Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to waive the competitive procurement requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329 and to enter into a professional services contract with Futurety LLC, in an amount up to $100,000.00 for the purpose of web application development, digital marketing campaign management, analysis, and reporting. Approval is also requested for reimbursement of expenses incurred prior to execution of the purchase order, starting July 1, 2023.
In 2021, an independent assessment found that Columbus’ zoning code is a barrier to our city being the vibrant, equitable community we aspire to be. It found that the current code is inhibiting creation of additional housing and transit-supportive development, and a modernization of the code can help to unlock development potential. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and Columbus City Council have prioritized revising the code, which has not been comprehensively updated in 70 years, in order to guide equitable growth in our city. This initiative, called “Zone In” is being led collaboratively by the Department of Building and Zoning Services and the Department of Development.
While modernized zoning is needed throughout Columbus, the Zone In team has overlaid multiple criteria - including current and future bus routes, land use recommendations and current zoning - to identify 62 corridors and commercial nodes that are most suited to be re-zoned first. The Zone In team needs input from the people who live, work, shop and enjoy these corridors to determine how they should look and feel, and how they should be developed with housing, offices, retail and other amenities to address the neighborhood’s current and future needs, values and aspirations. We especially need to hear from people whose voices previously haven’t been represented in these conversations.
The Zone In team needs public input to calibrate its new zoning districts. Our concept is to create a digital survey tool that combines visual preference questions, questions on zoning tradeoffs and demographic information captured to generate data that the technical team can use to design the zoning districts.
Objectives
1. Engage Columbus residents in the design of the zoning districts to be applied to each of the 62 Zone In focus areas.
2. Educate on what the zoning code update will mean for residents.
A certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) founded in Columbus, Futurety LLC serves a range of clients from hospitals to government agencies, retailers to tech startups, as well as businesses of all sizes. The City of Columbus has successfully partnered with Futurety through CelebrateOne and Smart Columbus, to engage hard-to-reach audiences, including mothers and grandmothers in CelebrateOne zip codes.
Emergency action is requested in order to maintain the project Zone In initiative timeline. Community feedback must be captured and analyzed by September 30, 2023 to maintain the project schedule to adopt a new zoning code by July 2024.
WAIVER OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS: A waiver of the request for proposal requirements outlined in Columbus City Code Chapter 329 is being requested as this program need was only recently identified, and a formal procurement effort would derail the project schedule.
FISCAL IMPACT: The funding of $100,000.00 has been allocated from the Administrative Division’s 2023 General Fund Budget.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: The vendor’s number is 025972 and contract compliance is pending.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a professional services contract with Futurety LLC in an amount up to $100,000.00 for web application development, digital marketing campaign management, analysis, and reporting; to authorize the expenditure of up to $100,000.00 from the 2023 General Fund Operating Budget; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329; to allow for expenditures prior to the execution of the purchase order, and to declare an emergency. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development requests to waive the competitive procurement requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329 and to enter into a professional services contract with Futurety LLC in an amount up to $100,000.00 for the purpose of web application development, digital marketing campaign management, analysis, and reporting.; and
WHEREAS, approval is also requested for reimbursement of expenses incurred prior to execution of the purchase order, starting July 1, 2023; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, an independent assessment found that Columbus’ zoning code is a barrier to our city being the vibrant, equitable community we aspire to be. It found that the current code is inhibiting creation of additional housing and transit-supportive development, and a modernization of the code can help to unlock development potential. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and Columbus City Council have prioritized revising the code, which has not been comprehensively updated in 70 years, in order to guide equitable growth in our city. This initiative, called “Zone In” is being led collaboratively by the Department of Building and Zoning Services and the Department of Development.; and
WHEREAS, the Zone In team needs public input to calibrate its new zoning districts. Our concept is to create a digital survey tool that combines visual preference questions, questions on zoning tradeoffs and demographic information captured to generate data that the technical team can use to design the zoning districts.
WHEREAS, Futurety LLC is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) founded in Columbus, Futurety LLC serves a range of clients from hospitals to government agencies, retailers to tech startups, as well as businesses of all sizes. The City of Columbus has successfully partnered with Futurety through CelebrateOne and Smart Columbus, to engage hard-to-reach audiences, including mothers and grandmothers in CelebrateOne zip codes.
WHEREAS, it is in the City's best interest to waive the competitive bidding requirements to enter into this professional services contract in order to maintain the project schedule to provide needed affordable housing, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare.; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development to pass this ordinance as emergency in order to maintain the project Zone In initiative timeline and community feedback must be captured and analyzed by September 30, 2023, to maintain the project schedule to adopt a new zoning code by July 2024, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That City Council finds it in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive bidding provision of Chapter 329 of Columbus City Code to enter into this contract.
SECTION 2. That the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a professional services contract with Futurety LLC in an amount up to $100,000.00 for the purpose of web application development, digital marketing campaign management, analysis, and reporting.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose stated in Section 2, the expenditure of $100,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 (General Fund), Dept. 44-01 (Administration), in Object Class 03 (Contractual Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated, and expenditures authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 6. For the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.