Various Professional Services - Rent Leveling Board

TOWNSHIP OF NORTH BERGEN
County of Hudson
State of New Jersey
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)
FAIR & OPEN PUBLIC SOLICITATION PROCESS
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
RENT LEVELING BOARD
RFQ - RLB-RC-2027-1 LEGAL SERVICES
RFQ - RLB-RC-2027-2 ACCOUNTANT/AUDITOR EXPERT SERVICES
Submission Date:
Thursday, October 29, 2026
11:00 A.M. prevailing time

TOWNSHIP OF NORTH
BERGEN RENT LEVELING
BOARD HUDSON COUNTY,
NEW JERSEY
PUBLIC NOTICE FOR THE SOLICITATION OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANT/AUDITOR EXPERT SERVICES
RENT LEVELING 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-RLB-RC-2027-1 Rent Leveling Board Legal Services
RFQ-RLB-RC-2027-2 Rent Leveling Board Accountant/Auditor Expert
Submission package may be examined or obtained at the Township Purchasing Office, Township of
North Bergen, 4233 Kennedy Boulevard, Room B-5, 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 Borrell, Purchasing
Agent, Township of North Bergen, 4233 Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen, NJ, 07047, on or before
Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 11:00 am 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) "Scaled RFQ Response". Responses
may be delivered by hand, overnight courier or mail. The envelope containing the response must be received
by the Township ofN01ih 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).
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 NJ.S.A. 19:44A-20. I, 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 7 days prior to the due
date of the proposal. All interpretations and clarifications considered necessa1y 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 Service:
RFQ-RC-2027-1: Rent Leveling Board Attorney
Scope of Services: Attendance at requested meetings
Review of all submitted applications as needed
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 at the hourly rate of $180.00/hour.
$180.00 per hour for related work
Copy Cost: $0.05/page for 8 12" x 11"
$0.07/page for 8 12" x 14"
Postage: Direct Reimbursement
Travel Expenses: Prevailing IRS rate/mile plus Tolls and Parking
Court Fees: Direct Reimbursement
Filing Fees: Direct Reimbursement
Transcript Cost: Direct Reimbursement
Any other reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the course of performing the contract:
Direct Reimbursement
Qualifications responses will be evaluated by the Township of North Bergen Rent Leveling 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 Rent Leveling Board and those individuals who shall be available to perform the work,
and other agencies similar to the North Bergen Rent Leveling Board which you have worked within the last
five (5) years.
2. Knowledge of the Township of North Bergen Rent Leveling 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 Rent Leveling Board, even on short
notice. Please note that the meetings of the North Bergen Rent Leveling Board occur at least monthly on
the 3rd Monday 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 Rent
Leveling Board.
4

RFO-RC-2027-2 Rent Leveling Board Accountant/Auditor Expert
Scope of Services:
Attendance at requested meetings
Review of all submitted Capital Improvement applications as
needed Issue reports to Rent Control Board
Meet with Township personnel, when necessary
Testify as required
Compensation will be as follows:
* Partners - $165-175 per hour
* Managers - $135 per hour
* Sr. Accountants/Supervisors - $100 per hour
* Staff Assistants - $ 75 per hour
* Copy Cost: $0.05/page for 8 12" x 11"
$0.07/page for 8 12" x 14"
* Postage: Direct Reimbursement
* Travel Expenses: Prevailing IRS rate/mile plus Tolls and Parking
* Any other reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the course of
performing the contract: Direct Reimbursement
Qualifications responses will be evaluated by the Township of North Bergen Rent Leveling 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 Rent Leveling Board and those individuals who shall be available to perform the work, and
other agencies similar to the North Bergen Rent Leveling Board which you have worked within the
last five
(5) years.
2. Knowledge of the Township of North Bergen Rent Leveling 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 Rent Leveling Board, even on short notice.
Please note that the meetings of the North Bergen Rent Leveling Board occur at least monthly on the
3rd Monday 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 Rent
Leveling 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 Rent Leveling Board seeks Qualifications to provide professional
services listed herein,
1.1 CONTRACT TERM
The contract term is for a period commencing on or after January 1, 2027 and continuing 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 B-05
North Bergen, NJ 07047
Phone: 201-392-2040
E-mail: CBorrell@northbergen.org
1.3 REQUIRED REVIEW
l.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 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.
7

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.
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 any 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 mandato1y 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.
8

1.6.3 Later 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
1.7.2 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.
1.7.3 All Timely Submitted Materials Become Township Property. All materials submitted in
response to this RFQ become the property of the Township.
9

SECTION 2: RFQ STANDARD INFORMATION
2.0 AUTHORITY
This RFQ is issued under the authority of the Township of North Bergen Rent Leveling 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: (I) 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 made
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.
10