Explanation
Earlier this year, Mayor Michael B. Coleman announced a new program, which will provide safe pedestrian routes along major arterial roadways through the investment in new roadway infrastructure, including sidewalks, within older areas of the city of Columbus, such as the 1958 corporate boundary. The program signals a more meaningful cooperation between Public Utilities and Public Service in how they manage their capital improvement programs to advance pedestrian safety. City Council approved $1,000,000 in funding for Operation SAFEWALKS in its 2007 Capital Improvement Budget, Ordinance 0733-2007, which was passed by City Council on June 11, 2007.
Issues to be addressed by a project under Operation SAFEWALKS include:
· Provide safe pedestrian routes along older arterial roadways;
· Install storm sewers, curbs and gutters along roadways where flooding occurs;
· Resolve roadway and adjacent property flooding;
· Replace old roadway pavement.
The program will be implemented in a two-pronged approach through an asset inventory effort and a policy and program development effort. This ordinance addresses the asset inventory effort. A companion ordinance engaging the services of Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) for policy development will be presented to City Council for passage separately from this ordinance.
To develop policy, and for programming future projects under the Operation SAFEWALKS program, the condition and presence of roadway assets such as sidewalks, ditches, pavement, and ROW width must be inventoried. To achieve this objective, the Transportation Division requires the services of a vendor to perform the inventory task, as present resources within the Division to conduct this inventory effort do not exist. The Transportation Division already has in contract for asset management inventory under the resurfacing program Infrastructure Management Systems, Inc. ("IMS"), a company based in Chicago. It is expected the inventory effort will be completed by the end of 2007. The starting point for the asset inventory will be arterial and collector streets within the 1958 annexation boundaries of the City. Those streets serving as access routes to schools and parks will be top priority in this effort. Information will be collected and placed into the City's GIS layers for use in scoping and prioritizing future construction projects.
To best accomplish the asset inventory effort, it is most practical and least costly for the City to extend the current contract with Infrastructure Management Systems, Inc. ("IMS"). IMS was authorized under ordinance 0165-2007, passed February 26, 2007 for similar services. The firm is presently conducting asset inventory in the downtown area, along with conducting field data collection for rating the City's pavements. The City has received excellent performance from IMS over the years it has contracted for their services. The pavement management program for City roadways is based upon field data collected by IMS using state of the art video, laser and digital photographic techniques.
Several past related ordinances were passed by Council authorizing the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract with Infrastructure Management Services, Inc. (IMS) to provide data collection services, providing funding for updating the necessary pavement condition data. These ordinances and funding levels include:
Ordinance 2329-98, passed September 14, 1998, for $250,000 for pavement management services
Ordinance 2014-99, passed July 26, 1999, for $200,000 for pavement management services
Ordinance 0690-00, passed March 20, 2000, for $250,000 for pavement management services (modification to Ordinance 2014-99)
Ordinance 1402-01, passed July 30, 2001, for $50,000 for GIS related services
Ordinance 0165-2007, passed February 26, 2007, for $400,000 for pavement management services and "Paper Street" data collection and analysis ($50,000)
The contract approved under Ordinance 0165-2007 is for one year with yearly renewal options for the subsequent five years. There would be an option each year to perform the next phase of data collection, expanding or reducing data collection for various right-of-way assets as deemed appropriate by the Public Service Department. It is the Division's intention to return to Council for funding approval each year as part of this contract. The Division has a six-year plan for collecting data in stages for input into the database. This will provide more current data to help us better evaluate our resurfacing and Public Works programs, along with providing the necessary requirements for OPWC.
IMS is a sole source vendor in that the asset management database utilized by the Division is proprietary. The information contained within the database can only be duplicated by IMS, and the equipment they own and operate to collect the data is highly specialized and serves to populate only this database. It would be uneconomical for the City to consider purchasing this type of equipment and collecting data necessary for input into the system. IMS's Contract Compliance No. is 20-0843083, expires 1/29/09.
Fiscal Impact: The Asset Management Database project is in need of $500,000.00 in funding. The project is budgeted in the Transportation Division 2007 Capital Improvements Budget and available within the Voted 1995, 1999, 2004 Streets and Highways Fund.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract with Infrastructure Management Services, Inc., to provide data collection services for the Asset Management Database in accordance with the sole source procurement provisions of the Columbus City Codes, 1959; to authorize the expenditure of $500,000.00 from the Voted 1995, 1999, 2004 Streets and Highways Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($500,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Transportation Division is responsible for maintaining the City's roadways and certain right-of-way assets to include sidewalks; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to conduct data collection and maintenance of an asset management database to develop policy and program future capital improvement projects for the Operation SAFEWALKS program; and
WHEREAS, the provision exists through prior legislation to continue the relationship with Infrastructure Management Services, Inc., and both parties agree to the work proposed; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Service, Transportation Division, in that the contract should be approved immediately so the work may proceed without delay, thereby preserving the public health, peace, and safety; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Service be and is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with Infrastructure Management Services, Inc., 1895 Rohlwing Road, Suite D, Rolling Meadows, Illinois 60008, in the amount of $500,000.00 to provide data collection services for the Operation SAFEWALKS program for the Transportation Division.
SECTION 2. That this Council finds to be in the best interests of the City of Columbus that this contract be awarded per the sole source provisions of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, Chapter 329.07(e) with respect to the services provided by IMS.
SECTION 3. That for purpose of paying the costs of the contract, $500,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be expended from the Voted 1995, 1999, 2004 Streets and Highways Fund, Fund 704, Transportation Division; Div. No. 59-09, OCA code 644385, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6682, Project 530282 (Resurfacing).
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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.