Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to execute a sub-recipient agreement with the Columbus Partnership relative to the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan. In 2016, the City of Columbus pursued and won a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation with the goal of laying a practical path to replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility. The grant agreement with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation allows the use of sub-recipients with City Council approval and approval by the Foundation. To that end, the Department of Public Service is requesting to make the Columbus Partnership a grant sub-recipient to lead initiatives aimed at encouraging electric vehicle adoption by individuals, public entities, and private employers and increasing charging infrastructure locally. Examples of initiatives the Columbus Partnership will lead are:
• Working with public, private, and academic sectors to place in operation over 1,200 electric vehicles into their fleets by the end of the grant period.
• Increase electric vehicle consumer market adoption in Columbus and the surrounding seven county region.
• Engage in partnerships with local car dealerships and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to secure a satisfactory supply of new and used electric vehicles and improve the sales environment of these models to satisfy the increased consumer demand created during the life of the grant.
• Support the acceleration of electric vehicle adoption through installation of charging infrastructure, with the goal of 1,685 new charging ports by the end of the grant period.
As a sub-recipient to the grant agreement, funding will flow from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation through the Department of Public Service to the Columbus Partnership. The Columbus Partnership will be directly responsible for accomplishing the above initiatives while operating under the terms and conditions of the grant agreement and for operating under the same procurement conditions as the Department of Public Service. The contracts the Columbus Partnership enters into to accomplish the initiatives or expend grant funds must follow City Code and be approved by the Director of Public Service, City Council, and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, unless otherwise noted. As a sub-recipient to the grant the Columbus Partnership will receive up to $1,580,000.00 to work on the initiatives for eligible services rendered in conjunction with those efforts during this phase of the grant agreement.
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
The Columbus Partnership currently does not have a contract compliance number with the City and will required to become contract compliant prior to executing the aforementioned sub-recipient agreement.
3. BID WAIVER
A bidding waiver over the requirement to follow city procurement code is requested as to enable the Columbus Partnership to enter into a $225,000.00 contract with the Electrification Coalition in order to capitalize on insights gained from the early and ongoing involvement of the Electrification Coalition in the conceptualization and execution of projects and activities that support the deployment of electric vehicles and intelligent transportation infrastructure without incurring unnecessary delays or additional expenses resulting from the duplication of efforts already underway.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
Funding in the amount of $1,580,000.00 is available for this project expenditure within Fund 7768 Smart City Private Grant Fund. This ordinance is contingent upon the passage of ordinance 1193-2017 which appropriates funds in Fund 7768.
5. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to provide for the timely execution of the aforementioned reimbursement agreement so as to facilitate the provision of requisite services in accordance with the schedule set forth in the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Phase II Grant Agreement.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a sub-recipient agreement with the Columbus Partnership relative to the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Code; to authorize the expenditure of $1,580,000.00 from the Smart City Private Grant Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($1,580,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, in 2016 the City of Columbus pursued and won a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation with the goal of laying a practical path to replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility; and
WHEREAS, the grant agreement with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation allows the use of sub-recipients with City Council approval and approval by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service would like to make the Columbus Partnership a sub-recipient of this grant to lead initiatives aimed at encouraging and supporting electric vehicle adoption by individuals, public entities, and private employers and increasing charging infrastructure locally; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Partnership will be directly responsible for accomplishing the initiatives while operating under the terms and conditions of the grant agreement and for operating under the same procurement conditions as the Department of Public Service; and
WHEREAS, in order to capitalize on insights gained from the early and ongoing involvement of the Electrification Coalition in the conceptualization and execution of projects and activities that support the deployment of electric vehicles and intelligent transportation infrastructure without incurring unnecessary delays or additional expenses resulting from the duplication of efforts already underway, it is in the best interest of the City to not require the Columbus Partnership to follow the City's competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329 to enable the Columbus Partnership to enter into contract with the Electrification Coalition, therefore, a waiver of competitive bidding is being requested for this particular contract only; 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 sub-recipient agreement with the Columbus Partnership so as to facilitate the provision of services necessary to achieve the objectives outlined in the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan, 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 sub-recipient agreement with the Columbus Partnership, 150 S. Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, relative to the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan.
SECTION 2. That this Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the City that the requirements of Chapter 329 relating to formal competitive bidding be waived to enable the Columbus Partnership to enter into contract with the Electrification Coalition in order to capitalize on the insights gained from the early and ongoing involvement of the Electrification Coalition in the conceptualization and execution of projects and activities that support the deployment of electric vehicles and intelligent transportation infrastructure without incurring unnecessary delays or additional expenses resulting from the duplication of efforts already underway.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $1,580,000.00, 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 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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 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 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.