Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with Glaus, Pyle, Schomer, Burns & DeHaven, Inc., hereafter referenced as GPD, in an amount of up to $1,198,892.87 for the provision of various professional services related to the Smart City Challenge. GPD was selected through the City’s request for proposal (RFP) process.
The Smart City Challenge is a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant program seeking to “create a fully integrated, first-of-its kind city that uses data, technology and creativity to shape how people and goods move in the future.” In 2016, the City of Columbus, acting through the Department of Public Service, applied for and won the Smart City Challenge, receiving a $40 million dollar grant from USDOT and a $10 million grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan).
Ordinance 1863-2016 authorized the Director of Public Service to enter into agreements with and to accept grant monies and other resources from Vulcan. This Ordinance is seeking Council approval to expend funds received from the Phase 2 grant agreement with Vulcan, which is in support of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan. This plan is to enable the City to lay a practical path to replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility. Some aspects of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan will be performed by an internal, interdepartmental City team coordinated through the Smart Columbus Program Office. The consultant is to provide the team with additional resources related to communications, outreach, and other tasks needed to accomplish the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan. The consultant will be managed by the Smart Columbus Program Office.
The Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Smart City Challenge - Vulcan Charging and Decarbonization contract. The project was formally advertised on the Vendor Services web site from December 6, 2016, to January 12, 2017. The City received five (5) responses, with one proposal deemed non-responsive due to not meeting all required ODOT pre-qualification categories. The four remaining proposals were deemed responsive and were fully evaluated when the Evaluation Committee met on January 27, 2017. The responsive responding firms were:
Company Name City/State Majority/MBE/MBR/F1/AS1/PHC
GPD Group (GPD) Columbus, OH MAJ
AECOM Columbus, OH MAJ
Battelle Memorial Institute Columbus, OH MAJ
ms consultants Columbus, OH MAJ
GPD received the highest score by the evaluation committee and will be awarded the Smart City Challenge - Vulcan Charging and Decarbonization contract.
Searches in the Excluded Party List System (Federal) and the Findings for Recovery list (State) produced no findings against GPD.
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
The contract compliance number for GPD is CC34715-15226, which expires on May 28, 2017.
3. FISCAL IMPACT
Funding in the amount of $1,198,892.87 is available in Fund 7768 Smart City Private Grant Fund for this project expenditure. This ordinance is contingent upon passage of ordinance 1193-2017 which was entered to appropriate funds for the grant.
4. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to execute a contract with GPD Group authorizing the encumbrance and expenditure of requisite engineering and design funding so as to prevent unnecessary delays in the department's Smart City Challenge schedule.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Service to execute a professional services contract with GPD Group relative to the Smart City Challenge - Vulcan Charging And Decarbonization project; to authorize the expenditure of up to $1,198,892.87 from the Smart City grant fund; and to declare an emergency. ($1,198,892.87)
Body
WHEREAS, on December 7, 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the Smart City Challenge, a collaborative effort by the USDOT and Vulcan seeking to “create a fully integrated, first-of-its kind city that uses data, technology and creativity to shape how people and goods move in the future”; and
WHEREAS, on January 11, 2016, Columbus City Council passed Ordinance 0064-2016 supporting the City’s application to the Smart City Challenge; and
WHEREAS, on June 23, 2016, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan) awarded the City of Columbus a $10 million grant for the purpose of replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1863-2016 authorized the Director of Public Service to enter into agreements with and to accept grant monies and other resources from Vulcan which are to be distributed to the City over the course of four years; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1193-2017 authorizes the City Auditor to appropriate the second installment of Vulcan grant funds, which will support the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan; and
WHEREAS, there is a need to enter into a professional services contract to provide the provide the Smart Columbus Program Office with additional resources to accomplish the objectives of the grant award; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Smart City Challenge - Vulcan Charging and Decarbonization project for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, proposals were evaluated and GPD was selected as the best overall proposal for this project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to enter into a professional services contract with GPD to provide for the aforementioned services in the amount of up to $1,198,892.87; 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 Director to execute a contract with GPD and authorizing the encumbrance and expenditure of requisite engineering and design funding so as to prevent unnecessary delays in the department's Smart City Challenge schedule, 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 Director of Public Service be and is hereby authorized to execute a contract with GPD in an amount of up to $1,198,892.87 related to the Smart City Challenge - Vulcan Charging and Decarbonization project.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $1,198,892.87, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be and is hereby authorized in Fund 7768 Smart City Private Grant 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 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.