Explanation
BACKGROUND: The City of Columbus, Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in cooperation with Franklin County, the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, desires to begin right-of-way acquisition for the improvement and widening of approximately 1.8 miles of Roberts Road from Hilliard Rome Road to the west ramps of I-270. The purpose of this project is to upgrade the existing Roberts Road to an arterial road with two lanes in each direction, a center turn lane and additional turn lanes at International Street and Walcutt Road. Other improvements included as a part of this project are the installation of curb, gutter and sidewalk along the entire 1.8 miles.
FISCAL IMPACT: This is a City/County/State/Federal participation project with 80 percent of the total right-of-way and construction costs being paid out of Federal funds and 20 percent being paid by the City. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has accelerated funding for this project as a result of having reprioritized the use of its available Transportation Improvement program (TIP) resources. It behooves the City to take advance of this opportunity to leverage outside funding.
It is estimated that the City's portion of the right-of-way costs, including right-of-way acquisition for roadway purposes and utility relocation needs and the hiring of professional services will be approximately $800,000.00. Monies to pay for these fees are not currently budgeted but are available from funds recently cancelled or otherwise available from other projects within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund. This ordinance transfers monies between projects.
EMERGENCY action is requested to allow land acquisition and utility relocation activities to begin as soon as possible to preserve the current schedule.
Title
To authorize the transfer of $490,481.66 between projects within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund; to authorize the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for the Roberts Road Improvement project, to authorize the hiring of professional services related to the acquisition of the necessary property rights, to authorize the expenditure of $800,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed from the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund for right-of-way acquisition and related professional services expenses; to amend the 2002 Capital Improvements Budget and to declare an emergency. ($800,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in cooperation with Franklin County, the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, desires to begin right-of-way acquisition for the improvement of Roberts Road from Hillard Rome Road to the west ramps of I-270; and
WHEREAS, 80 percent of the total right-of-way and construction costs for this project will be paid from Federal funds and 20 percent will be paid by the City; and
WHEREAS, it is estimated that the City's portion of the right-of-way costs, including property acquisition for roadway and utility relocation needs, and the hiring of professional services will be approximately $800,000.00; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to transfer monies between projects; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Law, Real Estate Division, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the hiring of professional services and the expenditure of the City's portion of the right-of-way acquisition costs for the Roberts Road project so that the timing of this project will not be jeopardized, 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 transfer of monies between projects within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund be and hereby is authorized as follows:
TRANSFER FROM:
Project No. Project OCA Code Amount
530011 Bank One - Polaris Improvements 530011 176.98
530208 Federal-State Projects 644385 48,561.32
530058 Neighborhood Commercial Revitalization 644385 125,174.77
530086 Miscellaneous Intersection Improvements 644385 22,589.97
530103 Arterial Street Rehabilitation 644385 152,700.18
530104 Alley Rehabilitation 644385 17,407.74
530105 Brick Street Rehabilitation 644385 39,562.33
530210 Curb Replacement 644385 13,160.26
530282 Resurfacing 644385 71,147.79
530303 Columbus Housing Initiative 644385 .32
Total transfer from: $490,481.66
TRANSFER TO:
Project No. Project OCA Code Amount
530161 Roadway Improvements 644385 $490,481.66
Total transfer to: $490,481.66
SECTION 2. That the City Attorney be and is hereby authorized to acquire property and to contract for those professional services necessary to acquire fees simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for the Roberts Road Improvement project.
SECTION 3. That the City Attorney be and is hereby authorized to expend those funds necessary to pay those costs related to the acquisition of right-of-way required for the Roberts Road project.
SECTION 4. That for the purpose of paying for said costs, the sum of $800,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be expended on behalf of the Public Service Department, Transportation Division from the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, Fund 704, as follows:
Department No: 59-09
Object Level Three Code: 06
Object Level One Code: 6601
OCA Code: 644385
Project: 530161
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.