Title
Dept/ Agency: Law
Action: (X) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Professional Services Contract
Purpose: Provide Legal Services concerning Conflict Matters
Entity Name: Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC
Entity Address: One Woodbridge Center, Suite 515, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095
Contract Amount: Not to exceed $25,000.00
Funding Source: 2018 Budget/ Law Department
Contract Period: January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018
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:
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 City of Newark issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Conflict Counsel Services on or about October 27, 2017; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark received a total of twenty-two (22) proposals in response to its request; and
WHEREAS, Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC, One Woodbridge Center, Suite 515, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095, submitted a proposal and it was found, based upon price and other factors, to be in the best interest of the City of Newark to accept the proposal for the purpose of providing legal services concerning Conflict Counsel Services; and
WHEREAS, the City of Newark wishes to enter into a contract with Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC, to provide legal services concerning Conflict Counsel Matters, in an amount not to exceed Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00), for a period of January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, which shall cover new matters that may arise during the contract term; 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 pursuant to the fair and open procedures of the State Pay-to-Play Law, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5; 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 of the City of Newark and/or his designee, the Acting Corporation Counsel, are authorized on behalf of the City of Newark, to execute a contract with Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC, One Woodbridge Center, Suite 515, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095, to provide legal services concerning Conflict Counsel Matters, in an amount not to exceed Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00), for the period of January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018, which shall cover new matters that may arise during the contract term.
2. The contract is ratified from January 1, 2018 to the date of adoption of this authorizing resolution.
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) and pursuant to 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.
4. The Municipal Comptroller has issued a Certification of Funds for this contract in the amount of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00) from the City of Newark Budget, Law Department.
5. A copy of the executed agreement, herein authorized, shall be filed in the Office of the City Clerk by the Acting Corporation Counsel 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 ratifies and authorizes the Mayor of the City of Newark and his designee, the Acting Corporation Counsel, to enter into a contract for legal services for Conflict Counsel Matters with Rainone Coughlin Minchello, LLC, One Woodbridge Center, Suite 515, Woodbridge, New Jersey 07095, in an amount not to exceed Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($25,000.00), for the period of January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018.