Title
Dept/ Agency: Law
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing (X) Amending
Type of Service: Professional Services Contract
Purpose: First Amendment to the Agreement to Provide Legal Services concerning Workers’ Compensation Matters
Entity Name: The Woolridge Law Firm, L.L.C.
Entity Address: 462 South Harrison Street, Suite. 200, Orange, New Jersey 07050
Contract Amount: $125,000.00
Funding Source: 2017 Budget/Law Department
Contract Period: January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor (X) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
(X) Fair & Open (X) No Reportable Contributions ( ) RFP (X) RFQ
( ) Private Sale ( ) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
Additional Information:
Contract initially awarded for $100,000.00, per Resolution 7R6-i adopted on January 5, 2017, awarded contract in an amount not to exceed $100,000.00.
First Amendment to the Agreement to increases the contract amount by $25,000.00, for a new total contract amount not to exceed $125,000.00.
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WHEREAS, legal services are professional services and are exempt from the requirements for public bidding pursuant to the Local Public Contracts Law, more specifically, N.J.S.A. (40A:11-5(1)(a)(i)); and
WHEREAS, the Municipal Council of the City of Newark by Resolution 7R6-i, adopted on January 5, 2017, awarded a contract to The Woolridge Law Firm, L.L.C., 462 South Harrison Street, Suite 200, Orange, New Jersey 07050, to provide legal services concerning Worker’s Compensation Matters, in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($100,000.00), for the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the contract was awarded pursuant to the fair and open procedures of the State Pay-to-Play Law, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5, the provisions of the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(i)) and is in compliance with the City of Newark’s Contractor Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance, Newark, New Jersey, Municipal Code § 2:4-22C.
WHEREAS, the Woolridge Law Firm, L.L.C., have outstanding legal bills, which when paid will exhaust the total contract amount; and
WHEREAS, the Woolridge Law Firm, L.L.C., continues to vigorously provide legal services for the City of Newark in several matters in which bills will be submitted for the remainder of the contract year; and
WHEREAS, the outstanding legal bills and open cases pending require an increase in the total contract amount; and
WHEREAS, the Woolridge Law Firm, L.L.C., represents to the City of Newark that at least an additional Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00), is necessary for the firm to continue to provide legal services through December 31, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the requested increase in the total contract amount is deemed reasonable and necessary to pay the outstanding and anticipated legal bills through December 31, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the increase of an additional Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00), brings the total contract to an amount not to exceed One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($125,000.00) for January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq.) requires that notice of the award of contracts for “Professional Services” without competitive bidding must be published in a local newspaper; and
WHEREAS, this contract amendment is being awarded pursuant to the fair and open procedures of the State Pay-to-Play Law, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5, the provisions of the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(i)) and is in compliance with the City of Newark’s Contractor Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance, Newark, New Jersey, Municipal Code § 2:4-22C; and
WHEREAS, the Municipal Council adopted the Contractor Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance, Newark, New Jersey, Municipal Code § 2:4-22C, which forbids the award of a contract to a Business Entity, as defined therein, which has made or solicited political contributions to (i) a candidate, candidate committee or joint candidate committee of any candidate for elective municipal office in the City of Newark or a holder of public office having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract, or (ii) to any City of Newark or County of Essex political committee or action committee that regularly engages in the support of City of Newark Municipal or County of Essex candidates, candidate committees, joint candidates committees, political committees, political party committee, (hereinafter “PAC), in excess of certain specified thresholds within one (1) calendar year immediately preceding the date of the contract or agreement.
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 Corporation Counsel, are authorized on behalf of the City of Newark to execute a First Amendment to the Agreement to Provide Legal Services with the Woolridge Law Firm, L.L.C., 462 South Harrison Street, Suite 200, Orange, New Jersey 07050, to continue providing the legal services concerning Worker’s Compensation Matters, for an additional Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00), for a total contract amount not to exceed One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($125,000.00), for the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, to cover pending and existing matters.
2. The Municipal Council hereby ratifies this First Amendment to the Agreement to Provide Legal Services from January 1, 2017, to the date of the adoption of this resolution.
3. All other terms and conditions of the contract shall remain the same.
4. This First Amendment to the Agreement to Provide Legal Services is made in accordance with the professional services exception to public bidding in the Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(i)), and pursuant to the Non-Fair and Open Procedures of the State Pay-to-Play Law (N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5) and is in compliance with the City of Newark’s Contractor Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance, Newark, New Jersey, Municipal Code § 2:4-22C.
5. The funds for this First Amendment to the Agreement to Provide Legal Services shall be paid from the City of Newark Budget/Law Department, after the issuance of a Certification of Funds from the Finance Director, which states that funds in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00) are available in the aforementioned Law Department budget. The Certification of Funds shall be filed along with the original resolution in the Office of the City Clerk.
6. The Acting Corporation Counsel shall file a copy of the executed First Amendment to the Agreement to Provide Legal Services herein authorized in the Office of the City Clerk and it shall be made available for public inspection.
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 the adoption of this resolution.
STATEMENT
This resolution ratifies, amends and authorizes the Mayor and/or his designee, the Acting Corporation Counsel, to enter into and execute a First Amendment to the Agreement to Provide Legal Services for Workers’ Compensation Matters for an additional Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00) for a total contract amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($125,000.00), for the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, to cover ongoing legal matters and outstanding bills.