Melissa Hively

Melissa Hively serves as a Planner II within the Planning Division of Charles County Government, where she plays a central role in shaping and executing procurement strategies that support land use planning, regulatory compliance, and public safety policy development. As the primary procurement contact for the agency, she manages the acquisition of professional consulting services essential to municipal governance, ensuring alignment with state and local planning statutes. Her responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts for technical advisory services that inform zoning ordinances, comprehensive plan updates, and community engagement frameworks. She operates within a structured procurement lifecycle, emphasizing transparency, competitive bidding, and adherence to Maryland state procurement guidelines. Melissa Hively works with a broad spectrum of management consulting firms specializing in municipal planning and public policy advisory services. While no single contractor dominates her award portfolio, she consistently engages firms with demonstrated expertise in land use analysis, urban design, environmental impact assessment, and public engagement strategy. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for experienced, non-exclusive vendor partnerships, fostering a competitive environment that prioritizes technical qualifications over cost alone. She maintains professional relationships with consultants who bring institutional knowledge of Maryland’s planning regulations and local government operational norms. Melissa Hively’s procurement activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of acquisitions conducted under open, unrestricted competitions. This reflects a strategic decision to prioritize technical capability and institutional expertise over socioeconomic classifications, ensuring the selection of the most qualified service providers regardless of business size or certification status. While small business participation is not formally incentivized through set-asides, her process remains accessible and transparent, allowing all eligible vendors to compete on merit. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541618 — Other Management Consulting Services — encompassing strategic planning, policy analysis, regulatory compliance consulting, and public administration support. She procures specialized services including comprehensive plan revisions, zoning code modernization, transportation impact studies, and community visioning workshops, demonstrating deep expertise in municipal governance and land use policy domains.