Hearing Officer(s) Services

The City of East Orange, New Jersey, is soliciting proposals for Hearing Officer(s) Services to preside over internal employee disciplinary hearings through a competitive contracting process, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1(e), et seq. The selected vendor will be responsible for conducting these hearings and subsequently issuing detailed written opinions that explain their decisions. This engagement requires a comprehensive understanding of internal disciplinary processes and the ability to impartially adjudicate complex employee-related matters for the municipal government, ensuring fairness, due process, and adherence to legal standards. The scope includes full involvement in the hearing process, from presiding over proceedings to accurately documenting and explaining outcomes. Prospective contractors must demonstrate substantial experience presiding over and/or participating in internal employee disciplinary hearings. Proposals require a qualification statement detailing the firm's principal activities, personnel numbers, and location, along with a list of three client references including names of government agencies or entities serviced, contact persons' names, positions, current telephone numbers, dates, costs, scope of service, and status. All professional service contractors are mandated to comply with New Jersey's Affirmative Action requirements (N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq., N.J.A.C. 17:27 et seq.), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2 for disclosure of ownership. Additionally, vendors must maintain workers' compensation insurance and general liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per incident and $3,000,000 in the aggregate. Sealed RFP responses were due by Thursday, April 2, 2020, at 12:00 PM, and were to be delivered to the Municipal Council Chamber, Municipal Building, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, NJ 07018. Envelopes had to be clearly marked "HEARING OFFICER(S) SERVICES," and submissions required one original and four copies. Proposals were to remain firm for sixty days after submission. Detailed RFP packets were available for a non-refundable fee of $25.00 from the Division of Procurement or could be downloaded from www.eastorange-nj.gov. For any questions, potential respondents were directed to contact Lisa L. Jackson, Purchasing Agent, at (973) 266-5162 or via fax at (862) 444-0101. The contract term is for two years, with an option for three additional one-year extensions.