Title
Dept/ Agency: Finance
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Professional Service Contract
Purpose: Formulate Zone Development Plan
Entity Name: Heyer, Gruel & Associates, P.A.
Entity Address: 236 Broad Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701
Contract Amount: $125,000.00
Funding Source: UEZ Funds
Contract Period: February 2025 to July 2026
Contract Basis: ( ) Bid ( ) State Vendor (X ) Prof. Ser. ( ) EUS
( ) Fair & Open ( ) No Reportable Contributions (X ) RFP ( ) RFQ
( ) Private Sale ( ) Grant ( ) Sub-recipient ( ) n/a
Additional Information:
Resolution authorizing the zone development corporation to award a contract for consulting in formulating the update to the zone development plan as required by the Urban Enterprise Zones Act
body
WHEREAS, on August 15, 1983, the State of New Jersey enacted the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zones Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27H-60 et seq. (the “Act”) to foster an economic climate that revitalizes designated urban communities and stimulates their growth by encouraging businesses to develop and create private sector jobs through public and private investment; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:27H-67, and Ordinance 6PSF-b adopted on June 24, 2020, the City designated Invest Newark, A NJ Nonprofit Corporation (and/or its predecessors-in-interest) as the “Zone Development Corporation” for the purpose of operating, administrating, managing, and monitoring the City’s Urban Enterprise Zone Program and the “Zone Assistance Funds” derived therefrom; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:27H-68 “For a municipality with a zone development plan that was approved more than five years prior to the effective date of P.L. 2021, c. 197, the governing body of the municipality shall submit an updated preliminary zone development plan[;]” and
WHEREAS, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:27H-68 b. (1), “the Governing Body of a municipality may request from the UEZ Authority an amount not to exceed 10 percent of the municipality’s zone assistance fund allocation or $125,000.00, whichever is greater, to fund, in whole or in part, the costs associated with formulating a preliminary zone development plan, which amount the Governing Body may use to pay employees or to retain a consultant, to formulate the plan. Prior to soliciting a consultant to formulate the plan with these funds, the Governing Body of a municipality shall submit to the UEZ Authority the proposed solicitation; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with a (i) Resolution Authorizing Invest Newark To Issue A Request For Proposals To Create An Updated Zone Development Plan Pursuant To N.J.S.A. 52:27H-68 dated June 30, 2024 and (ii) Resolution 7R4-b(as/s) passed by this Municipal Council on August 13, 2024, Invest Newark issued a request for proposals (the “RFP”) on December 20, 2024; to solicit a consultant to assist in formulating the updated zoned development plan with zone assistance funds; and
WHEREAS, three proposals in response to said solicitation were received by Invest Newark by 11:59 p.m. on January 20, 2025, reviewed for completeness, and the best response to the RFP, all factors considered, was determined by the proposal review committee to be Heyer, Gruel & Associates, P.A., 236 Broad Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701; and
WHEREAS, funding in an amount not to exceed $125,000.00 has been requested from and approved by the UEZ Authority;and
WHEREAS, the City’s designated Zone Development Corporation, Invest Newark, desires to award the contract to Heyer, Gruel & Associates, P.A. in an amount not to exceed $125,000.00 for consulting and advising in formulating an updated zone development plan as required by law.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY THAT:
1. The Newark Municipal Council hereby authorizes and directs Invest Newark to award a contract to Heyer, Gruel & Associates, P.A, 236 Broad Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701, in an amount not to exceed One Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($125,000.00) for consulting and advising services in connection with the formulation of the City’s updated zone development plan as required by law for the City’s Urban Enterprise Zone Program (the “Contract”).
2. All actions taken by Invest Newark prior to the date hereof in furtherance of the purposes of these Resolutions are hereby approved and ratified.
3. This contract is being awarded pursuant to a fair and open process pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5 and N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq., and complies with the City’s Pay-to-Play Ordinance.
4. The contract shall be funded from the City of Newark’s zone assistance fund allocation.
5. The CEO of Invest Newark shall cause an executed copy of the contract to be filed in the Office of the City Clerk and the same shall be made available for public inspection.
6. As required by law, within ten (10) days of adoption of this Resolution, a notice of this action shall be published in a newspaper authorized by law to publish legal advertisements.
STATEMENT
Resolution authorizing Invest Newark, the City of Newark’s designated zone development corporation, to award a contract for professional consulting services to Heyer, Gruel & Associates, P.A., 236 Broad Street, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701 in connection with formulating an updated zone development plan as required by the Urban Enterprise Zones Act.