Explanation
The purpose of this legislation is to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into a contract with Watershed Organic Lawn Care and Landscape for the purpose of inspecting the performance of and maintain the City’s biorentention basins. The City of Columbus is committed to investing in green infrastructure. As part of this commitment, the City has built a number of bioretention basins in the right-of-way and/or on City owned property.
Bioretention basins are engineered, shallow depressions that treat stormwater runoff using pollutant removal mechanisms that function in natural ecosystems: settling, filtration, absorption, microbial breakdown and nutrient assimilation. Surface runoff is directed into the bioretention area where it temporarily ponds before infiltrating through mulch and a soil media planted with vegetation. The infiltrated water percolates into soils and, if necessary, enters a perforated underdrain that discharges into a water body or storm drain system.
The contractor will be responsible for inspection of the bioretention basins to ensure proper performance during heavy rainfall, soil, and clean and replace soil media to meet original design standards at each location. Each bioretention basin is designed specifically for its location. Contractor will also be required to document and report on the performance of the basins.
The City is currently responsible for the maintenance of 50 basins located in the River South area of downtown and 38 basins located at Griggs, O’Shaughnessy and Hoover reservoirs. The contractor will work with Watershed Maintenance staff when performing maintenance at the basins located at the reservoirs.
The Department of Public Utilities advertised Request for Proposals (RFP’s) for the subject services in the City Bulletin in accordance with the provisions of Sections 329.25, Columbus City Codes, 1959. Two hundred twenty-six (226) vendors (19 MBE, 3 FBE, 204 MAJ) were solicited (SA004768...
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