Explanation
1. Need: This legislation is required of the City to execute a Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) agreement with the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) and Metro Parks. The WRRSP project, identified in Section 1 as the Metro Parks Morgan Headwaters Wetlands Conservation 2010 Project, WRRSP No. WR391490-0008, was designated by the Department of Public Utilities for sponsorship through a WRRSP Sponsorship Letter of Intent, dated June 10, 2010 for funding approval for Program Year 2010 through the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Program. Two designated Sewerage and Drainage Division Projects, identified in Section 2., will serve as sponsoring projects for the Metro Parks' WRRSP project. The Morgan Headwaters Wetlands project is listed on the Ohio EPA 2010 WRRSP Project Priority List as an Intended Project for funding. The two sponsoring Sewerage and Drainage Division Projects are also listed on the Intended Projects List for Ohio EPA funding through the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF).
2. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: In order to obtain OWDA board approval of the WRRSP sponsoring project WPCLF loan agreement , a certified copy of this authorizing legislation must be submitted to the Ohio EPA and OWDA as a part of the loan application and prior to the OWDA board meeting on December 9, 2010. The earliest effective date of this ordinance insures compliance with the Ohio EPA WPCLF loan program requirements and thereby expediting the construction initiation of bothe the City's sponsoring project and the WRRSP project.
3. FISCAL IMPACT: The City will save money by receiving a 0.1 percent interest rate discount for the two Division of Sewerage and Drainage sponsoring project loans.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to execute a Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) agreement with Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority; and to designate two Division of Sewerage and Drainage projects as the sponsoring projects; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, on June 10, 2007 the Director of Public Utilities submitted a Sponsorship Letter of Intent to the Ohio EPA Division of Environmental and Financial Assistance expressing the City's intent to sponsor a Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) project for Program Year 2010 funding, and thereby designated two Division of Sewerage and Drainage projects as the WRRSP sponsoring projects; and
WHEREAS, the City, as a WRRSP sponsor, will save money by receiving a 0.1 percent interest rate discount on each WPCLF sponsoring loan which will reduce its total loan repayments below that which would be required without the WRRSP sponsoring; and
WHEREAS, this legislation must be approved by City Council and a certified copy must be submitted to the OWDA prior to the December 9, 2010 OWDA board meeting as part of the loan application and loan agreement approval process, so as to expedite the construction initiation of both the WRRSP project and the City's Sewerage and Drainage project, therefore an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Sewerage and Drainage, Department of Public Utilities, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to execute a Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Agreement including the Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program Agreement with Metro Parks, Ohio EPA and OWDA for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, property, and safety; Now Therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of Public Utilities be, and hereby is, authorized to execute a Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program agreement with the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority, for the following project:
Metro Parks, Morgan Headwaters Wetlands Conservation 2010, WRRSP No. WR391490-0008, $2,458,000.
Section 2. That the Director of Public Utilities be, and hereby is, authorized to designate the following Division of Sewerage and Drainage projects as the sponsoring projects for the WRRSP project as herein described in Section 1 of this ordinance. The WRRSP sponsoring projects are as follows:
1. CSO Regulators-Sluice Gate Modifications, CIP No. 650737, WPCLF No. CS390274-0129
2. OSIS Downtown Area Odor Control Facilities, CIP No. 650691.2, WPCLF No. CS390274-0137
Section 3. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is 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.