Title
Dept/ Agency: Administration/Office of the Business Administrator
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Competitive Contract pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-15
Purpose: To provide Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services
Entity Name: Mercury Public Affairs LLC
Entity Address: 250 Pehle Avenue, Saddle Brook, New Jersey 07663
Contract Amount: No to exceed $252,000.00
Funding Source: Municipal Budget/Partial Certification of Funds from the Department of Administration/Fund NW011, Dept. ID 030, Division 0301, Activity A, Account #71280, Budget ref: B2025.
Contract Period: Two years from the date of adoption of Resolution, with an additional one-year extension.
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor ( ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
(X ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions ( X ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale ( ) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) N/A
Additional Information:
This contract will provide Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services for the City of Newark, more specifically, to assist the Office of the Business Administrator to maximize Federal grant acquisition opportunities through new and expanded funding programs.
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WHEREAS, the City of Newark, Department of Administration (the “City”), wishes to obtain Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to a Fair and Open Process within the meaning of New Jersey State (“State”) Pay-to-Play Law, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.4 et. seq., on April 29, 2025, the City of Newark (hereinafter “City”) publicly advertised a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services with all such proposals due on May 20, 2025; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to State Local Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1(m), the competitive contracting process may be used for consulting services;
WHEREAS, two (2) prospective consultants submitted proposals, and the proposal received from Mercury Public Affairs, LLC, located at 250 Pehle Avenue, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663, (hereinafter referred to as “Consultant”), after review by the evaluation committee established to evaluate the proposals, was one of the most advantageous to the City of Newark based on experience and all other criteria listed in the RFP; and
WHEREAS, the Business Administrator has determined that it would be in the best interest of the City to retain the services of the Consultant to provide Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services, in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($252,000.00) for the two-year period from the date of adoption of this Resolution, with an option to extend for an additional term of one (1) year; and
WHEREAS, this Agreement being awarded to the Consultant complies with State competitive contracting procedures, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1 et seq; and
WHEREAS, the Municipal Council of the City of Newark deems it to be in the best interests of the City to enter into a contract with the Consultant for the provision of Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services for City of Newark.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. Authorization to utilize competitive contracting for the purposes stated herein is hereby granted and ratified back to April 29, 2025.
2. The Mayor and/or his designee, the Business Administrator, are hereby authorized to enter into and execute a contract, on behalf of the City of Newark, with Mercury Public Affairs LLC located at 250 Pehle Avenue, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663, for the provision of Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services to the City of Newark, in an amount not to exceed Two Hundred Fifty-Two Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($252,000.00), for a two-year period beginning with the date of adoption of this Resolution, with an option to extend for an additional term of one (1) year, subject to approval and authorization of the Newark Municipal Council.
3. The total compensation to be paid pursuant to said contract shall not exceed Two Hundred Fifty-Two Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($252,000.00), which shall be paid for from the City of Newark Municipal budget and/or other grant funds. There shall be no advance payment pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:5-16, and the contract authorized by this Resolution shall be subject to the availability and appropriation annually of sufficient funds.
4. The terms of the contract may only be waived or amended in writing and signed by the parties duly authorized to execute this contract, subject to the approval of the Newark Municipal Council by Resolution. The term of this contract may be extended for a period of up to one (1) year, provided that any such extension is at no additional cost to the City, the services are being performed in an effective and efficient manner, and the contract is in a writing signed by both parties.
5. This contract is being awarded pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:11-4.1 et. seq. and complies with the fair and open procedures of the New Jersey State Pay-to-Play Law, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.4 et seq
6. Attached hereto is a partial Certification of Funds from the Director of Finance of the City of Newark, which states that there are available sufficient and legally appropriated funds from the Department of Administration/Fund NW011, Dept. ID 030, Division 0301, Activity A, Account #71280, Budget Ref: B2025, in the amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($50,000.00). The continuation of this contract beyond the temporary budget period and in subsequent budget years is subject to the appropriation of sufficient funds. Immediately after adoption of the final 2025 budget, a written certification of available funds shall be prepared for the remaining balance of the contract attributable to the current budget year, and a written certification of availability of sufficient funds shall be prepared for each subsequent fiscal year. Said certifications shall be filed with this Resolution in the Office of the City Clerk.
7. 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 its passage.
8. A fully executed copy of the contract shall be filed with the Office of the City Clerk by the Business Administrator.
STATEMENT:
This resolution hereby authorizes the Mayor and/or his designee, the Business Administrator, to enter into and execute a contract on behalf of the City of Newark (“City”) with Mercury Public Affairs LLC, located at 250 Pehle Avenue, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663, to provide Governmental Consulting and Legislative Services for the City for the two-year period from the date of adoption of this Resolution, with an option to extend for an additional term of one (1) year, subject to the approval and authorization of the Newark Municipal Council. The contract amount shall not exceed Two Hundred Fifty-Two Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($252,000.00).