Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to hire professional services and to negotiate with property owners to acquire the various property rights necessary to complete the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project.
The City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, is engaged in the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project. Improvements include: widening Hard Road from two lanes to five lanes, adding turn lanes, new pavement, curb, sidewalk, street lighting, storm sewer, traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings. The project limits are Hard Road from Sawmill Road to 387 feet west of Smoky Row Road. The length of the project is approximately 1.2 miles.
Ordinance 1996-2012, passed September 24, 2012, authorized initial acquisition funding for this project, in the amount of $1,650,000.00. The project received an additional $350,000.00 in authorized funding for acquisition with the passage of ordinance 1627-2014 on July 21, 2014, $125,000.00 due to the passage of ordinance 1438-2015 on June 15, 2015, and $37,282.00 in authorized funding due to the passage of ordinance 0053-2016 on January 25, 2016. The initial acquisition legislation authorized the City Attorney to contract for professional services and to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to real property necessary to the project, with the understanding that more funding may be required in the future. It is now necessary that the City Attorney's Office expend an additional $120,000.00 in order to pay for costs relative to the acquisition of right-of-way necessary for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
Funds in the amount of $120,000.00 are available for this project in Fund 7704, the Streets and Highways G.O. Bond Fund.
3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
The department requests emergency action so as to provide necessary right-of-way acquisition funding and prevent unnecessary delays in the Department of Public Service’s Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project.
Title
To authorize the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to contract for professional services relative to the acquisition of fee simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project; to authorize the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to negotiate with property owners to acquire the additional rights of way necessary to complete this project; to authorize the expenditure of up to $120,000.00 from the Streets and Highways G.O. Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($120,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, this legislation authorizes the City Attorney to contract for professional services and to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to real property necessary to the project, with the understanding that more funding may be required in the future; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, is engaged in the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project; and
WHEREAS, this project will construct five lanes, turn lanes, new pavement, curb, sidewalk, street lighting, storm sewer, traffic signals, signs and pavement markings; and
WHEREAS, initial acquisition funding for this project, in the amount of $1,650,000.00, was authorized pursuant to Ordinance No. 1996-2012 passed September 24, 2012, an additional $350,000.00 was authorized pursuant to Ordinance No. 1627-2014 passed July 21, 2014, an additional $125,000.00 was authorized pursuant to Ordinance No. 1438-2015 passed June 15, 2015, and an additional $37,282.00 authorized pursuant to Ordinance No. 0053-2016 passed January 25, 2016.; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the City Attorney's Office Real Estate Division, to expend $120,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary to hire professional services and to negotiate with property owners to acquire the various property rights necessary to complete the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project; 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 City Attorney's office to contract for professional services in order to prevent unnecessary delays in the Department of Public Service’s Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project, 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 Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, be and hereby is authorized to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to certain parcels of real estate, to contract for professional services, and to negotiate with property owners to acquire the additional rights of way needed to complete the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Hard Road Phase A - Sawmill Road to Smoky Row Road project.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of the sum of $120,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7704 Streets and Highways G.O. Bond Fund in object class 06 Capital Outlay per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, 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 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 6. 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.