As the City of Powell looks to update its master plan, a half-dozen firms from around the region and even other parts of the country are interested.

The city’s current plan — which sets “an outline for the future direction of Powell” — is nearly 30 years old and planning officials believe it’s due for an update. The city council recently issued a request for proposals from companies willing to help revise the document, and seven firms responded.

Several indicated they were willing to either update the existing plan or, for a greater cost, start from scratch. However, the consensus of the Powell City Council on Monday night was to simply update the 1997 document.

Beyond saving some money, City Councilman Zane Logan said he believes a refresh is more in-line with the Powell community.

“I think our community is kind of traditional, but moving forward,” Logan said, “so we need to look at the past and what’s worked and then update it for the future.”

Councilman Tim Sapp added that in looking through the existing plan, “it’s got a lot of good stuff in it yet that could still be accomplished.”

Rather than laying out any specific regulations or rules, the master plan is intended to be a guide for elected officials, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Powell community as they make decisions related to land use, development and public investments. For example, the 1997 document sets a goal of maintaining the downtown area as “the retail, service, governmental, social and cultural heart of Powell.” It also calls for promoting “balanced growth” downtown and along Coulter Avenue in a way that maintains high occupancy and a “friendly small town atmosphere.”

Unlike bids, requests for proposals aren’t judged strictly by price, but according to a city summary. Responding firms provided the following cost estimates for an update:

Logan Simpson of Fort Collins, Colorado: $58,920

J-U-B Engineers, which has a Cody office: $73,000

Stahly Engineering & Associates, which has a Cody office: $75,000 

Houseal Lavigne of Chicago: $99,960

Ayres Associates, which has a Cheyenne office: $108,500

Orion Planning Design of Missoula, Montana: $112,000

A seventh firm, KLJ Engineering, whose closest office is in Gillette, only proposed a new plan, at an estimated cost of $159,561.

The council agreed to have the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission review the various proposals and recommend a firm.

Personnel from Logan Simpson have been assisting the Park County commissioners as they draft new development standards and regulations to line up with a new land use plan the county adopted in 2024. However, City Administrator Zack Thorington made a point of differentiating the city’s master plan from the county’s process.

“Just so there isn’t any confusion with the public or anything, this is not a land use plan like the county went through,” Thorington said. “It has to do with everything from economic development, community, character, housing. It’s an overall master plan.”

Although the Planning and Zoning Commission will make a recommendation, the hiring decision ultimately rests with the city council.