North Central Health District

Request for Proposal – Macon-Bibb County Health Department – Legal Services

Posted September 13, 2024 by Michael Hokanson

Deadline to Submit Proposals: September 30, 2024 by 4:30 p.m. EDT

Inquiries and proposals should be directed to:

Dr. Jimmie Smith, Jr., MD, MPH
Administrator
Macon-Bibb County Health Department
1600 Forsyth Street
Macon, GA 31201
478-749-0114
Jimmie.smith1@dph.ga.gov

I. GENERAL INFORMATION.

1. Purpose. This request for proposal (RFP) is to contract for legal services for the Macon-Bibb County Board of Health.
2. Who May Respond. Only attorneys who are currently licensed to practice law in Georgia and maintain an office in Macon-Bibb County, GA or law firms including such attorneys, may respond to this RFP.
3. Instructions on Proposal Submission.
   • Closing Submission Date. Proposals must be submitted no later than 4:30 PM Monday, September 30, 2024.
   • Inquiries. Inquiries concerning this RFP should be mailed to: (Administrator as stated above).
   • Conditions of Proposal. All costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal responding to this RFP will be the responsibility of the Offeror and will not be reimbursed by Macon-Bibb County Board of Health (hereinafter referred to as MBCBOH).
   • Instructions to Prospective Contractors. Your proposal should be addressed as follows:
     Dr. Jimmie Smith, Jr., Administrator
     Macon-Bibb County Health Department
     1600 Forsyth Street
     Macon, GA 31201

It is important that the Offeror’s proposal be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked in the lower left-hand corner with the following information:

Request for proposal

[TIME] [DATE]

SEALED PROPOSAL For Legal Services

Failure to do so may result in premature disclosure of your proposal. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the proposal is received by MBCBOH, by the date and time specified above. Late proposals will not be considered.

• Right to Reject. MBCBOH reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP.  A contract for the accepted proposal will be drafted based upon the factors described in this RFP.
• Business Certifications: Efforts will be made by MBCBOH to utilize small businesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and/or veteran-owned businesses, as those terms are recognized under federal and state law and as certified by authorized organizations, including, but not limited to, the following:
• The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) firms. To qualify as an MBE, businesses must be at least 51% owned by members of minority groups as defined by the NMSDC as Asian-Indian, Asian-Pacific, Black, Hispanic, or Native American. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visitnmsdc.org/mbes.
• The Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council certifies MBE firms. For more information or to apply to be an MBE, please visitwww.gmsdc.org.
• The Greater Women’s Business Council certifies Women Business Enterprise (WBE) firms. For more information or to apply to be a WBE, please visithttps://www.gwbc.org.
• The National Veteran-Owned Business Association certifies Veteran Business Enterprises. For information or to apply for certification, please visit https://www.navoba.org/.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration certifies Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB), Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSB), and 8(a) Certified companies for companies owned and controlled by individuals who are economically and socially disadvantaged. For information or to apply for certification, please visitwww.sba.gov.
• The U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce certifies Asian American and other minority-owned businesses. For information or to apply for certification, please visithttps://uspaacc.com/.
•  Notification of Award. It is expected that a decision selecting the successful firm will be made within one month of the closing date for the receipt of proposals upon conclusion of final negotiations with the successful firm, all Offerors submitting proposals in response to this Request for Proposal will be informed, in writing, of the name of the successful consultant.  It is expected that the contract shall be for a period of three years beginning January 1, 2025.

D.  Description of Entity. Macon-Bibb County Board of Health serves Macon-Bibb County Health Department.  It is one of 13 county health departments within the North Central Health District, which is part of the Georgia Department of Public Health. The Board of Health is a 7- member Board primarily appointed by the Mayor of Macon-Bibb County. It meets monthly. Meetings may last from under one hour to up to three hours. The Macon-Bibb County Health Department works to protect the health of people and their environment wherever they are in the community. Through its services they prevent disease, injury and disability; promote health and well-being; and prepare for and respond to disasters from a health perspective.

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES. The Offeror shall be readily available to perform the following legal services, as requested by the Board of Directors:

• Review, draft and negotiate contracts and leases
• Advise on legal and personnel matters
• Provide general counsel to the Board of Health on laws impacting public health, environmental health and permits, governmental activities, and interactions with other private and public entities
• Review policies and Board bylaws
• Attend Board of Health meetings and other meetings as necessary
• Advise on responses to subpoenas, court orders, request for information from third parties as needed
• Defend lawsuits, administrative claims, or other legal claims
• Conduct litigation as necessary

The proposal must cover all of the above areas. The fee scale may be adjusted for different services, i.e., fees for serving as a hearing officer may differ from the conducting litigation.

Offeror shall be prepared to submit detailed billing statements for all services billed at an hourly rate, if any, broken down into time increments of no more than a quarter hour.  Offeror shall also include summaries of work performed and time spent on services performed under the flat monthly fee, as discussed below.

III. PROPOSAL CONTENTS. The Offeror, in its proposal, shall as a minimum, include the following:

1. Legal Experience. The Offeror should describe its legal experience, including the names, addresses, contact persons, and telephone numbers of at least three clients, preferably including clients similar to MBCBOH. Experience should include the following categories:
   • Experience advising government agencies.
   • Experience advising public health clients.
2. Organization, Size, Structure, And Areas of Practice. If the Offeror is a firm, it should describe its organization, size, structure, areas of practice, and office location(s). Indicate, if appropriate, if the firm is a small or minority/owned business. Also include a copy of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy, if the firm has one.
3. Attorney Qualifications. The Offeror should have experience in the following areas:  
   • Government operations
   • General business operations
   • Legal contracts

The Offeror should describe the qualifications of attorneys to be assigned to their representation. Descriptions should include:

1. Professional and educational background of each attorney.
2. Overall supervision to be exercised.
3. Prior experience of the individual attorneys with respect to the required experience listed above. Only include resumes of attorneys likely to be assigned to the representation. Education, position and firm, years and types of experience, and continuing professional education will be considered.

D. Price. The Offeror’s proposed price should include information on the hourly billing rates of each attorney or other legal staff who is expected to work on this representation and charges for expenses, if any, such as legal research, copies, and faxes.  Also include a monthly flat fee that would be charged to advise on routine matters that could be handled over the telephone or otherwise without extensive research or other legal work. A monthly retainer fee for all routine work with an hourly rate for work outside the ordinary (i.e. litigation) will be considered. MBCHD reserves the right to negotiate with the Offeror on the structure of the billing and/or retainer fee.

IV. PROPOSAL EVALUATION

A. Submission of Proposals. All proposals shall include an original and seven (7) copies.

B. Evaluation Procedure and Criteria. Macon-Bibb County Board of Health will evaluate submitted proposals and make final determination.  They may, through the Administrator, request a meeting with some qualified Offerors prior to final selection. Proposals will be reviewed in accordance with the following criteria:

• Proposed approach to scope of work.
• Level of experience of the individual(s) identified to work on this matter.
• The Offeror’s experience with similar clients and legal matters.
• Response from references.
• Cost.
• Interviews, if conducted.