Explanation
BACKGROUND: The City is required to conduct Environmental Review Record of all federally funded projects to determine whether it meets federal, state, and local environmental standards. CAP-STONE & Associates, Inc. (dba and referred to throughout as Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc.) has been assisting the Department of Finance and Management in preparing Environmental Review Records for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funded projects.
The Department of Finance and Management utilized a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to identify and assess qualified firms for providing environmental review services. Proposals were submitted in response RFQ015377 in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code pertaining to professional services contracts, through which process Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. received the highest overall score. RFQ015377 also stated that the proposal may be renewed annually for a period of up to five (5) years.
Ordinance 2994-2023 authorized the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a professional services contract with Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. (PO432141, PO432147, PO432149) for consultation services in the amount of $110,000.00 for the period of January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. Ordinance 3105-2024 extended the time period of the contract through December 31, 2025 and increased the budget by $30,000.00 using HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds, for a total project cost of $140,000.00.
This ordinance is needed to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to modify the aforementioned contract to again increase the budget by $20,000.00 due to unforeseen increases in the cost of completing HUD project environmental reviews and the required testing for contamination and toxic substances, using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, for a total project cost of $160,000.00.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance will authorize the expenditure of $20,000.00 from the Community Development Fund (Fund 2248).
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: An emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to increase the budget for this contract so that Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. will have the ability to continue assisting the Department of Finance and Management with preparing environmental review records and avoid disruption in providing such services, to comply with federal requirements, and for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to modify the professional services contract with Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. to increase the budget by $20,000.00; to authorize the appropriation and expenditure of $20,000.00 from the Community Development Fund 2248; and to declare an emergency. ($20,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is an entitlement community and a Participating Jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the City is a current recipient of various HUD Community Planning Division (CPD) grant funds; and
WHEREAS, an environmental review is the process of reviewing a project and its potential environmental impacts to determine whether it meets federal, state, and local environmental standards; and
WHEREAS, the environmental review process is required for all HUD-assisted projects to ensure that the proposed project does not negatively impact the surrounding environment and that the property site itself will not have an adverse environmental or health effect on end users; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Finance and Management utilized a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to identify and assess qualified firms for providing environmental review services; and
WHEREAS, proposals were submitted in response RFQ015377 in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code pertaining to professional services contracts, through which process Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. received the highest overall score;
WHEREAS, RFQ015377 stated that the proposal may be renewed annually for a period of up to five (5) years; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 2994-2023 authorized the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a professional services contract with Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. (PO432141, PO432147, PO432149) for consultation services in the amount of $110,000.00 for the period of January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 3105-2024 extended the time period of the contract through December 31, 2025 and increased the budget by $30,000.00 using HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds, for a total project cost of $140,000.00; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to increase the budget for this contract due to unforeseen increases in the cost of completing HUD project environmental reviews and the required testing for contamination and toxic substances; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to increase the budget for this contract for a total project cost of $160,000.00 so that Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. will have the ability to continue assisting the Department of Finance and Management with preparing environmental review records and avoid disruption in providing such services, to comply with federal requirements, 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 Director of Finance and Management is hereby authorized to modify the Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. contract to increase the budget by $20,000.00 for a total budget of $160,000.00.
SECTION 2. That the appropriation and expenditure of $20,000.00 is authorized within the Community Development Fund 2248 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That 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 4. That this modification is in accordance with relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes.
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.