Title
Resolution to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Kittali Weidner, LLC in the Amount of $99,500.00 to Support the City’s Circular Economy Action Planning ($99,500.00)
Memorandum
On March 17, 2025, City Council passed a resolution (R-25-089) to accept a grant in the amount of $190,630.00 from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (“EGLE”) to create a Circular Economy Action Plan. The goal of this grant application was to aid the City in moving forward its work to create a more circular economy.
This successful grant, includes three main objectives:
1. Resident engagement: This work was completed through Resident Advisory Committee, culminating in a Resident Engagement report, completed in June 2025 through a contract with Guy O. Williams and Associates. This report will serve as source material for the Circular Economy Action Plan and ensure that the City’s circular economy programming is rooted in the experiences, needs, and desires of the Ann Arbor community.
2. Business and Institutional Engagement: The City will work with a competitively selected vendor to create and execute a strategy to engage Ann Arbor’s businesses, institutions, and organizations around the circular economy. This will result in the creation of a Business/Institutional Engagement report that will serve as source material for the Circular Economy Action Plan, ensuring that business and institutional needs are met by the City’s circular economy programming.
3. Creation of a Circular Economy Action Plan: After engaging Ann Arbor residents, businesses, organizations, and institutions, the City’s chosen vendor will work with the City to create a Circular Economy Action Plan that identifies long-term opportunities, goals, barriers, and priorities for the City’s current and future circular economy programming.
Over the past 18 months, major work has been undertaken for task one, leveraging separate funding, culminating in a Resident Engagement Report completed with the support Guy O. Williams and Associates. However, the City still needs to hire a firm to assist with tasks 2 and 3 related to business and institutional engagement and final creation of a Circular Economy Action Plan. As such, in April of 2025, the Office of Sustainability and Innovations released a Request for Proposal (RFP # 25-23) to identify candidates to perform these services.
In total, nine (9) firms submitted proposals for consideration under RFP # 25-23. Upon review by a steering committee, four firms had their fee proposals opened, and four firms were selected for interviews. Upon consideration of the qualifications, skills, previous experience, and fee proposals, the steering committee recommended moving forward with Kittali Weidner, LLC.
Kittali Weidner, LLC is compliant with the City’s living wage and non-discrimination ordinances and is prepared to immediately begin work on the City’s Circular Economy Action Plan. As such, staff in the Office of Sustainability and Innovations are recommending the approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Kittali Weidner, LLC to complete business and institutional engagement and help craft the City’s first Circular Economy Action Plan.
Budget/Fiscal Impact: The Office of Sustainability and Innovations has already funded the matching portion of this grant award via its contract with Guy O. Williams and Associates. As such, all of the funding for the remainder of this work will come from the City’s successfully secured EGLE grant. This means there are no budget impacts associated with this agreement.
Staff
Prepared by: Missy Stults, Sustainability and Innovations Director
Reviewed by: Kim Hoenerhoff, Financial Analyst
Reviewed by: Valerie Jackson, Assistant City Attorney
Reviewed by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Through the A2ZERO Carbon Neutrality Plan, the City has set an aggressive goal of achieving community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030;
Whereas, One of the key strategies of the A2ZERO Plan is to move toward a circular economy;
Whereas, The Office of Sustainability and Innovations submitted a grant application to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy to advance circular economy focused engagement, which included $99,500.00 in funding to support business and institutional engagement and the creation of a Circular Economy Action Plan;
Whereas, In December 2024, the Office of Sustainability and Innovations’ grant application was selected for an award by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy;
Whereas, In March 2025, City Council, via resolution R-25-089, authorized receipt and appropriation of this grant award;
Whereas, In April 2025, the Office of Sustainability and Innovations released a Request for Proposals (RFP # 25-23) titled Circular Economy Action Plan Consulting seeking a vendor to complete a Business/Institutional Engagement Report and a Circular Economy Action Plan alongside the Office of Sustainability and Innovations;
Whereas, Upon review by a committee of staff, Kittali Weidner, LLC was identified as the most qualified, experienced, and vision-aligned team to lead the City’s desired Circular Economy Action Planning work; and
Whereas, Kittali Weidner, LLC is compliant with the City’s living wage and non-discrimination ordinances;
RESOLVED, That City Council approve a Professional Services Agreement with Kittali Weidner, LLC in the amount of $99,500.00 to support Circular Economy Action Planning;
RESOLVED, That City Council authorize a 10% contingency related to this Professional Services Agreement;
RESOLVED, That any remaining funding in the FY 2026 expenditure budget related to this Professional Services Agreement with Kittali Weidner, LLC be carried forward without regard to fiscal year;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to sign the Professional Services Agreement after approval by the City Administrator and the City Attorney; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is authorized to take all appropriate actions to implement this resolution.