Explanation
1. BACKGROUND:
This ordinance authorizes the City Auditor to modify a professional services and software licensing contract with Fast of Colorado, L.P. (FAST LP) for Tax Revenue system user experience improvements.
Ordinance 0795-2025 authorized the City Auditor to renew and extend the contract through May 31, 2026 with Fast of Colorado, L.P. (FAST LP) for the licensing, maintenance, support, and services necessary for the management of the GENTAX system. The Auditor’s Office utilizes this system to administer and collect the taxes processed by the Division of Income Tax. This includes the public facing Columbus Revenue Information Services Portal (CRISP) that provides for the online filing and payment of taxes by employers, corporations, individuals, short-term rental, and hotel/motel operators.
After the most recent tax filing season, the City Auditor solicited feedback and identified where customers had the most challenges with using CRISP. To address the top issues and to increase protection against account takeover attacks, new programming and features are needed. This modification appends new features that improve the signup process, adds new capabilities for secure Pass Key logon, and provides other complementary enhancements designed to simplify and expand the overall user experience. These system enhancements are intended to spur engagement and increase adoption of the online features by refining the way users interact with CRISP.
This ordinance authorizes the City Auditor to modify the original contract in order to add funds to pay for the additional professional services for the Office of the City Auditor, Income Tax Division in the amount of $100,000.00 for making user experience improvements to the CRISP website and the GENTAX platform.
1.1 Amount of additional funds to be expended: $100,000.00
|
The 2025 contract renewal amount |
$ 2,762,753.00 |
|
Amount of this modification |
$ 100,000.00 |
|
Total Contract amount including this modification |
$ 2,862,753.00 |
1.2 Reasons additional goods/services could not be foreseen:
This modification is necessary to provide additional funding to enhance the user experience when interacting with the CRISP.columbus.gov website operated by the Income Tax Division. The previous ordinance was submitted prior to the end of the individual taxpayer filing season, and time was needed to review and evaluate the most common questions, issues, and barriers taxpayers raised during this period. This modification will allow systems to proceed to improve customer interactions prior to the next peak filing season.
1.3 Reason other procurement processes are not used:
The City currently works with Fast of Colorado, L.P. (FAST LP) for the Tax Revenue system. This modification adds funds to improve CRISP for filing taxes and making payments online to the Income Tax Division. It is in the best interest of the City to modify this contract.
1.4 How cost of modification was determined:
The cost of this contract modification is based on the pricing as defined in the original proposal.
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
Fast of Colorado, L.P. (FAST LP), D365 Vendor Account #: 031630
Contract compliance #CC-031630, Expiration date: 6/18/2027
3. FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds of $100,000.00 are available and appropriated within the Auditor’s Bond Fund, Fund 7783.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to modify the contract with Fast of Colorado, L.P. (FAST LP) for enhancements to the Tax Revenue system and CRISP site; and to authorize the expenditure of $100,000.00 from the Auditor’s Bond Fund. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 0795-2025, authorized the Auditor’s Office to renew the contract with Fast of Colorado, L.P. (FAST LP) for the Tax Revenue system, professional services and software licensing; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City to modify the existing contract for additional system enhancements, improving security and the overall user experience and furthering customer adoption and engagement; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance modifies the contract to add $100,000.00 of additional funding for enhancements to the Tax Revenue GENTAX System and the CRISP website; and NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Auditor be, and hereby is, authorized to modify the contract with Fast of Colorado, L.P. (FAST LP) for the Tax Revenue system contract in an amount up to $100,000.00.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $100,000.00, 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. (See attachment: 1834-2025 ACPO)
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 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 5. 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 the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.