Various Professional Services - Planning Board

TOWNSHIP OF NORTH BERGEN
County of Hudson
State of New Jersey
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
FAIR & OPEN PUBLIC SOLICITATION PROCESS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
RFQ-PB-2027 PLANNING BOARD (VARIOUS)
RFQ-PB-2027-1 Planning Board Planner
RFQ-PB-2027-2 Planning Board Attorney
RFQ-PB-2027-3 Planning Board Court Reporter
Submission Date:
Thursday, October 29, 2026
11:00 a.m. Prevailing Time
1

TOWNSHIP OF NORTH BERGEN
HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE SOLICITATION OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS FOR
NORTH BERGEN PLANNING BOARD
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that sealed request for qualifications submissions will be received by the
Township of North Bergen, Purchasing Agent for the services set forth below in accordance with the "fair and
open process" pursuant to N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.5, et seq.:
RFQ# PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
RFQ-PB-2027-1 Planning Board Planner
RFQ-PB-2027-2 Planning Board Attorney
RFQ-PB-2027-3 Planning Board Court Reporter
Submission package may be examined or obtained at the Township Purchasing Office, Township of North
Bergen, 4233 Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen, NJ, 07047 (phone 201-392-2040), Monday through Friday
during business hours, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or downloadable on the Township's website
www.northbergen.org/notices.
Sealed request for qualifications ("RFQ") responses shall be submitted to Carmen M. Borrell, Purchasing
Agent, Township of North Bergen, 4233 Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen, NJ, 07047, on or before Thursday,
October 29, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. prevailing time.
Responses must be enclosed in a sealed envelope. The service provider must indicate the following on
the outside of the envelope: (1) the name and address of the service provider; (2) the RFQ# and Title of the
Professional Service for which the response is submitted; and (3) "Sealed RFQ Response". Responses may be
delivered by hand, overnight courier or mail. The envelope containing the response must be received by the
Township of North Bergen by the date and time set forth above. No late responses will be accepted.
All professional service contractors are required to comply with the requirements of N.J.S.A. 52:32-44
(Business Registration of Public Contractors), N.J.S.A. 10:5-31 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 17:27 (Contract Compliance
and Equal Employment Opportunities in Public Contracts) and N.J.S.A.52-32-60.1 Certification of Non-
Involvement in Prohibited activities in Russia or Belarus.
Contracts will be awarded based on the most advantageous responses. The Township of North Bergen
reserves the right to reject any or all responses.
Carmen M. Borrell
Purchasing Agent
2

INVITATION TO SUBMIT QUALIFICATIONS
Proposals are being solicited through a fair and open process in accordance with N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.1, et seq.
Respondents should submit an original and one copy of their proposals.
Respondents are expected to examine the RFQ with care and observe all its requirements. All questions about the
meaning or intent of this RFQ shall be submitted in writing no less than 5 days prior to the due date of the proposal.
All interpretations and clarifications considered necessary by the Township's representative in response to such
comments and questions shall be responded to no less than 5 days prior to the due date of the proposal and will
be posted online at www.northbergen.org/notices.
The Township assumes no responsibility and liability for costs incurred by the Respondents prior to the issuance
of an agreement. The liability of the Township shall be limited to the terms and conditions of the contract.
Respondents will assume responsibility for all costs not stated in their proposals. All unit rates either stated in the
proposal or used as a basis for its pricing are required to be all-inclusive. Additional charges, unless incurred for
additional work performed by request of the Township, are not to be billed and will not be paid.
Any contract entered into between the Respondent and the Township must be in accordance with and subject to
compliance by both parties with the New Jersey Local Public Contracts Law. The Respondent must agree to
comply with the nondiscrimination provisions and all other laws and regulations applicable to the performance
of services there under. The Respondent shall sign and acknowledge such forms and certificates as may be
required by this section.
No corporation or partnership shall be awarded any contract for the performance of any work or the furnishing of
any goods, unless, with receipt of the proposal of said corporation or partnership, there is submitted a statement
setting forth the names and addresses of all stockholders in the corporation or partnership who own ten (10)
percent or greater interest therein. The Respondent shall complete and submit the form of statement that is
included in this RFQ.
The right to reject any or all proposals and to waive immaterial formalities is reserved by the Township.
3

SCOPE OF SERVICES & EVALUATION CRITERIA
The Township of North Bergen ("Township") is soliciting qualifications to provide for the following Professional
Services:
RFQ-PB-2027-1: Planning Board Planner
Scope of Services: Attendance at all Planning Board Meetings (regular and special)
Review all submitted applications for subdivision, variances and site plan approval
Meet with applicants and/or applicants attorneys as authorized
Review Master Plan/prepare Master Plan elements and/or Master Plan
reexamination
Preparation of amendments to zoning ordinance
Compensation will be as follows: The meetings are paid by hourly rates at $120.00/hour.
Qualifications responses will be evaluated by the Township of North Bergen Planning Board on the basis of the
most advantageous and other factors considered. The evaluation will consider:
1. Experience and reputation in the field; noting the advanced degrees specific to the work contemplated by
the Planning Board and those individuals who shall be available to perform the work, and other agencies
similar to the North Bergen Planning Board which you have worked within the last five (5) years.
2. Knowledge of the Township of North Bergen, North Bergen Planning Board rules, regulations, calendar,
ordinances and statutes that apply to the types of cases that come before the Board, and the subject matter
to be addressed under the contract.
3. Availability to accommodate any required meetings of the Planning Board, even on short notice. Please
note that meetings of the North Bergen Planning Board occur at least once monthly on the 1st Thursday
of the month. In addition, special meetings are called as required by the number of applications pending.
4. Other factors to be demonstrated to be in the best interest of the Township of North Bergen.
RFQ-PB-2027-2: Planning Board Attorney
Scope of Services: Attendance at all Planning Board meetings (regular and special)
Review of all submitted applications
Handle all Planning Board meetings
Meet with Township personnel, when necessary
Legal research (limited)
Handle court appearances, trials, motions and pre-trial proceedings
Compensation will be as follows: Meetings are paid by session at $500.00 per session and hourly rates of
$180.00/hour for related work. For services related to a specific project or development where the services are
paid from a third-party escrow, the attorney rate shall be $240/hour; and the paralegal/law clerk hourly rate shall
be $115/hour.
Qualifications responses will be evaluated by the Township of North Bergen Planning Board on the basis of the
most advantageous and other factors considered. The evaluation will consider:
1. Experience and reputation in the field; noting the advanced degrees specific to the work contemplated by
the Planning Board and those individuals who shall be available to perform the work, and other agencies
similar to the North Bergen Planning Board which you have worked within the last five (5) years.
2. Knowledge of the Township of North Bergen Planning Board rules, regulations, calendar, ordinances and
statutes that apply to the types of cases that come before the Board, and the subject matter to be addressed
under the contract.
4

3. Availability to accommodate any required meetings of the Planning Board, even on short notice. Please
note that the meetings of the North Bergen Planning Board occur at least monthly on the 1st Tuesday of
the month. In addition, special meetings are called as required by the number of applications pending;
4. Other factors to be demonstrated to be in the best interest of the Township of North Bergen Planning
Board.
RFQ-PB-2027-3: Planning Board Court Reporter
Scope of Services: Must be Certified
Must attend Planning Board meetings (regular and specials)
Must be available on short notice and provide for a replacement when not available
Be familiar with Land Use Ordinances (Planning)
Must forward certified transcripts to: board clerk, board attorney and all board
members for all meetings
Is able to provide real-time feed if necessary
Compensation will be as follows: Meetings are paid on a per meeting basis at the rate of $425.00 per meeting,
together with a rate of $6.95 per page plus one (1) copy and all transcripts required.
Qualifications will be evaluated by the Township of North Bergen Planning Board on the basis of the most
advantageous, and other factors considered. The evaluation will consider:
1. Experience and reputation in the field; noting the advanced degrees specific to the work contemplated by
the Planning Board and those individuals who shall be available to perform the work, and other agencies
similar to the North Bergen Planning Board which you have worked within the last five (5) years.
2. Knowledge of the Township of North Bergen Planning Board rules, regulations, calendar, ordinances and
statutes that apply to the types of cases that come before the Planning Board, and the subject matter to be
addressed under the contract;
3. Availability to accommodate any required meetings of the Planning Board, even on short notice. Please
note that meeting of the North Bergen Planning Board occur at least monthly on the 1st Tuesday of the
month. In addition, special meetings are called as required by the number of applications pending.
4. Other factors to be demonstrated to be in the best interest of the North Bergen Planning Board.
5

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
EVENT DATE
RFQ Issue Date...............................................................................10/8/26
RFQ Response Due Date.................................................................... 10/29/26
6

SECTION 1: PROJECT OVERVIEW AND INSTRUCTIONS
1.0 PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Township of North Bergen Planning Board seeks Qualifications to provide professional services listed herein.
1.1 CONTRACT TERM
The contract term is for a period beginning on or after January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2027.
1.2 SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT
From the date this RFQ is issued until a proposer is selected and the selection is announced by the procurement officer, proposers may
not communicate with any Township staff, Commissioners or Officials regarding this procurement, except at the direction of
Carmen Borrell the procurement officer in charge of the solicitation. Any unauthorized contact may disqualify the proposer from
further consideration. Contact information for the single point of contact is as follows:
Procurement Officer: Carmen M. Borrell
Township of North Bergen
4233 Kennedy Boulevard
North Bergen, NJ 07047
Phone: 201-392-2040
E-mail: Cborrell@northbergen.org
1.3 REQUIRED REVIEW
1.3.1 Review RFQ. Proposers should carefully review all instructions, mandatory requirements, specifications, standard
terms and conditions set out in this RFQ and promptly notify the procurement officer identified above in writing, fax or via e-mail of
any ambiguity, inconsistency, unduly restrictive specifications, or error which they discover upon examination of this RFQ. This should
include any terms or requirements within the RFQ that either preclude the proposer from responding to the RFQ or add unnecessary
cost.
This notification must be accompanied by an explanation and suggested modification and be received by the deadline for receipt
of inquiries set forth below. The Township will make any final determination of changes to the RFQ.
1.3.2 Form of Questions. Proposers with questions or requiring clarification or interpretation of any section within this
RFQ must address these questions in writing, via e-mail to the procurement officer referenced above no later than 5 days prior to the
due date. Each question must provide clear reference to the section, page, and item in question. Questions received after the deadline
may not be considered.
1.3.3 Township Response. The Township will provide written answers to proposers' questions. Any other form of
interpretation, correction, or change to this RFQ will not be binding. Proposers must sign and return any addendum with their RFQ
response. Responses will be posted online at www.northbergen.org/notices.
1.4 PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
No pre-proposal conference is scheduled.
1.5 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
1.5.1 Acceptance of Standard Terms and Conditions/Contract. By submitting a response to this RFQ, proposer agrees
to acceptance of the standard terms and conditions as set out in this RFQ. Much of the language included in the standard terms and
conditions reflects requirements of New Jersey law. Requests for additions or exceptions to the standard terms and conditions including
any necessary licenses, or any added provisions must be submitted to the procurement officer referenced above by the date for receipt
of written/e-mailed questions and must be accompanied by an explanation of why the exception is being sought and what specific effect
it will have on the proposer's ability to respond to the RFQ or perform the contract. Any material exceptions requested and granted to
the standard terms and conditions language will be addressed in any formal written addendum issued for this RFQ and will apply to all
proposers submitting a response to this RFQ. The Township will make any final determination of changes to the standard terms and
conditions.
7

1.5.2 Resulting Contract. This RFQ and any addenda, the proposer's RFQ response, including any amendments and any
clarification question responses, shall be included in any resulting contract. The Township's contract contains the contract terms and
conditions which will form the basis of any contract between the Township and the selected proposer. In the event of a dispute as to the
duties and responsibilities of the parties under this contract, the contract, along with any attachments prepared by the Township, will
govern in the same order of precedence as listed in the contract.
1.5.3 Mandatory Requirements. To be eligible for consideration, a proposer must meet the intent of all mandatory
requirements. The Township will determine whether a proposer's RFQ response complies with the intent of the requirements. RFQ
responses that do not meet the full intent of all requirements listed in this RFQ may be subject to point reductions during the evaluation
process or may be deemed non-responsive.
1.5.4 Understanding of Specifications and Requirements. By submitting a response to this RFQ, proposer agrees to an
understanding of and compliance with the specifications and requirements described in this RFQ.
1.5.5 Proposer's Signature. The proposals must be signed in ink by an individual authorized to legally bind the business
submitting the proposal. The proposer's signature on a proposal in response to this RFQ guarantees that the offer has been established
without collusion and without effort to preclude the Township from obtaining the best possible supply or service. Proof of authority of
the person signing the RFQ response must be furnished upon request.
1.5.6 Offer in Effect for 60 Days. A proposal may not be modified, withdrawn or canceled by the proposer for a 60-day
period following the deadline for proposal submission as defined in the Schedule of Events and proposer so agrees in submitting the
proposal.
1.6 SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL
1.6.1 Content of Proposal. Proposers should address all requests for information and qualifications set forth in this RFQ
1.6.2 Failure to Comply with Instructions. Proposers failing to comply with the instructions in this RFQ may be subject
to point deductions.
1.6.3 Late Proposals. Regardless of cause, late proposals will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified from
further consideration. It shall be the proposer's sole risk to assure delivery at the designated office by the designated time. Late proposals
will not be opened and will be returned to the proposer at the expense of the proposer or destroyed if requested.
1.7 COST OF PREPARING A PROPOSAL
1.7.1 Township Not Responsible for Preparation Costs. The costs for developing and delivering responses to this RFQ
and any subsequent presentations of the proposal as requested by the Township are entirely the responsibility of the proposer. The
Township is not liable for any expense incurred by the proposer in the preparation and presentation of their proposal or any other costs
incurred by the proposer prior to execution of a contract.
1.7.2 All Timely Submitted Materials Become Township Property. All materials submitted in response to this RFQ
become the property of the Township.
8

SECTION 2: RFQ STANDARD INFORMATION
2.0 AUTHORITY
This RFQ is issued under the authority of the Township of North Bergen Planning Board. The RFQ process is a procurement option
allowing the award to be based on stated evaluation criteria. No other evaluation criteria, other than as outlined in the RFQ, will be used.
2.1 PROPOSER COMPETITION
The Township encourages free and open competition among proposers. Whenever possible, the Township will design specifications,
proposal requests, and conditions to accomplish this objective, consistent with the necessity to satisfy the Township's need to procure
technically sound, cost-effective services and supplies.
2.2 RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS AND PUBLIC INSPECTION
2.2.1 Public Information. All information received in response to this RFQ, including copyrighted material, is subject to
public disclosure and may be made available for public viewing after the time for receipt of proposals has passed with the following
four exceptions: (1) bona fide trade secrets meeting the requirements of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Title 30, chapter 14, part 4,
MCA, that have been properly marked, separated, and documented; (2) matters involving individual safety as determined by the
Township; (3) any company financial information requested by the Township to determine vendor responsibility, unless prior written
consent has been given by the proposer and (4) other constitutional protections, or as otherwise not subject to disclosure according to
OPRA guidelines.
2.2.2 Procurement Officer Review of Proposals. Upon opening the proposals received in response to this RFQ, the
procurement officer in charge of the solicitation will review the proposals and separate out any information that meets the referenced
exceptions in Section 2.2.1 above, providing the following conditions have been met:
* Confidential information is clearly marked and separated from the rest of the proposal.
* The proposal does not contain confidential material in the cost or price section.
* An affidavit from a proposer's legal counsel attesting to and explaining the validity of any trade secret claim asserted by the
proposer.
Information separated out under this process will be available for review only by the procurement officer, the evaluation committee
members, and limited other designees. Proposers must be prepared to pay all legal costs and fees associated with defending a claim for
confidentiality in the event of an open public records request from another party.
2.3 CLASSIFICATION AND EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
2.3.1 Initial Classification of Proposals as Responsive or Non responsive. All proposals will initially be classified as
either "responsive" or "non responsive". Proposals may be found nonresponsive any time during the evaluation process if any of the
required information is not provided; the submitted price is found to be excessive or inadequate as measured by criteria stated in the
RFQ; or the proposal is not within the plans and specifications described and required in the RFQ. If a proposal is found to be
nonresponsive, it may be subject to point deductions or rejection.
2.3.2 Determination of Responsibility. The Township will determine whether a proposer has met the standards of
responsibility. Such a determination may be made at any time during the evaluation process if information surfaces that would result in
a determination of non-responsibility.
2.3.3 Evaluation of Proposals. The Township will evaluate the proposals and recommend whether to award the contract
to the firm determined to best meet the needs of the Township or, if necessary, to seek discussion in order to determine the firm to be
selected. All responsive proposals will be evaluated based on stated evaluation criteria. The Township may consider such factors as
accepted industry standards and a comparative evaluation of all other qualified RFQ responses in terms of differing quality and
contractual factors. These will be used to determine the most advantageous offering to the Township.
2.3.4 Completeness of Proposals. Selection and award will be based on the proposer's proposal and other items outlined
in this RFQ. Submitted responses may not include references to information located elsewhere, such as Internet websites or libraries,
unless specifically requested. Information or materials presented by proposers outside the formal response or subsequent discussion may
not be considered.
9

2.3.5 Opportunity for Discussion and/or Oral Presentation/Product Demonstration. After receipt of all proposals and
prior to the determination of the award, the Township may initiate discussions with one or more proposers should clarification be
necessary. Proposers may also be required to make an oral presentation and/or product demonstration to clarify their RFQ response or
to further define their offer. In either case, proposers should be prepared to send qualified personnel to the Township of North Bergen
to discuss technical and contractual aspects of the proposal. Oral presentations/demonstrations, if requested, shall be at the proposer's
expense.
2.3.6 Contract Award. Contract awards, if any, will be made to the proposer who the Township of North Bergen Planning
Board determines can provide the services required and provides all required documents. Formal contracts incorporating this RFQ,
including the attachments hereto, and the selected proposals, will be executed by all parties.
2.4 TOWNSHIP'S RIGHTS RESERVED
While the Township has every intention to award contracts as a result of this RFQ, issuance of the RFQ in no way constitutes a
commitment by the Township to award and execute any contract. Upon a determination that such action would be in its best interest,
the Township, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel or terminate this RFQ; reject any or all proposals received in response
to this RFQ; waive any undesirable, inconsequential, or inconsistent provisions of this RFQ which would not have significant impact
on any proposal; not award if it is in the best interest of the Township not to proceed with contract execution; or if awarded, terminate
any contract if the Township determines adequate funds are not available.
SECTION 3: PROPOSER QUALIFICATIONS
3.0 REFERENCES
Proposers shall provide a minimum of three (3) references that are using services of the type proposed in this RFQ. The references may
include county government, municipalities or universities where the proposer, preferably within the last three years, has successfully
completed three contracts of this type. At a minimum, the proposer shall provide the entities name, the location where the services were
provided, contact person(s), contact's position, customer's telephone number, a complete description of the service type, dates the
services were provided, and cost of services. These references may be contacted to verify proposer's ability to perform the contract. The
Township reserves the right to use any information or additional references deemed necessary to establish the ability of the proposer to
perform the conditions of the contract.
3.1 RESUMES/COMPANY PROFILE and EXPERIENCE
Proposer shall specify how long the individual/company submitting the proposal has been in the business of providing services similar
to those requested in this RFQ and under what company name. A resume or summary of qualifications, work experience, education,
skills, etc., which emphasizes previous experience in this area should be provided for all key personnel who will be involved with any
aspects of the contract.
3.2 DETAIL AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Contractor will provide sufficient detail, information, supporting documentation or examples of the following:
3.2.1 Name of Individual assigned primary responsibility for the project.
3.2.2 Names, addresses and telephone numbers of anticipated sub-contractors
3.2.3 Firm's experience with governmental agencies: Federal, State, County and Local.
3.2.4 Detail experience in administering similar projects. Explain the extent of your experience, how each element is
addressed and whether the service is done in-house or contracted out.
3.2.5 Describe how your firm ensures good communication with clients (client report mechanisms, etc.).
3.2.6 Has contractor worked with New Jersey counties or municipalities on previous projects? Is contractor familiar with
the terrain of New Jersey?
3.3 GENERAL ABILITIES/METHOD OF PROVIDING SERVICES
Proposer should provide a description of the work plan and the methods to be used that will convincingly demonstrate to the Township
what the proposer intends to do, the ability to accomplish the work, and how the work will be accomplished.
3.3.1 The proposal submitted in response to the RFQ may be used as an example of a professional document produced by
the contractor.
3.3.2 The contractor should have experience in all aspects of administering similar projects. Contractor and staff must be
familiar with Federal and State statutes, regulations and procedures.
3.3.3 The contractor must have the ability to work with the government agencies at various levels, Federal, State and Local.
History of good working relationships with counties and municipalities, specifically in New Jersey is helpful.
10