Resolution 2026-43
April 9, 2026
Resolution Of The Salem County Improvement Authority Establishing A Fair And Open Process For The Awarding Of Labor Counsel Contract
Whereas, the Salem County Improvement Authority of Salem County (“SCIA”) requires the services of a Labor Counsel for the Solid Waste Division; and Whereas, retaining the services of qualified professionals for such positions has long been exempt from “public bidding” by N.J.S.A. 40A:11-5(a) due to the important policy consideration of allowing a public body to appoint candidates they deem to be most qualified and advantageous to the needs and goals of the public body; and Whereas, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.7 permits a County Authority to establish a “fair and open process” that allows for public solicitation of qualifications of persons interested in providing such services; and Whereas, the SCIA has determined that establishing such a process protects its right to appoint the most qualified candidates while making the process more open and competitive; Now Therefore Be It Hereby Resolved by the Salem County Improvement Authority as follows:- There is hereby established a “fair and open” process for the award of the contract for a Labor Counsel, where the value of said contract exceeds $17,500.00;
- The Fair and Open Process shall be as follows:
A. The SCIA Executive Director shall cause to be advertised on the Authority’s website a notice of solicitation of qualifications for such positions in a form substantially like Exhibit “A” attached hereto. Said notice shall be published on Authority’s website at least 10 calendar days in advance of the date set forth therein as the deadline to submit proposals.
B. The SCIA Executive Director shall make the necessary arrangements to publicly open and announce all proposals received. The SCIA Executive Director shall forthwith thereafter review all proposals received and transmit them to the SCIA members with a summary report and recommendations.
C. Award of any contracts based on the submissions received shall be made by Resolution of the SCIA at an open public meeting, after receipt of the materials from the SCIA Recording Secretary.
ATTEST: Barry Davis, SecretarySusan Bestwick, Chairperson
Certification
I hereby certify the above to be a true copy of a resolution adopted by the Salem County Improvement Authority Board at their regular meeting held April 9, 2026Barry Davis, Secretary
Exhibit A
Public Notice
The Salem County Improvement Authority is soliciting proposals through a fair and open process in accordance with N.J.S.A. 19:44A-20.7 for the following position: Labor Counsel Interested applicants must submit one (1) original, signed CLEARLY marked as “ORIGINAL” and one (1) full, complete and exact “COPY” of the required information by mail to Attention: Julie A. Acton, Executive Director, Salem County Improvement Authority, 286 Welchville Road, P.O. Box 890, Alloway, New Jersey 08001, to be received no later than 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at which time all proposals received shall be publicly opened and announced by the Executive Director or her designee. Fax and e-mail responses will not be accepted. The information to be submitted for consideration is contained in a document entitled “Request for Proposal for the Labor Counsel”, which can be obtained by downloading a copy from our website at www.scianj.com. Questions regarding these documents may be directed to the SCIA Administrative Office, Lisa Foster at (856) 935-7900 ext. 12. Information which must be contained in the response to the RFP, includes, but is not limited to: professional resume and/or other materials which shall include at a minimum full name and business address; dates of licensure in the State of New Jersey, if applicable; a listing of any professional affiliations or memberships in any professional societies or organizations, with an indication as to any offices held therein; the number of licensed professionals employed by/affiliated with the applicant; a listing of all special accreditations held by the individual licensed professional or business entity; and a listing of all previous public entities served by the business entity or licensed professional, indicating the dates of service and position held. The applicant shall also submit the proposed rate(s) of compensation that is requested. Proposals will thereafter be received by the Salem County Improvement Authority, who may award the contract for the services. The award of the Contract will be based on the following criteria: (i) responsiveness to the required submissions as outlined in the Request for Proposal; (ii) general experience and reputation in the field; (iii) specific experience/knowledge of the Salem County Improvement Authority and the subject matter to be addressed under the Contract; (iv) qualifications and experience which most closely match the needs of the Authority; (v) availability to accommodate meeting and interface requirements with the Authority for meetings, phone conferences, attendance at events and office consultations; (vi) office resources, including backup staff, which are deemed most adequate to service the needs of the Board; and (vii) the applicant who is deemed otherwise most advantageous based on all information submitted or gathered in connection with the proposal. The Authority reserves the right to: (i) not select any of the applicants; (ii) require applicants to submit to a personal interview and/or submit additional or clarifying information; (iii) to reject any or all proposals; (iv) to waive any informalities in the proposals; and (v) procure the articles or services from other sources if deemed most advantageous to the objectives of the Authority. The Authority’s determination of the applicant who is most advantageous to the goals and objectives of the Authority shall be final and conclusive. By order of Salem County Improvement Authority Susan Bestwick, Chairperson