Planning Board & Zoning Board of Adjustment Consultant Services

The City of East Orange, through its Department of Business Administration, Division of Procurement, is seeking proposals for a Planning Board & Zoning Board of Adjustment Consultant. This competitive contracting process, aligned with N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1(k), et seq., aims to secure a consultant to provide comprehensive professional services. The core scope of work involves offering technical assistance in municipal planning, drafting detailed planner’s reports for development applications, reviewing submitted plans, and preparing memoranda to advise both the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment on pending projects and appropriate actions. Additionally, the selected consultant will attend regular and special board meetings, engage in conference meetings with municipal boards and developers, compile annual board planner's reports, review all referrals including zoning and land use ordinances, and analyze applications for site plan or variance approval. The consultant will also assist the Land Use Administrator with application processing and procedural establishment, review Site Plan Advisory Committee minutes, and hold regular office hours (Wednesdays, 10 am to 2 pm) at City Hall for site visits and board/staff consultations. Prospective contractors must possess significant experience in municipal planning and the creation of planner's reports pertinent to development applications. Key personnel are required to hold a current New Jersey Professional Planners license and AICP certification. Firms must submit a comprehensive qualification statement detailing their principal activities, personnel, and operational location, alongside references from at least three government agency clients where similar services were rendered, including contact details, project dates, costs, and status. Proposals will be evaluated based on several criteria: price/compensation, the respondent's knowledge of the City of East Orange, their expertise in professional planning, and their overall experience demonstrated by past contract successes with government entities. Strict adherence to statutory requirements such as N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. (Affirmative Action) and N.J.S.A. 52:32-44 (Business Registration of Public Contractors) is mandatory. Sealed RFP responses are due by Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 2:00 PM. Submissions must be delivered to the City Council Chamber, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, New Jersey 07018, where they will be publicly opened and read aloud. Each submission package must include one original, four copies, and one electronic copy (jump drive), clearly marked with the project title: "PLANNING BOARD & ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT CONSULTANT." Detailed RFP packets are available for download from the City of East Orange’s website (www.eastorange-nj.org) or can be picked up at the Division of Procurement, City Hall, 1st floor, for a non-refundable fee of $25.00, payable to the City of East Orange. All inquiries concerning this solicitation should be directed to Lisa L. Jackson, Purchasing Agent, who can be reached at (973) 266-5162. Required forms include the Proposal Cost/Signature Form, Non-Collusion Affidavit, Stockholder Disclosure, Affirmative Action Statement, and Acknowledgement of Receipt of Addenda.