Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency (FCEMHS) for the purchase and installation of new electronic/radio-tone activated sirens and the replacement of sirens that are no longer serviceable or require extensive repairs. Under State of Ohio law, FCEMHS is the agency that has the responsibility to coordinate, operate and maintain the outdoor warning siren system within Franklin County. FCEMHS competitively bid their contracts with the assistance of the Franklin County Purchasing Department and complied with all basic laws pertaining to government contracting pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code, adjudicated case law, and Attorney General opinions concerning public contracts and competitive bidding. By entering into this agreement with FCEMHS, the City of Columbus will improve its portion of the outdoor warning siren system.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is needed to expedite making the funds available to combine with purchases from other jurisdictions to obtain quantity discounts.
Bid Information: N/A.
Contract Compliance No: N/A
Fiscal Impact: This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Safety to enter into agreement with Franklin County for the purchase and installation of outdoor warning sirens. Funds are available in Public Safety's Capital Improvement Budget for this project. City Council Passed ordinance 0962-2007 in July of 2007, ordinance 1541-2008 in October of 2008 and ordinance 0153-2011 in February of 2011 for the total purchase of thirty-one new and replacement sirens. Altogether, Columbus has seventy-five sirens throughout the corporation limits.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency for the purchase and installation of the City of Columbus' portion of the outdoor warning siren system, to authorize the expenditure of $120,000.00 from the Voted Public Safety Bond Fund, and to declare an emergency. ($120,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the FCEMHS agency is responsible for managing the outdoor warning siren system within Franklin County not only by coordinating siren locations but also for their maintenance, relocation, replacement and activation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus intends to continue to improve its portion of the Emergency Management Agency outdoor warning siren system; and
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency has entered into contracts for the necessary sirens, controls, installation and testing needed for improving the City of Columbus' portion of the outdoor warning siren system; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency for the aforementioned purpose for the preservation of 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 Director of Public Safety be and is hereby authorized and directed to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security for the purchase and installation of new electronic/radio-tone activated sirens and the removal from service of certain designated ones.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $120,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary for said purpose, is hereby authorized from the Public Safety Bond fund as follows:
Division Fund. OCA Code Object Level 3 Project Name Project No. Amount
30 - 01 701 644518 6644 Sirens 310106-100000 $120,000
SECTION 3. 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 4. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is 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.