Council debates hiring consultant to run RFP for 201 property, balancing speed and staff capacity

Council members discussed whether the borough should hire an external consultant to draft and manage the RFP for the 201 property. Multiple members argued a consultant would relieve staff and provide required expertise, while others urged alignment with pending zoning and missing‑middle work before finalizing RFP priorities.

Maggie summarized a six‑month RFP timeline if started promptly and said she does not have capacity to manage a full RFP in‑house. Several council members said they would only support moving forward quickly if a consultant is engaged: "I would only agree to proceed in relatively short order if we agreed to have engaged an outside consultant to do it," one council member said. Staff will return with details on consultant scope, cost and a proposed public‑engagement plan.