Bids Sought For Summer Camp In Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Washington Township is seeking proposals for an organization to operate its summer camp program at Rock Spring Park under a contract covering 2026 through 2028, according to bid documents issued by the township.

The program would run from the day after the last day of the school year to the day before the first day of the following school year, with camp hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and before and after care from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The request says the camp must be open to residents and non-residents of Washington Township. It also says the selected organization must provide outdoor summer programs for children ages 4 through 6 and for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, along with a before and after-care program. The township said the camp will be held at Rock Spring Park, using only areas designated by the Director of Recreation.

Responses to the request for proposals must be received no later than Friday and should be mailed or delivered to Township Administrator Charlie Daniel at the municipal building on Schooley's Mountain Road in Long Valley, according to the notice.

The township said proposals must include an ownership disclosure statement, a non-collusion affidavit, a New Jersey business registration certificate, and an affirmative action affidavit. Any proposal received after the deadline will not be considered, according to the instructions.

Under the bid specifications, the organization would be responsible for registering participants, collecting fees, providing staff, advertising the program, and supplying equipment and storage units.

The documents require a 10:1 participant-to-counselor ratio and at least one certified teacher for each of the two age groups. The organization would also need to provide annual background check documentation for employees and volunteers, current child care facility licenses, proof of an inclement weather plan involving a school facility, and a yearly participant database for the Director of Recreation.

The township said bidders must offer an annual fee of at least $2,500 for the initial season, with a 2 percent increase for the second year of the contract. Proposals will be evaluated on program content, staff qualifications, counselor-to-camper ratio, affordability to participants, references, licenses, availability, community needs, scholarships, and whether the organization is a nonprofit, according to the documents.

The Township Administrator will evaluate and rank the proposals and prepare a report for the governing body. The report is to be made public at least 48 hours before the contract is awarded, or when it is made available to the governing body, whichever comes first.

The documents say the contract award will be made by resolution of the governing body within 60 days of receipt of the proposals unless bidders agree to a longer period.