Explanation
Background: The City of Columbus, Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in cooperation with the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, is engaged in the widening and improvement of Hard Road from Sawmill Road east to State Route 315. The City is currently preparing for construction of the second phase of this three-phase project. This phase, from Linworth Road east to State Route 315, will widen 0.42 miles of existing Hard Road from 2 lanes to 5 lanes and will construct improvements including new turn lanes, raised traffic medians, new pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, street lighting, storm sewers, traffic signals, signs and pavement markings. Also included in this phase of the project are the widening of 343 feet of Linworth Road, 1,876 feet of Olentangy River Road and construction of turn lanes on State Route 315. The City acquired some of the parcels needed for this project through "advanced acquisition" as they became available. In May 2004 the City received authorization to proceed with acquisition of the remaining parcels for the Hard Road Phase C project from the Ohio Department of Transportation. Ordinance 1051-2004, passed July 21, 2004, established preliminary funding in the amount of $1,860,000.00 for this phase of the project. Higher-than-anticipated appraised values and higher-than-anticipated property owner relocation costs require that the funding for acquisition on this phase of the project be increased. Per the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, an additional $850,000.00 will be needed at this time to purchase the remaining Hard Road Phase C parcels.
Fiscal Impact: This is a City/State/Federal participation project that will be administered by the City of Columbus. Ultimately eighty percent (80%) of the total right-of-way costs for this phase of the project will be paid by the state/federal governments and the City will absorb the remaining twenty (20%) of the cost. Twenty percent (20%) of the monies to pay for the additional acquisition costs are budgeted within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund and must be transferred to the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, where $170,000.00 is then appropriated and $850,000.00 authorized for expenditure.
Emergency action is requested because right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation activities traditionally take two years to complete. Construction of this phase of the improvement project is slated to begin in early 2006 requiring right-of-way acquisition to be complete by November 1, 2005, to allow the utilities time to relocate before construction of this phase begins. Emergency action is being requested to allow right-of-way acquisition related activities to continue so that utility relocation can be authorized by early November 2005 and so that construction can begin as currently scheduled.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to transfer $170,000.00 between projects within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund; to authorize the City Auditor to transfer $170,000,00 from the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund to the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund; to authorize the appropriation of $170,000.00 within the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund; to authorize the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to continue to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for the Hard Road Phase C Improvement project for the Transportation Division; to authorize the expenditure of an additional $850,000.00 from the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund for acquisition related-costs for this project, and to declare an emergency. ($850,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, in cooperation with the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, is engaged in the widening and improvement of Hard Road from Sawmill Road east to State Route 315; and
WHEREAS, this phase of the Hard Road project (Phase C) will widen 0.42 miles of existing Hard Road from 2 lanes to 5 lanes and will construct improvements including new turn lanes, raised traffic medians, new pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, street lighting, storm sewers, traffic signals, signs and pavement markings. Also included in this phase of the project are the widening of 343 feet of Linworth Road, 1,876 feet of Olentangy River Road and construction of turn lanes on State Route 315; and
WHEREAS, this City/State/Federal participation project will be administered by the City of Columbus with eighty percent (80%) of the total right-of-way costs being paid out of Federal funds and twenty percent (20%) being paid by the City; and
WHEREAS, this external funding is received on a reimbursement basis; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1051-2004, passed July 21, 2004, established preliminary funding in the amount of $1,860,000.00 for this phase of the project; and
WHEREAS, higher-than-anticipated appraised values and higher-than-anticipated property owner relocation costs require that the funding for acquisition on this phase of the project be increased; and
WHEREAS, per the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, an additional $850,000.00 is needed at this time to purchase the remaining Hard Road Improvement project (Phase C) parcels; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer and appropriation of funds to pay for these acquisition-related expenses; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Attorney to continue acquisition of fee simple title and lesser interests in and to those parcels needed for the Hard Road Phase C project and to authorize the expenditure of those funds required to pay acquisition-related costs to allow right-of-way acquisition related activities to continue so that utility relocation can be authorized by early November 2005 and so that construction can begin as currently scheduled, 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 Auditor be and hereby is authorized to transfer $170,000.00 between projects within Fund 704, the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, as follows:
TRANSFER FROM:
Project Number / Project / Object Level 01/03 Codes / OCA Code / Amount
530021 / Urban Infrastructure Recovery / 06/6628 / 644385 / $16,854.00
530303 / Columbus Housing Initiative / 06/6600 / 644385 / $153,146.00
Total Transfer From: $170,000.00
TRANSFER TO:
Project Number / Project / Object Level 01/03 Codes / OCA Code / Amount
530208 / Federal/State Match / 06/6601 / 644385 / $170,000.00
Total Transfer To: $170,000.00
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor be and hereby is authorized to transfer $170,000.00 between Object Level One Codes within Fund 704, the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, as follows:
TRANSFER FROM:
Fund / Project Number / Project / Object Level 01/03 Codes / OCA Code / Amount
704 / 530208 / Federal/State Match / 06/6601/ 644385 / $170,000.00
Total Transfer From: $170,000.00
TRANSFER FROM:
Fund / Project Number / Project / Object Level 01/03 Codes / OCA Code / Amount
704 / 530208 / Federal/State Match / 10/5501/ 644385 / $170,000.00
Total Transfer To: $170,000.00
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor be and hereby is authorized to transfer $170,000.00 between Funds as follows:
TRANSFER FROM:
Fund / Project Number / Project / Object Level 01/03 Codes / OCA Code / Amount
704 / 530208 / Federal/State Match / 10/5501 / 644385 / $170,000.00
Total Transfer From: $170,000.00
TRANSFER TO:
Fund / Project Number / Project / Object Level 01/03 Codes / OCA Code / Amount
765 / 561101 / Hard Road C Real Estate / 0886 / $170,000.00
Total Transfer To: $170,000.00
SECTION 4. That from the unappropriated monies in Fund 765, the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, and from the 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, 2005, the sum of $170,000.00 be and hereby is appropriated to Department No. 59-09, the Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6601, OCA Code 561101 and Project 561101.
SECTION 5. That the monies appropriated within the foregoing Section 4 shall be paid upon order of the City Attorney 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 the City Attorney be and hereby is authorized to continue acquisition of fee simple title and lesser interests in and to those remaining parcels needed for the Hard Road Phase C Improvement project and to expend those funds required to pay acquisition-related costs.
SECTION 7. That for the purpose of paying for said costs the sum of $850,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary be and hereby is authorized to be expended from Fund 765, the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6601, OCA Code 561101 and Project 561101.
SECTION 8. 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.