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2 <br />While the City is not legally obligated to provide specific relocation benefits in connection <br />with this action to bring the City’s trusteeship of Docktown into compliance with the Public <br />Trust Doctrine, as determined by the State, the City has committed to developing a <br />customized program to address some of the relocation hardships that Docktown tenants <br />may face. In order to understand the needs and interests of tenants living at Docktown <br />and to develop a proposed Docktown Plan for the City Council’s consideration, the City <br />issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to retain a qualified consultant responsible for <br />providing all services necessary to prepare a draft Docktown Plan and implement <br />relocation services once the City Council adopts a Docktown Plan. The scope of work is <br />set forth in two phases: <br />1) Preparation of a Docktown Plan for City Council action by the end of 2016; and, <br />2) Implementation of the adopted Docktown Plan for the relocation of all of the <br />tenants beginning in 2017. <br /> <br />An experienced relocation firm, Overland, Pacific and Cutler (OPC), was selected from <br />four firms that submitted proposals. In early September, the City notified Docktown <br />community members of the work OPC would be doing and asked tenants to meet with <br />OPC representatives. The City also provided the timeline for developing the draft <br />Docktown Plan and described opportunities for Docktown community members to provide <br />comments on the draft Plan. <br /> <br />On behalf of the City, OPC commenced contacting tenants for interviews to understand <br />household relocation needs, and to schedule appraisals of vessels the City may offer to <br />acquire should the tenant desire to sell their property (e.g., their boat or barge-based <br />dwelling) to the City. Several attempts were made by OPC over a six-week period to <br />meet with all of the tenants. Because only twelve of the 65 tenants participated in <br />interviews, OPC received limited information about tenant demographics, needs and <br />desires. However, many tenants have communicated their desire to continue living at <br />Docktown Marina. <br />The attached Docktown Plan (Attachment B) includes a yearlong transition schedule for <br />Docktown tenants beginning in March 2017, as well as financial assistance in the form of <br />moving expenses, incentive payments for tenants desiring to move more quickly, and <br />vessel acquisition payments for tenants desiring to sell their property to the City. The <br />Plan includes additional financial aid for people with special needs, including seniors, <br />veterans, and low-income individuals. In addition, the Plan offers advisory assistance to <br />help tenants find a new marina slip for their watercraft or a new land-based residence. <br />On November 9, 2016 the City sent a letter to Docktown community members inviting <br />them to a meeting on November 17, 2016 to discuss the elements of the draft Plan and <br />begin to seek comments on the draft Plan. The draft Docktown Plan was publicly <br />released on November 15, 2016. A summary of each comment received between <br />November 15 and November 30, 2016, and responses to those comments, are provided <br />in the Docktown Plan (Attachment B). The complete comments received during the <br />comment period are provided in Attachment F. Comments received between December 1 <br />and December 7, 2016, when the agenda packet was put into final form for public release <br />on December 8, 2016, are provided in Attachment G. Additionally, two legal comments <br />6.1.B. - Page 12