Professional Legal Services - Rent Control Board Attorney

The City of Bayonne, New Jersey, is actively soliciting proposals for professional legal services to appoint an attorney for its Rent Control Board. This Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/RFP) seeks a highly qualified legal professional or firm to represent the Board in all aspects, including attending Rent Control Board meetings, conducting hearings, managing appeals, and providing essential assistance in drafting amendments to the existing Rent Control Ordinance. The core objective is to ensure comprehensive legal support for the Board's operations and regulatory responsibilities. This procurement, conducted under a "fair and open" contracting process as mandated by the New Jersey Local Unit Pay to Play Law (N.J.S.A. 19:44-20.4 et seq.), is for a contract term spanning January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. The selected attorney will play a pivotal role in upholding the legal framework governing rent control within the municipality, safeguarding the interests of the City, and ensuring adherence to state and local regulations. Prospective contractors must satisfy rigorous qualification criteria to be considered for this professional service engagement. The responding firm or entity must demonstrate a minimum of five years of continuous licensure to practice law in the State of New Jersey immediately preceding the proposed appointment, coupled with eligibility to appear before all state and federal courts and New Jersey administrative agencies, including the Office of Administrative Law. Crucially, applicants must possess at least five years of specialized experience in representing municipal governments in matters directly related to rent control boards. Firms are required to list their past and present municipal or governmental clients. Furthermore, the firm must maintain a bona fide principal office within the State of New Jersey and provide assurance of sufficient support staff to competently handle all required legal services, encompassing tracking, research, full litigation of appeals, preparation of settlement documents, resolutions, and effective communication with City of Bayonne personnel. Comprehensive insurance coverage is mandatory, including Worker’s Compensation, General Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Automotive Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), and Professional Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence, claims-based), with certificates naming the City as an additional insured. All sealed responses and proposals for the Rent Control Board Attorney position must be submitted to the City Law Division, located at 630 Avenue C, 1st Floor, Room 15, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002. The firm deadline for submission is November 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. prevailing time. Required documentation includes "The Standardized Professional/Consulting/Extraordinary Unspecifiable Service RFQ/RFP SUBMISSION FORMS," which must feature a signed and dated "Proposal, Qualifications and Costs Submission Form" along with any supporting attachments, a signed and notarized "Non-Collusion Affidavit," a signed Disclosure of Ownership form, and a Professional/Consulting/Extraordinary Unspecifiable Service Entity Information Form. Additionally, a copy of the vendor's current "NJ Business Registration Certificate," a State of NJ Certificate of Good Standing, and a "Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran Form" are mandatory. Copies of the complete solicitation package and standardized documents are accessible on the City of Bayonne website (http://www.BayonneNJ.org) under the RFQ/RFP section, or directly from the City Law Department during regular business hours. Public opening of proposals will occur on November 7, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in the Law Department Conference Room, Room 15. The primary contact for inquiries and submission is John F. Coffey II, Esq., Law Director.