at 402-443-3222.

Older agendas, packets, and minutes are available at the City Clerks office at City Hall. 

As part of the Downtown Water Main improvements there will be service lines to your business or home that may need to be updated. This graphic helps explain what your water service line is and where it is located.  The second graphic shares information on the sub-contractor (Codr Plumbing) and their employees who will be completing this work for us.

The attached video is a walk through of how to maintain your clean check valve.