Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) for the purposes of providing funding and continued support for the Central Ohio Green Pact for Fiscal Year 2011. MORPC receives funding from various sources including the City of Columbus, State of Ohio, counties and townships to provide legislative representation, training and educational forums, consulting services, and regional networking opportunities.
City funding, along with a $200,000.00 grant from the Ohio Water Development Authority will be used for program funding. Additional matching funds have been obtained from the United States Geological Service and Del-Co Water Company, Inc. There is a growing scientific consensus that climate change may have a serious effect on the hydrologic cycle, including both long-term trends of excess precipitation and drought and the frequency and severity of short-term extreme runoff events. The project will be conducted in a manner to produce results that are useful to the City in planning for how it will meet changes in the hydrologic cycle related to climate change. The American Water Works Association , of which the City is a member, adopted a policy statement supporting "the development of more refined global climate models and tools to better understand and address these impacts at a water utility-relevant scale." The support covers the period of the execution of the agreement between the City of Columbus and MORPC until September 30, 2012.
SUPPLIER: Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (31-1009675) Non-Profit
FISCAL IMPACT: $100,000.00 is needed and budgeted for this support.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) for the purposes of providing funding and support for the Central Ohio Green Pact for Fiscal Year 2011, and to authorize the expenditure of $50,000.00 from the Sewerage System Operating Fund, and $50,000.00 frrm the Water Operating Fund. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City is a signatory to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's (MORPC) Central Ohio Green Pact, which provides in part that "the science supporting climate change caused by human activities is well established," and
WHEREAS, there is growing scientific consensus that climate change may have a serious effect on the hydrologic cycle, including both long-term trends of excess precipitation and drought and the frequency and severity of short-term extreme runoff events, and
WHEREAS, in 2010 the American Water Works Association, of which the City is a member, adopted a policy statement supporting "the development of more refined global climate models and tools to better understand and address these impacts at a water utility-relevant scale", and
WHEREAS, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has organized a project to develop a refined climate model and tools to better understand and address said impacts at a scale relevant to the operations of the Columbus Department of Public Utilities, and
WHEREAS, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has obtained an initial grant of $200,000.00 from the Ohio Water Development Authority to conduct the first phase of this project, consisting of Tasks One through Five described on pages 8 and 9 of the document included in Exhibit A attached hereto and entitled "DEVELOPMENT OF A WATERSHED MODEL OF THE UPPER SCIOTO RIVER BASIN FOR ASSESSING POTENTIAL CLIMATE-CHANGE EFFECTS IN THE CENTRAL OHIO REGION," which grant requires the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) to obtain an equal amount in matching funds, and
WHEREAS, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has obtained commitments of additional matching funds from other sources, including the United States Geological Service and Del-Co Water Company, Inc., and
WHEREAS, the City would like to support Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission's (MORPC) project and participate in the steering committee that will advise the project to assure that the project will be conducted in a manner to produce results that are useful to the City in planning for how it will meet changes in the hydrologic cycle related to climate change; 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 enter into a support agreement with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) for the purpose of providing funding for the Central Ohio Green Pact for the Fiscal Year 2011.
Section 2. That the expenditure of $100,000.00 or as much thereof as may be needed, be and the same is hereby authorized as follows:
FUND: 650
OCA: 605006
Object Level One: 03
Object Level Three: 3337
Amount: $50,000.00
FUND: 600
OCA: 601849
Object Level One: 03
Object Level Three: 3337
Amount: $50,000.00
Section 3. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest date allowed by law.