Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This ordinance authorizes expenditures of $300,000.00 from the Auditor Bond fund for technical and development work to the Azure and Power platform and expanded licensing, processing and storage costs for related Microsoft products. It also authorizes $48,000.00 from the General fund for ongoing maintenance support, and operational needs for the Auditor’s Office Transparency Portal.
Ordinance No. 1352-2022, passed by Columbus City Council on May 23, 2022, authorized the contract with OnActuate for professional technical and consulting services for Azure and Power platform development. The contract contains the option to renew annually, subject to approval and appropriation of Columbus City Council. Costs were established and defined for the ongoing maintenance and support of the Transparency Portal as well as expanding and enhancing the use of Azure and power platforms. It also allowed the purchase of licenses from existing Microsoft Enterprise Agreements through Dell.
This legislation authorizes the City Auditor to renew its contract with OnActuate Consulting for professional services in the amount of $273,000.00 and modify existing contracts with Microsoft Corporation and Dell Marketing LP to expand its Azure and Power platform licensing, storage, and related services to accommodate expanded functionality in the amount of $75,000.00.
The services under the initial contract created the Auditor’s Transparency portal. Common public records requests for expenses, revenue, payment information, and other city financial information can be viewed and downloaded directly from the site. There is a need to keep the site technologically current with software updates and to maintain functionality through a maintenance and support services agreement with OnActuate.
Additionally, the City Auditor’s Office desires to leverage the Azure and Power platform to further automate processes and provide more transparency functionality with new data visualizations, to create new dataverse elements for displaying from other financial system sources, and to improve and update end user interactions with its websites.
Microsoft is the software manufacturer of D365 and the Azure platform used by the City for its financial and operations. Agreements for the infrastructure items are to be acquired through existing Enterprise Agreements. Dell Marketing, LP; is the current State of Ohio Microsoft Enterprise Agreement and City of Columbus provider for Microsoft licensing. Additional licensing, storage, and services related to expanding and enhancing the use of the Azure and power platforms are to be procured through these previously established EA agreements.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance utilizes existing appropriation in the Auditor’s Bond fund for project work as follows:
$75,000.00 Azure storage, Database, Data factory, Microsoft Licensing
$225,000.00 Services to expand and enhance Azure Data Lake, power platform, data visualizations, transparency portal, infrastructure development, and intellectual property ownership. Additional development including: report writing, process automations, data exchanges, existing interface rework after data lake is established.
$300,000.00 Total from Auditor’s Bond Fund
$48,000.00 from the General Fund for maintenance, support and operational services
Total fiscal impact from both operating and capital funds is $348,000.00
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE:
OnActuate Consulting US Inc., CC#CC048102, expires 7/3/2026, D365# 048102
Principal place of business: 10900 NE 4th St, Bellevue, WA
Dell Marketing LP, CC#010030, expires 10/12/2025, D365#010030
Principal place of business: 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas
Title
To authorize the expenditure of up to $300,000.00 from the Auditor Bond Fund; to authorize the expenditure of up to $48,000.00 from the General Fund; to authorize the City Auditor to renew a contract with OnActuate Consulting US Inc; and to authorize agreement modifications for Microsoft Corporation and Dell Marketing LP for expanded licensing, processing, and storage costs. ($348,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City Auditor’s Office seeks to renew its contract with OnActuate Consulting for continued support and development of D365 and the Transparency Portal and to modify existing agreements with Dell Marketing LP for expanded Microsoft Azure and Power platform licensing and services; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 1352-2022 authorized the city to engage OnActuate for technical consulting services and Dell Marketing LP for Microsoft Azure and Power Platform licensing and related services, and included provisions for annual renewal subject to Council approval and appropriation; and
WHEREAS, the initial contract with OnActuate resulted in the successful launch of the Auditor’s Transparency Portal, which provides access to common public record requests such as expenses, revenues, and payments in an accessible, downloadable format; and
WHEREAS, additional licensing and storage through Dell, under the State of Ohio’s Microsoft Enterprise Agreement, is necessary to support expanded use of Azure, Power platform and extend data sharing and visualization capabilities of D365; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Auditor be and is hereby authorized to renew its contract with OnActuate Consulting US, Inc and to modify the existing contract for Microsoft licensing and services through Dell Marketing LP for professional services, licensing, and other services to upgrade platform assets related to D365 and financial systems supported in Azure.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $300,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed is hereby authorized from fund 7783 (Auditor Bond Fund) Dept./Div. No. 22-01, Object Class 06, Main account 66530, Project P783002-100002 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $48,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed is hereby authorized from fund 1000 (General Fund) Dept./Div. No. 22-01, Object Class 03, Main account 63040, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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 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 when said project has been completed and the monies are no longer needed.
SECTION 7. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.