Title
Dept/ Agency: Economic and Housing Development
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Professional Services Contract
Purpose: Providing Legal Services concerning Redevelopment/Land Use Matters
Entity Name: Maraziti, Falcon, LLP.
Entity Address: 150 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078
Contract Amount: An amount not to exceed $350,000.00
Funding Source: 2017 Budget/ Department of Economic and Housing Development
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:
body
WHEREAS, the City of Newark is involved in ongoing legal matters and therefore has a need to acquire legal services; and
WHEREAS, legal 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, the Department of Economic and Housing Development issued a Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) for Redevelopment/Land Use Counsel on September 30, 2016; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark received a total of two (2) proposals in response to its request by the RFQ due date on October 14, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Maraziti Falcon, LLP, 150 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078, submitted a proposal and the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic Housing and Development found, based upon price and other factors, to be in the best interest of the City of Newark to accept the proposal of providing legal services concerning Redevelopment/Land Use Matters; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark wishes to enter into a contract with Maraziti Falcon, LLP, to provide legal services concerning Redevelopment/Land Use Matters, in an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($350,000.00), for the period of 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 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
WHEREAS, the Municipal Council adopted the Contractor Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance, R.O. 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 Newark Municipal Candidates; office holders having ultimate responsibility for the award of a contract; candidate committees of the aforementioned candidates; political or political party committees of the City of Newark or County of Essex; continuing political committees or political action committees regularly engaged in the support of the City of Newark municipal or County of Essex elections; and certain other political party or candidate committees, in excess of certain thresholds.
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 Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development are hereby authorized and directed on behalf of the City of Newark to enter into and execute a contract with Maraziti Falcon, LLP, 150 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078, to provide legal services concerning Redevelopment/Land Use Matters in an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($350,000.00), for the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017.
2. The term of this contract shall be January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017.
3. This contract 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), Local Public Contracts Law (N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(1)(a)(i)); and is in compliance with the Contractor Pay-to-Play Reform Ordinance, R.O. 2:4-22C.
4. Attached hereto is a Certification of Funds from the Finance Director of the City of Newark, which states (1) that there are sufficient funds in the amount of $350,000.00 for the purpose set forth herein above and (2) that the line appropriation which shall be charged is Business Unit NW026, Dept. ID BS, Account# 32100, Budget Ref. B2016.
5. A copy of the executed agreement herein authorized shall be filed in the Office of the City Clerk by the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development and shall be made available for public inspection.
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 authorizes the Mayor and/or his designee, the Deputy Mayor/Director of the Department of Economic and Housing Development, on behalf of the City of Newark, to enter into a contract for Legal Services for Redevelopment/Land Use Matters with Maraziti, Falcon, LLP, 150 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078, for an amount not to exceed Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($350,000.00), for the period of January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017.