Explanation
This legislation authorizes the City Attorney, on behalf of the Director of the Department of Public Utilities, to enter into a contract with Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP for special legal counsel and professional services related to operational review and strategic planning.
The law firm will provide legal guidance related to the comprehensive operational review and assessment of different strategies for achieving the Department’s goals conducted by Raftelis Financial Consultants as authorized by Ordinance 1989-2025. During their review, Raftelis required legal guidance and consulted with Squire on this project. It is in the City’s best interest, therefore, to waive competitive bidding provisions to assure continuity in the provision of these legal services. Raftelis will continue providing professional consulting services and will serve as a subcontractor to Squire as the project moves into its final stage.
The Department of Public Utilities (DPU aka Columbus Water and Power) consists of its Director’s Office, which houses sections such as human resources, information technology and fiscal, among others, as well as the Divisions of Water, Sewerage and Drainage, Power and Stormwater. In total, DPU employs just over 1,400 full-time equivalent employees. The Department serves a population of approximately 1.2 million through the operation of three water and two wastewater treatment plants and maintenance of approximately 3,600 miles of waterline and 4,600 miles of sewers. The Division of Power purchases and distributes power to approximately 18,500 customers and maintains approximately 59,000 streetlights. The Department’s 2025 operating budget, comprised of the enterprise funds for each of the four divisions, is over $850 million and it also has a 6-year capital improvement plan of over $3 billion.
The term of this agreement is from the date of execution until completion of the project.
VENDOR:
Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP | EIN on file | D365 Vendor #006421 | Certification pending update |
SUBCONTRACTOR:
Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. | EIN on file | D365 Vendor #011256 | Expires 3/12/2026 |
Neither the Contractor nor Subcontractor are debarred according to the Excluded Party Listing System of the Federal Government or prohibited from being awarded a contract according to the Auditor of State Unresolved Findings for Recovery Certified Search.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$469,953.75 is available within the Department of Public Utilities Director’s Office for this unbudgeted expense.
$190,897.53 has been spent year-to-date in 2025 (Raftelis & Squire)
$151,913.37 was spent in 2024 (Raftelis)
$268,240.00 was spent in 2023 (Raftelis)
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION:
This ordinance is being submitted as an emergency to provide uninterrupted legal and professional services for DPU’s organizational and strategic planning review.
Title
To authorize the City Attorney, on behalf of the Director of the Department of Public Utilities, to enter into a contract for special legal counsel and professional services with Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP; to authorize the expenditure of $469,953.75 split among the Electricity, Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Stormwater Operating Funds; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code; and to declare an emergency. ($469,953.75)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities had a need for professional consulting services to supplement its operational review and strategic planning project and solicited bids through RFQ023079; and
WHEREAS, for that project, six (6) proposals were submitted and were opened on November 4, 2022 in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes, and Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. was selected based upon the City’s request for proposal evaluation process; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities contracted with Raftelis Financial Consultants, Inc. for professional consulting services to supplement its operational review and strategic planning project in Ordinance 3470-2022 and modified and extended those services in Ordinances 1479-2023, 0136-2024, and entered into a subsequent agreement pursuant to Ordinance 1989-2025; and
WHEREAS, Raftelis utilized a subcontractor, Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, for special legal counsel services related to operational review and strategic planning under that contract; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities has identified a need for special legal counsel services related to this project and, due to the need to assure continuity with Squire Patton Boggs, the City Attorney believes it is in the best interest of the City to waive competitive bidding provisions; and
WHEREAS, Raftelis will subcontract on this contract in this final stage; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Attorney, on behalf of the Director of Public Utilities, to enter into a contract with Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP., for special legal counsel and professional services, without delay, for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Attorney, on behalf of the Director of Public Utilities, is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, 2000 Huntington Center, 41 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 for special legal counsel and professional services. The iterm will be from date of execution through project completion.
SECTION 2. That this Council finds it in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes to enter into the contract with Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $469,953.75 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from object class 03, Services, split among the Electricity, Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Stormwater Operating Funds, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated 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. That 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 its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.