ZONING HEARING BOARD SOLICITOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

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1 ZONING HEARING BOARD SOLICITOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Borough of Macungie Zoning Hearing Board is soliciting proposals for Solicitor, in accordance with this Request for Proposals (RFP). RFPs are available at Borough Hall, 21 Locust Street, Macungie, PA, 18062, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday or on the Borough website All proposals shall be made upon letterhead stationery and all references to numbers shall be stated both in writing and figures. One (1) clearly marked original and three (3) clearly marked complete copies (including all attachments) of each proposal shall be submitted and delivered to: Chris L. Boehm, Borough Manager, 21 Locust Street, Macungie, PA, 18062, prior to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 29, Envelopes shall be sealed and marked, Proposal for Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor. The Borough Macungie Zoning Hearing Board reserves the right to choose the proposal which, in their judgment, is best suited for the intended purposes. Borough of Macungie Zoning Hearing Board reserves the right to waive all informalities in awarding a contract in the best interests of the Borough. East Penn Press (affidavit required) 4/15/15 Chris L. Boehm Borough Manager

2 Macungie Borough Lehigh County REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) ZONING HEARING BOARD SOLICITOR 1. PURPOSE AND INTENT The Borough of Macungie seeks to engage a Solicitor for the Borough of Macungie Zoning Hearing Board upon appointment. 2. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION One (1) original, and three (3) full, complete and exact copies of each proposal shall be submitted in a sealed envelope and must be marked as Proposal for Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor and addressed to: Chris Boehm, Borough Manager, 21 Locust Street, Macungie, PA, The proposal must be received no later than Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 4:30 p.m. Faxed or ed proposals will NOT be accepted. Any inquiry concerning this RFP should be directed in writing to Chris Boehm, Borough Manager, 21 Locust Street, Macungie, PA clboehm@macungie.pa.us Fax: All documents/information submitted in response to this solicitation shall be available to the general public in accordance with the PA Right To Know Law. The Zoning Hearing Board reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, with or without cause, and waive any irregularities or informalities in the proposals. The Zoning Hearing Board also reserves the right to negotiate with all qualified sources, or to cancel in part or in its entirety the RFP when the Board determines that such action is in its best interests. The Macungie Zoning Hearing Board further reserves the right to make such investigations as it deems necessary as to the qualifications of any and all respondents submitting proposals. 3. APPOINTMENT OF ZONING HEARING BOARD SOLICITOR A Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Zoning Board and shall serve at the will of the Board and may be terminated at any time, for any reason, upon a vote of the majority of the Zoning Hearing Board. The Solicitor shall be an attorney-at-law of Pennsylvania. The Solicitor and/or firm shall receive such compensation as agreed upon and determined by the Zoning Hearing Board subject to Macungie Borough Council having appropriate funding to carry out the objectives of the Zoning Hearing Board in accordance with the provisions of the MPC. 4. DUTIES OF THE ZONING HEARING BOARD SOLICITOR

3 a. Review and aid in the preparation of legal documents pertaining to the Zoning Board; b. Attendance at regular, special and continued sessions of the Zoning Hearing Board; c. Conduct legal research and render legal opinions and assistance to the Zoning Hearing Board; d. Assist, when necessary, any other Attorney which the Board may engage; e. Assist the Zoning Hearing Board in any other manner that may be necessary; f. Representation of the Zoning Board in litigation; g. Cooperate with Borough Council and Borough Solicitor regarding any matters pertaining to the Zoning Hearing Board. 5. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The successful candidate shall not have conflicts of interest with the Borough, and shall address and resolve any individual matters involving a conflict in advance of appointment. Such conflicts shall be disclosed as part of this submission. 6. MANDATORY CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL a. Contact Information: Provide the name and address of the firm; the name, telephone number, fax number, and address of the individual responsible for the preparation of the proposal, and the principal professional assigned to the Borough. b. A three year rate proposal for 2015, 2016, and The proposal should include a Rate Schedule for principal, associates and paralegals, detailing Personnel Classifications, rates per hour, direct expenses such as auto travel, copies, etc. and any other costs that may be applicable. c. An executive summary of not more than one (1) page, identifying and substantiating why the respondent is best qualified to provide the requested services. d. A staffing plan listing those persons who will be assigned to the engagement if the respondent is selected, including the designation of the person who would be the respondents principal professional responsible for all services required under the engagement. This portion of the proposal should include the relevant resume information for the individual(s) who will be assigned. The information should include, at a minimum, a description of the principal s relevant professional experience, years and type of experience, and number of years with the respondent. e. A description of the respondents experience in performing services of the type described in this RFP. The respondent shall have extensive experience as a zoning hearing board solicitor in the state of Pennsylvania. Provide specific examples of work within the scope of services required under this RFP. f. The location of respondent s office, if other than the respondents main office, at which the respondent proposes to perform services required under this RFP. Describe your presence in Pennsylvania and any familiarity your firm has with the County of Lehigh area.

4 h. References, including municipal clients, current clients for whom services have been provided for at least three (3) years, and clients for whom services have been provided within the past seven (7) years. Provide the contact names, titles and phone numbers. i. If the respondent or any principal therein has been engaged as a defendant in any litigation involving a sum of $100,000 or more and/or has been subject to any professional disciplinary action over the last three (3) years, the respondent must provide a description of the litigation and/or disciplinary action. j. A description of any ongoing investigations and/or litigation matters involving the respondent, its directors, officers and principals and any individuals employed by the respondent that relate to the performance of the respondent in the proposed field of expertise. k. It is important that the Solicitor representing the Board not have any other clients that have or would be in conflict with Borough issues. Specify if there are any actual or potential conflicts of interest with the Borough. Include a disclosure of clients who have had dealings with the Borough, including all boards and commissions. Explain how your firm would handle such conflicts. Also, set out any allowance in contract price if the Borough has to retain other legal counsel because of a conflict of interest with your firm. Present evidence of firm's malpractice coverage. l. A detailed listing of the method of charging for professional and administrative services; the billable rates for all personnel of your firm who may provide services to the Borough (do not list a range of rates.); a description of the multipliers, overhead charges and other applicable fee information; a description of minimum billings; hourly or per meeting rates associated with attending Zoning Hearing Board evening meetings, as requested. Any costs incurred by proposer in preparing or submitting offers are the proposer's sole responsibility. The Borough will not reimburse any proposer for any costs incurred prior to contract award. 7. INSURANCE The applicant, as a member of a profession which is subject to suit for professional malpractice, shall provide documentation that insurance for professional liability/malpractice coverage with limits as to liability acceptable to Macungie Borough. 8. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE The applicant as required by law, shall annually file with the Borough a Statement of Financial Interest on the form promulgated by the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commissions. 9. INTERVIEW The Zoning Hearing Board reserves the right to interview any or all of the respondents submitting a proposal. Although interviews may take place, the proposal should be comprehensive and complete on its face. The Zoning Hearing Board reserves the right to request clarifying information subsequent to submission of the proposal.

5 10. SELECTION PROCESS All proposals will be reviewed by the Zoning Hearing Board to determine responsiveness. Non-responsive proposals will be rejected without evaluation. For respondents that satisfy the Minimum Qualifications and the Mandatory Contents of Proposal the Borough's evaluation will include but will not be limited to the following evaluation criteria, separate or combined in some manner, and not necessarily listed in order of significance: a) The respondent s general approach to providing the services required under this RFP. b) The respondent s municipal experience and to the engagement addressed by this RFP. c) The qualifications and experience of the respondent s management, supervisory or other key personnel assigned to the engagement, with emphasis on municipal experience and to the services required by this RFP. d) The overall ability of the respondent to mobilize, undertake and successfully complete the scope of work in a timely fashion. This criterion will include, but not be limited to, the following factors: the number and qualifications of management, supervisory and other staff proposed by the respondent to perform the services required by this RFP; the availability and commitment to the engagement of the respondent s management, supervisory and other staff proposed. e) Costs and fee schedules. f) Other criteria as deemed appropriate by Macungie Borough Council. 11. SELECTION AND CONTRACT The Zoning Hearing Board will select the respondent deemed most advantageous to the Borough, with price and other factors considered. The resulting contract will include this RFP, any clarifications or addenda thereto, the selected respondents proposal, and any changes negotiated by the parties. The Zoning Hearing Board shall not be required to appoint the lowest cost respondent. 12. FILES At the termination of the employment of the solicitor, he/she shall promptly return to the Borough all files complete with all documents, memos, legal research notes, correspondence and all other material contained therein including but not limited to electronic data, at no cost to Borough. 13. EXCEPTIONS Any exceptions to terms, conditions, or other requirements in any part of this RFP must be clearly pointed out in the candidate s proposal. Otherwise, the Borough will consider that all items offered are in strict compliance with this RFP, and the successful proposer will be responsible for compliance.