Title
Dept/ Agency: Engineering
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Professional Services Contract
Purpose: Professional Engineering Services on an As Needed Basis for Architectural Purposes
Entity Name: OCA Architects, Inc.
Entity Address: 211 Warren Street, Suite 216-218, Newark, New Jersey 07103
Contract Amount: Not to Exceed $50,000.00
Funding Source: Department of Engineering Budget
Contract Period: June1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, Project assignments may go beyond December 31, 2026, as authorized by N.J.S.A. 40A:11-15(9.)
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor (X) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
(X) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP (X) RFQ
( ) Private Sale ( ) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
Additional Information:
Professional Design and Engineering Services on An As Needed Basis. Twenty-Nine (29) Prospective Respondents obtained RFQ Packages, twenty (23) sealed packages received
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WHEREAS, the City of Newark’s, Department of Engineering (the “City”), is in need of Professional Engineering Services on an As-Needed Basis; and
WHEREAS, Engineering Services are Professional Services, exempt from the requirement for public bidding, pursuant to the Local Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(i); and
WHEREAS, on February 15, 2026, the Acting Director of the Department of Engineering of the City of Newark caused to be published in the Newark Star Ledger, a Notice of Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Professional Engineering Services on an As-Needed Basis; and
WHEREAS, on March 2, 2026, the City issued Addendum No. 1, which confirmed the deadline for submitting inquiries for this proposal; provided a list of potential projects within the construction budget; clarified the contract expiration date; identified the titles included in the RFP and described their respective roles; addressed whether the contract would require cost estimation and/or structural engineering services; and specified the number of copies required for the RFQ response; and
WHEREAS, on March 12, 2026, the City issued Addendum No. 2, extending the submission deadline to March 26, 2026, also providing the estimated contract value and/or construction cost for this contract, clarifying a Professional Information Requirement, and confirming whether the legal services section of this RFP is required for Engineering Services; and
WHEREAS, Twenty-Nine (29) prospective Respondents obtained RFQ Packages from the Department of Engineering; and
WHEREAS, on March 26, 2026, the Department received sealed responses from Twenty-Three (23) firms in response to the RFQ; and
WHEREAS, OCA Architects Inc, 211 Warren Street, Suite 216-218, Newark, New Jersey 07103, submitted a response that was found to be in the best interest of the City to accept for Engineering Services on an As-Needed Basis; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to enter into a contract with OCA Architects, Inc. to provide Professional Engineering Services on an As-Needed Basis for Municipal, in an amount not to exceed Fifty-Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($50,000.00); and
WHEREAS, for each project assigned to OCA Architects, Inc under this Contract, the Department of Engineering shall file, , a copy of the proposal, Notice to Proceed and, if applicable, a fully executed agreement in the office of the City Clerk; and
WHEREAS, Local Public Contracts Law N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a) requires that notice of award of contracts for “Professional Services” without competitive bidding be published in a local newspaper; and
WHEREAS, this contract is for an amount over $17,500.00 and is being awarded as a fair and open contract pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5 and in compliance with State Pay-to-Play Statute.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Mayor and/or his designee, the Acting Director of the Department of Engineering, are authorized to enter into and execute a contract with, OCA Architects Inc., 211 Warren Street, Suite 216-218, Newark, New Jersey 07103 to provide Professional Engineering Services on an As-Needed Basis, in an amount not to exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($50,000.00), for a Contract Period commencing on June 1, 2026 and terminating December 31, 2026. Individual project assignments, when applicable, may be awarded by the Director for the length of time authorized and necessary for the completion of the actual construction pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-15(9.)
2. This is a Contract which shall be awarded in one fiscal year although the date on which it properly takes effect falls in the next fiscal year. Accordingly, this contract is subject to the availability and appropriation of sufficient funds in the year in which it takes effect pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:30-5.5(e). Funds for this contract in the amount not to exceed FiftyThousand Dollars and Zero Cents $50,000.00, shall be provided from the City of Newark 2026 Budget, Department of Engineering. Further, this is an open-end contract, thus, for expenditures against the contract, a Certification of Funds attesting to availability of sufficient funds, as required by N.J.A.C. 5:30-5.5(b) shall be executed before a contractual liability is incurred.
3. This Contract between the City of Newark and Kustera, Bernard & Fox Engineering is hereby ratified from June 1, 2026 to the date of adoption of this authorizing Resolution.
4. For each individual project assignment awarded under this contract, the Acting Director of the Department of Engineering shall file with the City Clerk a copy of the Proposal, Notice to Proceed and fully executed agreement, if applicable.
5. The Acting Director of the Department of Engineering shall file a duly executed copy of the contract in the Office of the City Clerk.
6. A notice of this action shall be published in the newspaper authorized by law to publish a legal advertisement and as required by law within ten (10) days of the adoption of this resolution.
STATEMENT
This Resolution ratifies and authorizes the Mayor and/or his designee, the Director of Engineering, to execute a contract with, OCA Architects, Inc., 211 Warren Street, Suite 216-218, Newark, New Jersey 07103, to provide the City of Newark’s, Department of Engineering with Professional Engineering Services on an As-Needed Basis, in an amount not to exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($50,000.00), for a period of one (1) year commencing on June1, 2026 and terminating December 31, 2026. Project assignments may go beyond December 31, 2026, as authorized by N.J.S.A. 40A:11-15(9).