RFP for Legal Services

"Portage Metropolitan Housing Authority\nRequest for Proposals for Legal Services\n\nPMHA\n\nPurpose\n\nThe Portage Metropolitan Housing Authority is requesting proposals for legal services for the\nperiod from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025, with the option, at PMHA\u2019s discretion,\nof three (3) additional one-year option periods, for a maximum total of five (5) years. The\noptions will automatically renew unless PMHA notifies the successful proposer(s) within thirty\n(30) days prior to the expiration of the initial or extended term of the contract.\n\nThese legal services will include, but are not limited to, matters dealing with federal and state\npublic housing laws, evictions and landlord/tenant disputes, employment law, procurement, debt\ncollection, civil rights and fair housing law, Ohio public records and public meetings laws and\nHUD rules/regulations relating to the Section 8 and Public Housing programs, administrative\nmatters, employment laws and advisory

opinions.\n\nThe RFP may be obtained online at www.portagehousing.org under \u201cBusiness Opportunities\u201d or\nby contacting PMHA at (330) 297-1489. Responses are due no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday,\nNovember 30, 2023 and can be mailed or hand-delivered to the attention of Pamela Nation\nCalhoun, at PMHA, 2832 State Route 59, Ravenna, OH 44266. Any proposals received later\nthan said date and time will not be opened or considered. Faxed or emailed proposals will not be\naccepted.\n\nPMHA isan equal opportunity employer and an equal housing opportunity agency.\n\nPMHA Background\n\nCreated in 1968 as an Ohio political subdivision, governed by a 5-member volunteer\nBoard, with Thomas Sicuro serving as Chairman, and Jean M eadows serving as Vice-\nChairman. The jurisdiction of tnePMHA is Portage County, Ohio.\n\nPMHA is dedicated to providing safe, decent and affordable housing for low-income\npersons, and creating incentives and opportunities for program participants to achieve\nself-sufficiency.\n\nEmploys approximately 40 employees, who are covered by the Ohio Public\nEmployees Retirement System.\n\nAdministers Federal HUD Section 8, Public Housing and other grant funds, and thus,\nfollows both Federal and Ohio procurement and labor laws.\n\nOwns 330 housing units and administers Section 8 contracts for approximately 1,953\ntenants and 475 landlords.\n\nReceives insurance coverage through a risk retention pool comprised of other Ohio\nhousing authorities.\n\nPagelof5\n" "Designated as a \u201cHigh Performer\u201d under HUD\u2019s evaluation system.\n\n- _PMHA isaM oving To Work (MTW) Public Housing Authority.\n\n- _PMHA isan Equal Opportunity Employer, and requires its professional contractors to\nabide by Federal EEO requirements with regard to employment practices.\n\nScope of L egal Services:\n\n1. Advise and counsel Director and Board in the regular conduct of the affairs of the\nPMHA, which includes telephone and office conferences, writing incidental\ncorrespondence, preparing ordinary legal documents, rendering opinions on legal\nissues and related services. \u201cRegular conduct\u201d includes, but is not limited to:\npersonnel matters, liability exposure, fair housing compliance, bidding and contract\naward procedures, nondiscrimination compliance, and HUD housing policies.\n\n2. Offer advice, handle, file and process to judgment, for an estimated 20 rental\nevictions per year.\n\n3. Attend monthly meetings of tnePMHA Board of Commissioners.\n\nThe combination of the above (items 1-3) legal services is expected to comprise\napproximately 16 hours per month during the term of the Agreement.\n\n4. As requested by the PMHA, perform extraordinary legal services such as court\nappearances, representation at hearings, lawsuits and other extraordinary services for\na flat hourly fee mutually agreed upon in advance, and stated in an \u201cAgreement for\nLegal Services.\u201d\n\n5. Provide itemized billing for legal services provided.\n\nProposal Submission Requirements:\n\n1. Cover letter, which identifies the firm\u2019s primary contact person(s) for the proposal.\n\n2. Statement of Qualifications, which demonstrates experience and/or working\nknowledge in the following areas:\n\n- HUD-assisted rental housing regulations\n\n- Ohio landlord tenant law\n\n- State Public Records and Open M eeting laws\n\n- Ohio political subdivision law, especially as it relates to labor and personnel\nmatters.\n\n- Ohio and Federal Fair Housing Law\n\n- Ohio and Federal procurement law\n\n- Federal Labor Standards\n\n- Americans With Disabilities Act\n\nPage20f5\n" ". Description of experience working with clients in the public and municipal sectors.\n. Resumes of key personnel to perform work forPMHA.\n\n. Atleastthree client references with contact names and phone numbers. Bidders are\nparticularly encouraged to include client references who are housing providers,\npolitical subdivisions, or non-profit organizations.\n\n. Proposed flat, per eviction fee for the provision of 26 evictions annually.\n\n. Proposed hourly fee for routine legal services (other than evictions) described above\nin Items 1 and 3 in the Scope of Legal Services, or details of alternative means of\ncompensation proposed by bidder.\n\n. Proposed hourly fee for extraordinary legal services described above in Item #4 in the\nScope of Legal Services.\n\n. Submit the following Forms and HUD Certifications, which shall constitute a part of\nthe RFP and any contract. All work will be performed in accordance with professional\nstandards, HUD regulations, requirements and criteria, local codes, regulations,\nordinances, and statutes:\n\nDEqual Opportunity Certification\n\nDForm HUD-2992: Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension (3/98)\nForm HUD-50071: Certification of Payments to Influence Federal Transaction\n(1/14)\n\nDForm HUD-5369-B: Instructions to Offerors Non-Construction (8/93)\n\nDForm HUD-5369-C - Certifications and Representations of Offerors, Non-\nConstruction Contract (8/93)\n\nForm HUD-5370-C- General Conditions Non-Construction Contracts\n(10/2006) (Provided for informational purposes and does not need to be\nsubmitted with the proposal)\n\nDeadline\n\nSealed proposals will be accepted at the PMHA office until 5:00 p.m., Thursday,\nNovember 30, 2023. Proposals should be addressed to:\n\nPamela Nation Calhoun, Executive Director\nPortage M etropolitan Housing A uthority\n2832 State Route 59\nRavenna, OH 44266\n\nBidders must note on the envelope, \u201cLegal Services Proposal.\u201d\n\nFaxed or emailed proposals will not be accepted.\n\nPage30f5\n" "Any questions regarding the proposal process should be directed in writing at least 5 days\nprior to the date proposals are dueto: Pamela Nation Calhoun atthe address above. The\nHousing Authority will respond to written questions in the form of written addenda that\nwill be made available to all prospective proposers.\n\nE valuation\nThis procurement of legal services follows the method outlined in 24 CFR 85.36, \u201cCompetitive\n\nProposals.\u201d Bidders will be evaluated in the following areas, utilizing the stated percentage of\nweighted value:\n\n- Experience working with political subdivisions 20%\n- Experience with rental evictions 20%\n- Experience working with HUD housing programs 20%\n- Hours of service offered per month 15%\n- Experience working with Portage County court system 15%\n- Client references 10%\n\nAward will be made to the responsible firm whose proposal is most advantageous to the PMHA,\nbased on the combination of the factors above and price considerations. ThePMHA reserves the\nright to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality in proposals received whenever\nsuch rejection or waiver is in the best interest of PMHA. All proposals become the property of\nand shall be retained by PMHA. Any proposal or proposal modification received after the hour\nand date specified as the deadline will be returned unopened.\n\nAffirmative Action\n\nPMHA is an Equal Opportunity Business Enterprise, which promotes competitive solicitations\nand does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual\norientation, gender identity, military status, disability, or age.\n\nPMHA encourages minority and women-owned business enterprises to respond to this\nsolicitation. If your firm is minority or women-owned, please state and provide a statistical\nrepresentation of your work force with your quote.\n\nSection 3\n\nPMHA promotes the employment of its residents and low-income persons in Portage County by\nutilizing HUD funds for contracted activities under the Section 3 program. Interested contractors\nare invited to indicate if they intend to hire any additional staff to assist in any way the delivery\nof services under an awarded contract, and if so, what measures will be undertaken to attempt to\nlocate and hire qualified low-income persons to fill those positions using best possible effort. If\nno new positions are to be created under this contract, there is no obligation for the contractor to\nhire or train individuals under Section 3.\n\nPage 4of5\n" "EQUAL EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATION\n\nAs the representative of the firm stated below, I execute this assurance confirming that our firm\nshall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color,\ncreed, religion, sex, handicap, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, age or national\norigin. We shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that\nemployees are treated during employment, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex,\nhandicap, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, age or national origin. Such action\nshall include, but not be limited to, the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, or\ntermination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training, including\napprenticeship or internship.\n\nPage5 0f5\n"