RFQ Hearing Officer Services Panel

The City of Bloomington ("City") is soliciting Responses from qualified individuals to provide independent hearing officer services ("Services"). To establish such a "Hearing Officer Services Panel," the City is seeking Responses from individual attorneys and law firms qualified and experienced in providing such legal services pursuant to Bloomington City Code Section 1.17(a) and the City's Employment Rules Chapter 8, Section 3 (Discipline). Violations of 50+ City Code sections can be appealed to a hearing officer, ranging from special assessment hearings to nuisance abatements and employment hearings.

The duties and responsibilities of a Hearing Officer are the duties and responsibilities set forth in Chapter 1 of the Bloomington City Code of Ordinances and in Section 3.2 the City's Employment Rules (Formal Hearing in the Case of Suspension, Demotion, or Dismissal). At the discretion of the City Attorney, hearings may be performed on-site at City Hall or remotely using video conferencing software.

All assignments to each member of the Hearing Officer Services Panel will be at the sole discretion of the City Attorney's Office ("CAO") and will be limited to work as a hearing officer as set forth in Chapter 1 of the Bloomington Code of Ordinances and the City's Employment Rules.

The Hearing Officer shall attend hearings set up by the City at a time convenient for the Hearing Officer, take testimony from the relevant parties, and provide a written recommendation or decision, as applicable, to the City in the time frame required by the applicable City ordinance, state law or other time frame as specified by the City.

The Hearing Officer must perform the services in a fair and impartial manner. [...] The Hearing Officer agrees to provide these services in accordance with state law, city code, and the city's employment rules.

For any month in which the Hearing Officer provides services under this Agreement, the Hearing Officer agrees to provide the City with a monthly invoice detailing the hours services were provided to the City under this Agreement and the type of matter for which services were provided.

**Submission method:** The Response must be submitted to legal@bloomingtonmn.gov with the subject line: "RFQ Response" at or before **8:00 A.M. (Bloomington Time), December 4, 2026**. Late responses will not be accepted.

The Response must include the following:

• Admission to the Practice of Law
• Experience and Capacity (limit 250 words per individual)
• References
• Duties
• Compliance with General Requirements
• Liability Coverage

The person who is authorized to legally bind the Contractor must sign the Response.

Responses will be reviewed using the following criteria as a guide:

• Quality, thoroughness, and clarity of response.
• Qualifications and experience meet City's objectives, including experience representing private and public sector clients.
• Conflicts of interest.
• Organization and management approach.
• Insurance coverage.

The estimated hourly rate for 2027 is **$185.00/hour**. In general, the Services to be performed are for 2027 and may be extended for up to four additional one-year terms at the discretion of the City Attorney and the City Manager.

Estimated selection is December 11, 2026. Estimated services start date is January 1, 2027.