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 $1,000,000.00 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 program development effort. A companion ordinance engaging the services of a vendor for asset inventory will be presented to City Council for passage separately from this ordinance.
This ordinance authorizes the Public Service Director to enter into contract with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) to develop an approach to categorize and prioritize corridors for sidewalk and roadway improvements identified through the Operation SAFEWALKS program.
The object of the efforts covered under this ordinance is to develop an overall approach and policy to categorize and prioritize corridors for improvements. Several recent study efforts conducted by MORPC either on behalf of the City or as projects initiated by MORPC will serve as the foundation for policy and program development for Operation SAFEWALKS. The City will be best served by continuing to utilize MORPC as the means to investigate, analyze and recommend policy and program parameters.
MORPC will be tasked to benchmark similar programs in other communities. The cities of Portland and Seattle, for instance, will be queried for their progressive policies and programs pertaining to sidewalk construction and assessments. The results will be summarized and presented to the city of Columbus for consideration and selection of a preferred framework for policy and programming. MORPC will be tasked to conduct public input sessions, such as through an open house format and the employment of a stakeholder committee.
MORPC will utilize recent studies to craft an overall sidewalk implementation policy and program under Operation SAFEWALKS. Those studies include the Pedestrian Thoroughfare Plan, and the Walkable Streets study, both conducted on behalf of the city of Columbus. MORPC will also coordinate with the City's current Capital Improvement Program for all departments with projects adjacent to or within roadway right-of-way. MORPC will provide a software tool deliverable, which will be based on the City's GIS platform, use City GIS data, and which will be used to coordinate various departments' capital improvement programs.
In summary, MORPC will provide the following deliverables:
· Benchmark report of sidewalk programs and policies from a mix of regional cities and progressive cities. A total of 10 cities will be benchmarked.
· Report on current city of Columbus policies and programs pertaining to sidewalk construction.
· Detailed recommendations for policy and program changes based on comparison of current Columbus policies and programs against benchmarks from other communities.
· GIS tool for use by various city agencies to coordinate CIP projects.
· Recommended priorities and programming criteria for future projects.
· Project cost estimates for recommended projects.
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, in its role as an intergovernmental clearinghouse and promoter of regional multi-modal travel, is uniquely qualified to provide the services associated with this contract. Accordingly, these contracts are being awarded under the sole-source provisions of City Code Section 329.07(e). MORPC's contract compliance number is 31-1009675 and does not expire.
Fiscal Impact: Funds for this contract ($250,000) are budgeted and available in the 1995, 1999, 2004 Voted Street and Highway Fund in the amount of $200,000.00 and the Streets and Highway Improvement Fund in the amount of $50,000.00 for the Transportation Division.
Emergency action is requested to facilitate the execution of this contract in order to make possible the design and construction of sidewalk projects in the near future.
Title
To authorize the Public Service Director to enter into contract with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to undertake policy and program development associated with Operation SAFEWALKS for the Transportation Division in accordance with the sole source procurement provisions of the Columbus City Codes, 1959; to authorize the expenditure of $250,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary from the Voted 1995, 1999, 2004 Streets and Highways Fund and the Streets and Highway Improvement Fund for the Transportation Division; and to declare an emergency. ($250,000.00).
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus has initiated the Operation SAFEWALKS program to provide safe pedestrian routes along major arterial roadways; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Transportation Division and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) have identified the need to engage in policy and program development to guide implementation of the Operation SAFEWALKS program; and
WHEREAS, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission is uniquely qualified to perform this work based on recent research and studies pertaining to pedestrian safety, pedestrian thoroughfares and pedestrian levels of service in central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, funding for this purpose exists in the Voted 1995, 1999, 2004 Streets and Highways Fund for the Transportation Division; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Public Service Director to enter into contract with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to undertake this effort, 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 the Public Service Director be and hereby is authorized to enter into contract with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, 285 East Main Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 to develop an approach to categorize and prioritize corridors for sidewalk and roadway improvements identified through the Operation SAFEWALKS program in the amount not to exceed $250,000.00.
SECTION 2. That the monies appropriated shall be paid upon order of the Public Service Director and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 3. That this contract is awarded consistent with the provisions of Section 329.07(e) of the Columbus City Code, 1959.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of $250,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary be and hereby is authorized for the Transportation Division, Dept.-Div. 59-09 to pay the cost of said project the amount not to exceed $250,000.00.
Fund / Fund Name / OCA / O.L 01/03 Codes / Project / Project Name / Amount
704 / 1995,1999,2004 Voted Streets and Highways Fund / 644385 / 06/6682 / 590105 / Pedestrian Safety / $200,000.00
766 / Streets and Highway Improvement Fund / 642728 / 06/6682 / 530161 / Roadway Improvements / $50,000.00
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.