Explanation
Background: The City of Columbus, in cooperation with the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, is engaged in the widening and improvement of Hard Road from Sawmill Road to State Route 315. The City is currently preparing for construction of the second phase of this three-phase project. This phase, Phase C, running from Linworth Road to State Route 315, will widen certain sections of Hard Road from two lanes to five lanes, constructed raised traffic medians, provide street lighting, and construct various other improvements. Ordinance 1051-2004, July 19, 2004was passed by City Council to provide additional funding and to authorize the City Attorney to contract for professional services, including the hiring of independent appraisers, necessary for the acquisition of the remaining parcels. Right-of-way acquisition is to be completed by Fall of 2005, and therefore for this project it is in the best interest of the City to hire more than one appraiser whose past performance with the City has displayed a high level of competence, an excellent quality of work and a consistent success in meeting similar narrow deadlines And who are ODOT's list of qualified appraisers and are available to do the work during the months of September and October. Appraisers in the Columbus area on ODOT's qualified list were contacted and of those contacted; four appraisers indicated they meet the time frames required for the project. For three of the appraisers the total cost of appraising the parcels assigned exceeds $20,000.00, but does not exceed $50,000.00. Three independent appraisers have submitted qualifications and time frame proposals that meet the aforementioned criteria. It is therefore necessary, to the extent it may be applicable, to request that City Council waive the process for awarding professional service contracts exceeding twenty thousand dollars, but not exceeding fifty thousand dollars, as relates to this transaction only.
Fiscal Impact: Funds necessary for these aforementioned services will be paid from the existing Auditor's Certificate established by Ordinance 1051-2004, passed on July 19, 2004.
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested to allow the City to enter into the subject contracts without delay, thereby allowing the City to meet the acquisition schedule for this project.
Title
To authorize the City Attorney to execute those documents necessary to enter into agreements, severally, with individual appraisers Henry Halas, Edwin Merrell, and Brian Barnes for professional services necessary to the Hard Road Phase C Improvement Project, and to the extent it may be applicable, to waive the process for awarding professional service contracts exceeding twenty thousand dollars, but not exceeding fifty thousand dollars, as relates to this transaction only and to declare an emergency. (City Code 329.11).
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Columbus, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Transportation ("ODOT") and the Federal Highway Administration, is engaged in the widening and improvement of Hard Road from Sawmill Road to State Route 315; and
WHEREAS, the City is currently preparing for construction of the second phase of this three-phase project, which will widen certain sections of Hard Road from two lanes to five lanes, constructed raised traffic medians, provide street lighting, and construct various other improvements; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 1051-2004, was passed on July, 19, 2004 by City Council to provide additional funding and to authorize the City Attorney to contract for professional services, including the hiring of independent appraisers, necessary for the acquisition of the remaining parcels; and
WHEREAS, right-of-way acquisition is to be completed by Fall of 2005, and therefore it is in the best interest of the City to hire more than one appraiser whose past performance with the City has displayed a high level of competence, an excellent quality of work, a consistent success in meeting similar narrow deadlines to work on this project, and because of Ohio Department of Transportation funding, are on ODOT's list of qualified appraisers; and
WHEREAS, after contacting appraisers in the Columbus area on the Ohio Department of Transportation's list, three independent appraisers have submitted qualifications and time frame proposals that meet the aforementioned criteria; and
WHEREAS, each of the contracts for these services is expected to cost over twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00), but not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00); and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City of Columbus, in that it is immediately necessary that City Council waive all provisions as set forth in the Columbus City Code (329.11) relative to the process for awarding professional service contracts exceeding twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00), but not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), as relates to this transaction only, to allow the City Attorney enter into an agreement, severally, between the City of Columbus, and individual appraisers Henry Halas, Edwin Merrell, and Brian Barnes, for appraisal services necessary to the Hard Road Phase C Improvement Project for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the City Attorney be, and hereby is, authorized to execute those documents necessary to enter into agreements, severally, with individual appraisers Henry Halas, Edwin Merrell, and Brian Barnes for professional services necessary to the Hard Road Phase C Improvement Project.
Section 2. That this Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive and does hereby waive all provisions as set forth in the Columbus City Code (329.11) relative to the process for awarding professional service contracts to Henry Halas, Edwin Merrell, and Brian Barnes exceeding twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00), but not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00), as relates to this transaction only.
Section 3. That for the reasons state 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 its passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.