Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into professional services contract with Canvaas Consulting, LLC in the amount of up to $850,000.00 for the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education Project.
The intent of this project is to provide the City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, additional resources for the development of an action plan that includes specific action items focused on increasing awareness of Vision Zero principles and traffic-safety laws, such as the Vision Zero Ambassador Program, installation of Vision Zero safety messaging throughout the city and paid media strategies. All strategies are to be executed with cultural humility, equitably, and with focus on topics that contribute the most to serious injuries and fatal crashes. Content could be produced in English, Haitian Creole, French, Portuguese, Nepali, and Spanish. The project will include the development of a comprehensive marketing and communications plan and three major components: research, marketing, and community-engagement. The cultural shift necessary to achieve Vision Zero will require an equitable, multilingual approach that brings awareness of traffic violence prevention to our entire Columbus community.
Ordinance 1918-2023 authorized the Director of Public Service, on behalf of the City of Columbus, to submit applications to and execute grant agreements with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) relative to the Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program, accept and expend awarded grant funds, and issue refunds, if necessary, for the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education Project.
Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education contract. The project was formally advertised on the Vendor Services web site from August 14, 2024 to September 11, 2024. The city received six (6) responses. All proposals were deemed responsive and were fully evaluated by the Evaluation Committee on September 19, 2024. The top two (2) highest scoring consultants were asked to participate in an interview and Q&A session with the evaluation committee. The interview and Q&A sessions were completed on September 30, 2024 and October 1, 2024, with the evaluation committee making a final recommendation on October 1, 2024.
The responding firms were:
Company Name City/State Majority/MBE/WBE/VET/EBE/LGBTBE/SLBE
Canvaas Consulting, LLC Columbus, OH MBE
Hunter Marketing Columbus, OH WBE
The Saunders Company Columbus, OH MBE
Sky Nile Consulting Columbus, OH MBE
F. Guerra DeBerry, LLC San Antonio, TX MAJ
Prime AE Group Columbus, OH MAJ
Canvaas Consulting, LLC received the highest score by the evaluation committee and will be awarded the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education contract.
Searches in the Excluded Party List System (Federal) and the Findings for Recovery list (State) produced no findings against Canvas Consulting, LLC.
The certification of Canvaas Consulting, LLC and all associated subcontractors was in good standing at the time the bid was awarded.
As part of their bid Canvaas Consulting, LLC has proposed the following 4 subcontractors to work on the project:
|
Company Name |
City/State |
Majority/ODI Certification |
|
Paraclete Planning LLC |
Pickerington, Ohio |
MAJ |
|
8:28 Insights |
Columbus, Ohio |
MAJ |
|
New Reach Consulting LLC Canal Winchester, Ohio |
MBE |
|
|
The Collective Genius LLC |
Lewis Center, OH |
EBE |
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
Canvaas Consulting, LLC ‘s contract compliance number is CC031214 and expires 11/29/2025.
3. FISCAL IMPACT
A portion of this project is a reimbursable budgeted expense of $258,750.00 within the Federal Transportation Grant Fund, Fund 7765, Grant #G592407 (SS4A FY23 Demonstration Projects). Funds need to be appropriated.
The remaining balance of $591,250.00 is available within Fund 7766, the Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund. An amendment to the 2024 Capital Improvement Budget and a transfer of cash is necessary to align spending with the proper project. Funds need to be appropriated.
4. MINORITY AND WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE & SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM
This contract was bid with a City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program goal of 25% as assigned by the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). Failure by the contractor to meet this goal subjects the contractor to the Penalties for Non-Compliance as described in the “City’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise & Small Local Business Enterprise Program Manual” and in the “City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program Special Provision” that were part of the bid documents for this contract.
5. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested in order to complete needed improvements at the earliest possible time and meet the requirements of the close out date for the Safe Streets for All Program funding award to avoid penalty and to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
Title
To amend the 2024 Capital Improvement Budget; to authorize the transfer of funds within the Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund; to appropriate funds within the Federal Transportation Grants Fund and the Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund; to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with Canvaas Consulting, LLC for the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education Project; to authorize the expenditure of up to $850,000.00 from the Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund and the Federal Transportation Grants Fund for the project; to repay any unused grant funds at the end of the grant period; and to declare an emergency. ($850,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, there is a need to enter into a professional services contract to provide for the development of a comprehensive marketing and communications plan and three major components: research, marketing, and community-engagement. The cultural shift necessary to achieve Vision Zero will require an equitable, multilingual approach that brings awareness of traffic violence prevention to our entire Columbus community; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education project; and
WHEREAS, Canvaas Consulting, LLC submitted the best overall proposal for this project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to enter into a contract with Canvaas Consulting, LLC for the provision of professional engineering consulting services described above in the amount of up to $850,000.00; and
WHEREAS, Federal Transportation grant funds will be used to pay for a portion of this project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize an amendment to the 2024 Capital Improvement Budget for the purpose of providing sufficient spending authority for the aforementioned project expenditure; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for Council to authorize a transfer of funds within Fund 7766, the Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund, to establish sufficient cash to pay for the project; and
WHEREAS, funds must be appropriated within the Federal Transportation Grants Fund and the Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund; and
WHEREAS, this contract was bid with a City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program goal of 25% as assigned by the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI); and
WHEREAS, failure by the contractor to meet this goal subjects the contractor to the Penalties for Non-Compliance; 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 of Public Service to enter into contract with Canvaas Consulting, LLC in order to provide funding for the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education project, to ensure the safety of the traveling public 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 2024 Capital Improvements Budget authorized by ordinance 1907-2024 be amended as follows to establish sufficient authority for this project:
Fund / Project / Project Name / C.I.B. / Change / C.I.B. as Amended
7766 / P766999 - 100000 / Unallocated Balance Fd. 766 (Street & Highway Imp Carryover) / $ 994,957.00 / ($591,250.00) / $403,707.00
7766 / P532000-100008 / Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education (Street & Highway Imp Carryover) / $0.00 / $5 91,250.00/ $591,250.00
SECTION 2. That the transfer of $591,250.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Fund 7766 (Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund), from Project P766999 - 100000 (Unallocated Balance Fd. 766), Object Class 99 (Intrafund Transfers) to Project P532000-100008 (Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education Project), Object Class 99 (Intrafund Transfers) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, the sum of $258,750.00 is appropriated in Fund 7765 (Federal Transportation Grant Fund), Dept-Div 5912 (Design and Construction), Project G592407 (SS4A FY23 Demonstration Projects), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, the sum of $591,250.00 is appropriated in Fund 7766 (Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund), Dept-Div 5913 (Traffic Management), Project P532000-100008 (Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education Project), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the Director of Public Service be, and hereby is, authorized to enter into a professional services contract with Canvaas Consulting, LLC at 2215 Citygate Drive, Suite E, Columbus, Ohio 43219, for the Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education project in an amount up to $850,000.00.
SECTION 6. That the expenditure of $ $591,250.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7766 (Street and Highway Non-Bond Fund), Dept-Div 5913 (Traffic Management), Project P532000-100008 (Vision Zero - Multilingual Outreach, Research and Education Project), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That the expenditure of $258,750.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7765 (Federal Transportation Grant Fund), Dept-Div 5912 (Traffic Management), Project G592407 (SS4A FY23 Demonstration Projects), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 8. 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 9. 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 10. 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 11. At the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 12. 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.