Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
In 2016, the City of Columbus applied for and won the Smart City Challenge, resulting in the award of a $40 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and a $10 million grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan) to assist in implementation of the City’s proposal to demonstrate how advanced data and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies and applications can be used to reduce congestion, keep travelers safe, protect the environment, respond to climate change, connect underserved communities, and support economic vitality.
The Smart Columbus Electrification Plan prioritizes five key objectives-grid decarbonization; electric vehicle (EV) fleet adoption; transit, autonomous, and multi-modal systems in the City of Columbus; electric vehicle consumer adoption; and EV charging infrastructure-to change the long-term trajectory of carbon emissions in the seven-county region encompassing Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Pickaway, Madison, and Union counties.
The aim of the Smart Columbus Public Fleet Initiative is to work with public and academic entities to place in operation 300 electric vehicles within their fleets by the end of the grant period. The Smart Columbus Program Management Office (PMO) Fleet Adoption Working Group has been working with public fleet managers to analyze EV options and prepare vehicle acquisition and charging infrastructure plans. The City of Columbus Fleet Services Division also has assumed a leadership role among other government fleets in the region by arranging training and developing tools to increase utilization.
To date, the PMO has secured commitments from the cities of Columbus, Dublin, Hilliard, Grove City, Whitehall, and Worthington, Franklin County, the Ohio State University, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to purchase a total of 285 electric vehicles. The PMO will continue to work with other regional governments to identify the remaining government fleet acquisitions to bring that number to a total of 300 electric vehicles acquired in public fleets during the grant period. Once those vehicles are deployed, each agency is eligible to receive a $3,000 rebate per plug-in electric vehicle.
Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) will administer the issuance of those rebates on behalf of the PMO. CFO is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to improving air quality and health, reducing environmental pollution and, strengthening Ohio’s economy, and enhancing the nation’s energy security by promoting and encouraging the use of cleaner, domestic fuels and efficient vehicles. The organization currently is a sub-consultant for GPD Group pursuant to the Smart City Challenge - Vulcan Charging and Decarbonization contract, executed under the authority of Ordinance 1294-2017. That contract was established to provide the PMO with technical and program management support services related to the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan.
Ordinance 1863-2016 authorized the Director of Public Service to sign agreements with USDOT, Vulcan, and others in connection with the award of the Smart City Challenge grant, the expenditure of those grant funds through additional council action, if needed, and the return of unused Smart City Challenge grant funds if any should remain at the end of the grant. That legislation also authorized the Director of Public Service to enter into agreements with organizations or individuals to accept contributions of materials, services, equipment, grants, or other type of assistance related to the Smart City Challenge, to administer the contributions according to the terms and conditions of the agreements, and authorizes the return of any contributions if required at the end of the term of the agreement.
Ordinance 1901-2017 authorized the transfer of signature authority from the Director of Public Service to the Chief Innovation Officer, or the Chief Innovation Officer's designee, for all past, present and future Smart Columbus, Smart City Challenge, and Paul G. Allen Family Foundation contracts, documents, and projects.
This legislation authorizes the appropriation and the expenditure of up to $99,000.00 to fund rebates of $3,000 to the various vehicle purchasers per approved electric vehicle, contingent upon receipt of the second payment from Paul G. Allen Philanthropies or as approved by the auditor of the City of Columbus.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for the Electric Vehicle Rebate program is contingent upon receipt of the second payment from Paul G. Allen Phianthropies or as approved by the auditor of the City of Columbus.
3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to allow for the establishment of the aforesaid rebate program at the earliest practicable date possible in order to comply with timelines and the terms and conditions of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan) Phase III Grant Agreement.
Title
To authorize the Chief Innovation Officer to establish a rebate program to reimburse various public and academic entities $3,000.00 for the purchase of an authorized plug-in electric vehicle; to authorize the appropriation of $99,000.00 in the Smart City Private Fund; to authorize the expenditure of up to $99,000.00 within the Smart City Private Fund for this purpose contingent upon receipt of the second payment from Paul G. Allen Philanthropies or as approved by the auditor of the City of Columbus; and to declare an emergency. ($99,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, in 2016, the City of Columbus won the Smart City Challenge, a collaborative effort by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (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, Vulcan awarded the City 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, the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan prioritizes five primary goals to transform and decarbonize the electric grid and transportation sector in central Ohio: grid decarbonization; electric vehicle (EV) fleet adoption; transit, autonomous, and multi-modal systems in the City of Columbus; electric vehicle consumer adoption; and EV charging infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the aim of the Smart Columbus Public Fleet Initiative is to work with public and academic entities to place in operation 300 electric vehicles within their fleets by the end of the grant period; and
WHEREAS, as a part of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan, a rebate program will be established to incentivize public and academic entities for the purchase of authorized plug-in electric vehicles; and
WHEREAS, those rebates will be issued by Clean Fuels Ohio, a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to improving air quality and health, reducing environmental pollution and, strengthening Ohio’s economy, and enhancing the nation’s energy security by promoting and encouraging the use of cleaner, domestic fuels and efficient vehicles, in connection with the Smart City Challenge - Vulcan Charging and Decarbonization project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation and the expenditure of up to $99,000.00 for that purpose; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance Number 1863-2016 authorized the Director of Public Service to enter into agreements with organizations or individuals to accept contributions of materials, services, equipment, grants, or other type of assistance related to the Smart City Challenge, and to administer those grants and contributions according to the terms and conditions of the agreements; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance Number 1901-2017 authorized the transfer of signature authority from the Director of Public Service Director to the Chief Innovation Officer, or the Chief Innovation Officer's designee, for all past, present and future Smart Columbus, Smart City Challenge, and Paul G. Allen Family Foundation contracts, documents, and projects; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Smart City Program Management Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the encumbrance and expenditure of requisite funding in order to facilitate the issue of the aforesaid rebates in accordance with timelines and the terms and conditions of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Phase III Grant Agreement; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That Chief Innovation Officer be and hereby is authorized to establish a rebate program whereby eligible public and academic entities will receive a $3,000 reimbursement for the purchase of an approved plug-in electric vehicle, according to the program guidelines established for this purpose.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies 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 ended December 31, 2018, the sum of $99,000.00 is appropriated in Fund 7768 (Smart City Grant Fund), Dept-Div 5912 (Division of Design and Construction), Grant G591611 (Private Grant Smart City), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $99,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized contingent upon receipt of the second payment from Paul G. Allen Philanthropies or as approved by the auditor of the City of Columbus in Fund 7768 (Smart City Fund), Dept-Div 5912 (Division of Design and Construction) 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 ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.