PUBLIC NOTICE TOWNSHIP of MANTUA, GLOUCESTER COUNTY   PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Township Committee of the Township of Mantua, as authorized by Resolution No. 112-2025 is conducting a sale by public bid of one (1) new Plenary Retail Consumption Licenses. The minimum acceptable bid for a license is five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00). The Township reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Bids shall be accepted only from those bidders who are pre-qualified pursuant to the prequalification requirements set forth in Resolution 67-2025. The Township Committee hereby determines that it will sell at public sale one (1) Plenary Retail Consumption License (the "License") to the highest qualified bidder, in accordance with the procedures set forth in NJ SA 33:1-19.3 et seq.   3. The following conditions shall apply to the award and issuance of the License: a. Bidder must demonstrate that it intends on actively using the License within 1 year of issuance of the license, by showing proof of a lease, an ownership interest or an option to lease or own property or a building in a location of the Township within a permitted zone. b. The Township of Mantua reserves all rights to take administrative action against the prevailing bidder/Licensee should the License not be placed in active use at the end of the 1 year grace period, which shall begin on the day following the Township Committee’s action issuing the License. c. The minimum bid that shall be considered for the License shall be Five Hundred Thousand ($ 500,000.00) Dollars. d. Prospective bidders must be pre-qualified and only the bids of qualified bidders will be opened. e. To pre-qualify, a prospective bidder must submit the following to the Township Clerk at 401 Main Street, Mantua New Jersey 08051 on or before November 12, 2025, at 10:00 A.M.: 1. A full and complete twelve (12) page State of New Jersey, Department of Law & Public Safety, Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Retail Liquor License Application Form. The Township reserves the right to reject any bid which does not include in the ABC approved form of Plenary Retail Liquor License Application the following: a. the name as it will appear on the License Certificate (section 2.1 of the application) b. the actual address where the License is to be used, also known as the "sited premises" (section 2.2 of the application), and c. the trade name under which the business is to be conducted (section 2.5 of the application). 2. A separate Certification of proof of compliance by the applicant that it meets all conditions or requirements contained in this resolution, including that he/she/they/it know(s) of no other reason why he/she/they/it would be disqualified from having an interest in a Retail Liquor License in the State of New Jersey under the standards set forth in the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder. 3. A separately sealed envelope containing the bid amount with the remittance of a deposit in the amount of $50,000.00 (10% of the minimum bid amount) by certified check, made payable to the Township of Mantua, the outside of which envelope shall state "2025 Plenary Retail Consumption Liquor License Bid" and the name of the bidder. 4. On November 17, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. in the Committee Meeting Room in the Mantua Township Municipal building, 401 Main Street, Mantua New Jersey, the Township Clerk shall publicly announce those prospective bidders who have prequalified for bidding in compliance with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, Township ordinances, the conditions set forth in the published notices and other applicable law. The names of those bidders who are pre-qualified shall be posted on the bulletin board in the Mantua Township Municipal Building, 401 Main Street, Mantua New Jersey. 5. On November 19, 2025, at 10:00 A.M. in the Committee Meeting Room in the Mantua Township Municipal Building 401 Main Street, Mantua New Jersey, the Township Clerk shall open the bids of the prequalified bidders and publicly announce the name of each bidder and the amount of each bid. 6. No bid shall be opened from or on behalf of any prospective bidder who does not qualify. No bid shall be considered which does not contain proof of qualification and any and all other requirements. 7. The Township Committee shall accept the highest qualified bid, by written Resolution, adopted at a public meeting on December 22, 2025 at 4:00 P.M., or shortly thereafter, provided the Township Committee does not reject all bids. After the acceptance of the highest qualified bid, the issuance of the License to the highest qualified bidder shall be subject to each of the following: a. Payment of the balance of the bid for the License by certified check made payable to the Township of Mantua within five days of the date of the Resolution of the Township Committee awarding the License. Failure to make timely payment of the balance shall, at the option of the Township Committee, result in voiding the License award and forfeiture of the successful bidder's deposit whereupon the Committee may award the License to the next highest qualified bidder or take no further action. b. Payment of the Annual Municipal Retail License Fee for the License ($2,400.00). c. Payment of the State License Application fee ($200.00). d. Receipt of favorable State and/or Federal criminal background checks for the prospective Licensee and all individuals named in the application. e. Satisfactory outcome of further municipal background checks by the Police Department to investigate the source of funds used to purchase the License. f. Compliance with publication, hearing and resolution requirements under N.J.A.C. 13:2-2.1 et seq. related to the successful applicant/bidder. 8. The deposit of all unsuccessful bidder(s) shall be returned within ten days of the date of the award of the License. 9. The Township reserves the right to reject all bids where the highest qualified bid is not accepted. 10. The sale may be postponed or cancelled at any time prior to the opening of the bids. 11. A new license must be issued within six months after the closing date established for acceptance of applications as set forth in the Notice. If a license is not issued within such time, no License can be issued without again complying with all of the Resolution and Notice provisions of the law.   Any questions pertaining to the bid application or conduct of sale shall be submitted by email to the Township Clerk, at jbileci@mantuatownship.com no less than seven (7) business days before the date that the bid packages are due.   Jennica Bileci, R.M.C. Township Clerk Township of Mantua 10/1, 10/8/2025 ($205.92)