NOTE:
The Planning Board of the Borough of North Arlington will consider
proposals only from firms or organizations that have demonstrated
the capability and willingness to provide high quality services in the
manner described in this Request for Qualifications.
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
FOR THE PROVISION OF LEGAL SERVICES –
PLANNING BOARD ATTORNEY
ISSUE DATE: December 2, 2025
DUE DATE: December 19, 2025
Issued by the
Planning Board of the Borough of North Arlington
GLOSSARY
The following definitions shall apply to and are used in this Request for
Qualifications:
“Planning Board” - refers to the Planning Board of the Borough of North Arlington.
“Qualification Statement” - refers to the complete responses to this RFQ submitted
by the Respondents.
“Qualified Respondent” - refers to those Respondents who (in the sole judgment
of the Borough Planning Board) have satisfied the qualification criteria set forth in this
RFQ.
“RFQ” - refers to this Request for Qualifications, including any amendments
thereof or supplements thereto.
“Respondent” or “Respondents” - refers to the interested firm(s) that submit a
Qualification Statement.
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1. Introduction and Purpose.
The Planning Board of the Borough of North Arlington is soliciting Qualification
Statements from interested persons and/or firms for the provision of legal services –
Planning Board Attorney, as more particularly described herein. Through the Request for
Qualification process described herein, persons and/or firms interested in assisting the
Planning Board with the provision of such services must prepare and submit a
Qualification Statement in accordance with the procedure and schedule in this RFQ. The
Planning Board will review Qualification Statements only from those interested persons
and/or firms that submit a Qualification Statement that includes all the information
required to be included as described herein (in the sole judgment of the Planning Board).
The Planning Board intends to qualify person(s) and/or firm(s) that (a) possess the
professional, financial and administrative capabilities to provide the proposed services,
and (b) will agree to work under the compensation terms and conditions determined by
the Planning Board to provide the greatest benefit to the taxpayers of North Arlington.
1.2. Procurement Process and Schedule.
The selection of Qualified Respondents is not subject to the provisions of the Local
Public Contracts Law, N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq. The selection is subject to the “New
Jersey Local Unit Pay-to-Play” Law, N.J.S.A. 19:44-20.4 et seq., however. The Planning
Board has structured a procurement process that seeks to obtain the desired results
described above, while establishing a competitive process to assure that each person
and/or firm is provided an equal opportunity to submit a Qualification Statement in
response to the RFQ. Qualification Statements will be evaluated in accordance with the
criteria set forth in Section 2 of this RFQ, which will be applied in the same manner to
each Qualification Statement received.
Qualification Statements will be reviewed and evaluated by the Planning Board
and its legal and/or financial advisors (collectively, the “Review Team”). The Qualification
Statements will be reviewed to determine if the Respondent has met the minimum
professional, administrative and financial areas described in this RFQ. Under no
circumstances will a member of the review team review responses to an RFQ for a job
for which they or their firm submitted a response. Based upon the totality of the
information contained in the Qualification Statement, including information about the
reputation and experience of each Respondent, the Planning Board will (in its sole
judgment) determine which Respondents are qualified (from professional, administrative
and financial standpoints). Each Respondent that meets the requirements of the RFQ (in
the sole judgment of the Planning Board) will be designated as a Qualified Respondent
and will be given the opportunity to participate in the selection process determined by the
Planning Board.
The RFQ process commences with the issuance of this RFQ. The steps involved
in the process and the anticipated completion dates are set forth in Table 1, Procurement
Schedule. The Planning Board reserves the right to, among other things, amend, modify
or alter the Procurement Schedule upon notice to all potential Respondents.
All communications concerning this RFQ or the RFQ process shall be directed to
the Planning Board’s Designated Contact Person, in writing.
Designated Contact Person:
Colleen More-Villani
Planning Board Secretary
Borough of North Arlington
214 Ridge Road
North Arlington, New Jersey 07031
Qualification Statements must be submitted to, and be received by, the
Planning Board, via mail or hand delivery, by 12:00 Noon on December 19, 2025.
Qualification Statements will not be accepted by facsimile transmission or e-mail.
Subsequent to issuance of this RFQ, the Planning Board (through the issuance of
addenda to all firms that have received a copy of the RFQ) may modify, supplement or
amend the provisions of this RFQ in order to respond to inquiries received from
prospective Respondents or as otherwise deemed necessary or appropriate by (and in
the sole judgment of) the Planning Board.
TABLE 1
ANTICIPATED PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE
ACTIVITY
DATE
1. Issuance of Request for Qualifications
December 2, 2025
2. Receipt of Qualification Statements/Opening of Bids
December 19, 2025
3. Appointment of Planning Board Attorney
TBD
1.3. Conditions Applicable to RFQ.
Upon submission of a Qualification Statement in response to this RFQ, the
Respondent acknowledges and consents to the following conditions relative to the
submission and review and consideration of its Qualification Statement:
• This document is an RFQ and does not constitute a Request for Proposals
(“RFP”), nor does it commit the Planning Board to issue an RFP.
• All costs incurred by the Respondent in connection with responding to this
RFQ shall be borne solely by the Respondent.
• The Planning Board reserves the right in its sole judgment to reject for any
reason any and all responses and components thereof and to eliminate any
and all Respondents responding to this RFQ from further consideration for
this procurement.
• The Planning Board reserves the right in its sole judgment to reject any
Respondent that submits incomplete responses to this RFQ, or a
Qualification Statement that is not responsive to this RFQ.
• The Planning Board reserves the right, without prior notice, to supplement,
amend, or otherwise modify this RFQ, or otherwise request additional
information.
• All Qualification Statements shall become the property of the Planning
Board and will not be returned.
• All Qualification Statements will be made available to the public at the
appropriate time, as determined by the Planning Board (in the exercise of
its sole discretion) in accordance with law.
• The Planning Board may request Respondents to send representatives to
the Planning Board for interviews.
• Any and all Qualification Statements not received by the Planning Board by
12:00 Noon on December 19, 2025 will be rejected.
• Neither the Planning Board, nor their respective staffs, consultants or
advisors (including but not limited to the Review Team) shall be liable for
any claims or damages resulting from the solicitation or preparation of the
Qualification Statement, nor will there be any reimbursement to
Respondents for the cost of preparing and submitting a Qualification
Statement or for participating in this procurement process.
This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.