Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with Applied Research Associates, Inc. of New Mexico in the amount of up to $950,000.00 for the Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 project.
The intent of this project is to provide the City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, additional resources that are necessary to perform various professional engineering, survey, and technical expertise for the department to complete capital budget commitments and to implement the Pavement Management Services 2026 project, which includes providing the City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, a pavement management system as a network level planning tool for roadway maintenance activities that support the concepts of a pavement preservation program. This project will include performing the automated pavement condition survey of the City's roadway network using the ASTM standardized method (PCI) which will be used by the pavement management system; obtaining roadway network pavement types and dimensions, and obtaining images.
The Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 contract. The project was formally advertised on the Vendor Services and Bonfire web sites from April 8, 2026, to May 6, 2026. The City received seven (7) responses. All proposals were deemed responsive and were fully evaluated when the Evaluation Committee met on May 11, 2026. The responding firms were:
Company Name City/State Majority/MBE/WBE/VET/EBE/LGBTBE/SLBE
Michael Baker International, Inc. Columbus, OH MAJ
Quality Engineering Solutions, Inc., Wexford, PA TBD
Atlas technical Consultants, LLC Columbus, OH MAJ
Cultivate Geospatial Solutions, LLC Johnstown, OH MAJ
Pavement Management Group, LLC Heath, OH TBD
IMS Infrastructure Management Services Largo, FL TBD
Applied Research Associates, Inc. Columbus, OH TBD
of New Mexico
Applied Research Associates, Inc. of New Mexico received the highest score by the evaluation committee and will be awarded the Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 contract.
Searches in the Excluded Party List System (Federal) and the Findings for Recovery list (State) produced no findings against Applied Research Associates, Inc. of New Mexico
The certification of Applied Research Associates, Inc.of New Mexico is outstanding and will be updated before the contract is fully executed. All other associated subcontractor certifications were in good standing at the time the bid was awarded.
As part of their bid Applied Research Associates, Inc. has proposed the following 1 subcontractor to work on the project:
Company Name City/State Majority/ODI Certification
Polygon Solutions Columbus, OH MBE
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE INFORMATION
Applied Research Associates, Inc.of New Mexico, is outstanding and will be updated before the contract is fully executed.
3. FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this contract is available and appropriated within Fund 7704, the Streets and Highways Bond Fund. An amendment to the 2025 Capital Improvement Budget is required to establish sufficient budget authority for the project.
4. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested in order to complete the resulting Pavement Condition Survey by October, 2, 2026, prior to fall weather issues, and to ensure proper data collection and migration of data into the necessary data systems. The pavement condition data is critical to evaluating the performance of the road network and treatments being used as well as planning future work. Therefore, the Pavement Condition Survey needs to be started at the earliest possible point to ensure the work can be completed before fall weather occurs and the data migration can be completed in a timely manner, all in an effort to preserve the safety of the traveling public.
Title
To amend the 2025 Capital Improvement Budget; to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into contract with Applied Research Associates, Inc. of New Mexico for the Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 project; to authorize the expenditure of up to $950,000.00 from the Streets and Highways Bond Fund to pay for the contract; and to declare an emergency. ($950,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, there is a need to enter into a professional services contract to provide for additional resources that are necessary to perform various professional engineering, survey, and technical expertise for the department to implement the Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 project, which includes providing the City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, a pavement management system as a network level planning tool for roadway maintenance activities that support the concepts of a pavement preservation program; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 Project; and
WHEREAS, Applied Research Associates, Inc.of New Mexico submitted the best overall proposal for this project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to enter into a contract with Applied Research Associates, Inc. of New Mexico for the provision of professional engineering consulting services described above in the amount of up to $950,000.00; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize an amendment to the 2025 Capital Improvement Budget for the purpose of providing sufficient spending authority for the aforementioned project expenditure; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Service in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into contract with Applied Research Associates, Inc. to complete the resulting Pavement Condition Survey by October, 2, 2026, prior to fall weather issues, and to ensure proper data collection and migration of data into the necessary data systems. The pavement condition data is critical to evaluating the performance of the road network and treatments being used as well as planning future work. Therefore, the Pavement Condition Survey needs to be started at the earliest possible point to ensure the work can be completed before fall weather occurs and the data migration can be completed in a timely manner, all 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 2025 Capital Improvements Budget authorized by ordinance 1790-2025 be amended as follows to establish sufficient authority for this project:
Fund / Project / Project Name / C.I.B. / Change / C.I.B. as Amended
7704 / P530282 - 100051 / Resurfacing - Resurfacing Projects (Voted Carryover) / $3,829,552.00 / ($950,000.00) / $2,879,552.00
7704 / P530282 - 962026 / Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 (Voted Carryover) / $0.00 / $950,000.00 / $950,000.00
SECTION 2. That the Director of Public Service be and is hereby authorized to enter into a professional services contract with Applied Research Associates, Inc. of New Mexico at 1330 Kinnear Road, Suite 200, Columbus, OH 43212, for the Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026 project in the amount of up to $950,00.00.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $950,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7704 (Streets and Highways Bond Fund), Dept-Div 5911 (Infrastructure Management), P530282-962026 (Resurfacing - Pavement Management Services 2026), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers 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. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 7. 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.