Explanation
1. BACKGROUND:
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Service to modify and extend the existing grant agreement for the Freeway Management System program with the Ohio Department of Transportation, Agreement No. 10970, through June 30, 2009.
The Ohio Department of Transportation determined that it was in the public interest to design, construct, operate and maintain a Freeway Management System (FMS) for interstate highways and state and U.S. route numbered freeways and expressways within the City of Columbus. This program provides traffic delay information and suggests alternate routes to the public and media in order to expedite freeway traffic flow.
The City's initial consent authorization for this program was established by Ordinance 1708-1991. The present agreement between the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Service, Division of Planning and Operations, for the operation and maintenance of the Freeway Management System was authorized by Ordinance 2016-2000. Presently, this agreement is in the third two-year extension of the Freeway Management System agreement established with Ordinance 2016-2000 and expires on June 30, 2009. The current agreement extension was established by Ordinance 1017-2007, passed by City Council July 11, 2007.
2. FISCAL IMPACT:
Personnel expenses for two City employees are funded by the State of Ohio. The City provides space to house staff and central equipment. This ordinance appropriates funding within the General Government Grant Fund and authorizes appropriate program expenditures associated with these employees.
3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to make these funds immediately available to the Division of Planning and Operations in order to continue to ensure the continued operation of this program.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Service to extend the existing agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation for operation of the Freeway Management System program through June 30, 2009, to authorize the appropriation and expenditure of $172,000.00 within the General Government Grant Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($172,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation desires cooperation from the City of Columbus in the operation and maintenance of the Freeway Management program; and
WHEREAS, this program provides traffic delay information and suggests alternate routes to the public and media in order to expedite freeway traffic flow; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Planning and Operations in that it is immediately necessary to consent to a six month agreement extension of the program in order to provide for its uninterrupted operation, 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 City of Columbus hereby agrees to cooperate with the Director of Transportation of the State of Ohio and grants consent to the Ohio Department of Transportation for the latter's operation, maintenance, development and execution of the program.
Section 2. That the Director of Public Service be and hereby is authorized on behalf of the City to extend Agreement No. 10970 with the Ohio Department of Transportation as necessary for the continued operation of the Freeway Management System program through June 30, 2009.
Section 3. The City agrees to host the ODOT Freeway Management System in the Traffic Management Center of the Division of Planning and Operations at 109 North Front Street and to provide operator staff for the program with personnel costs provided to the City by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Section 4. That from the unappropriated monies in Fund 220, the General Government Grant Fund, 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 ending December 31, 2009, the sum of $172,000.00 be and hereby is appropriated to Department No. 59-11, Division of Planning and Operations, Object Level One Code 01, Object Level Three Code 1101, for the Freeway Management Grant, grant 596004, OCA 591120.
Section 5. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing sections 4 shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Service and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
Section 6. That for purposes of paying appropriate program personnel expenses, the sum of $172,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed be and hereby is authorized to be expended from Fund 220, the General Government Grant Fund, Department No. 59-11, Division of Planning and Operations, Object Level One Code 01, Object Level Three Code 1101, for the Freeway Management Grant, grant 596004, OCA 591120.
Section 7. 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.