Explanation
Background: The City of Columbus is engaged in the Short Street Improvement project. The purpose of this project is to reconstruct Short Street from Sycamore Street to Mound Street. Initial funding for this project in the amount of $300,000.00 established pursuant to Ordinance 1927-1999 allowed the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to hire professional services and begin acquisition of necessary rights-of-way. Acquisition-related activities were suspended in 2000 while preliminary plans for the Brewers Yard development were completed. At this time the Public Service Department, Transportation Division, and the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division would like to reactivate this project. Additional funding in the amount of $1,100,000.00 has been requested for acquisition of fee simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for this project and related acquisition activities. This legislation authorizes the City Attorney to expend an additional $1,100,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary for this project.
Fiscal Impact: The Transportation Division budgeted $1,750,000 in the 2004 Capital Improvements Budget for the Short Street Extension. Additional acquisition-related expenses are currently estimated to be $1,100,000.00 for this project. This ordinance authorizes an additional $1.1 million in the Transportation Division's 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, miscellaneous development project.
Emergency action is being requested to allow right-of-way acquisition-related activities previously suspended by the City to be reactivated by the City Attorney's Office Real Estate Division so that construction of this improvement project can begin without delay.
Title
To authorize the City Attorney to expend an additional $1,100,000.00 for acquisition-related activities including the acquisition of fee simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for the Short Street Improvement project for the Transportation Division from the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, and to declare an emergency. ($1,100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is engaged in the Short Street Improvement project; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this project is to reconstruct Short Street from Sycamore Street to Mound Street; and
WHEREAS, initial funding for this project in the amount of $300,000.00 established pursuant to Ordinance 1927-1999 allowed the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to hire professional services and begin acquisition of necessary rights-of-way; and
WHEREAS, acquisition-related activities were suspended in 2000 by the City while preliminary plans for the Brewers Yard development were completed; and
WHEREAS, at this time the Public Service Department, Transportation Division and the City Attorney's Office Real Estate Division would like to reactivate this project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to increase the funding to allow acquisition-related activities to resume; and
WHEREAS, this legislation authorizes the City Attorney to expend an additional $1,100,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary for acquisition-related activities; and
WHEREAS, funds are available within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, miscellaneous development project, to pay for said acquisition related costs; 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 expend the additional funds necessary to reactivate acquisition-related activities for the Short Street Improvement project so that construction of this project can begin, 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 be and hereby is authorized to reactivate acquisition-related activities necessary to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to those remaining parcels needed for the Short Street Improvement project and to expend those funds required to pay acquisition-related costs.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose of paying for said costs the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division is hereby authorized to expend an additional $1,100,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary from Fund 704, the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, Transportation Division, Department No. 59-09, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6601, OCA Code 644385 and Project 590131.
SECTION 3. 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.