Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to waive the request for proposal requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329 and enter into a professional services contract with the Ologie LLC in an amount up to $185,000.00 for the purpose of assisting the city of Columbus with planning and executing a new, comprehensive campaign to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Since the pandemic first began to impact the area in March 2020, the city and Columbus Public Health have developed and executed several smaller and more focused campaigns to promote:
•COVID-19 Testing (that will run through year-end)
•Contact Tracing
•Flu Shots and
•Wearing Masks (Mask = Kindness)
The mask campaign - while small in media spend - resulted in the city providing over 400,000 masks to citizens. But now, with the convergence of an anticipated surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide, oncoming winter weather, and the holiday season, the City, along with Columbus Public Health, wants to undertake its first comprehensive campaign.
The campaign will think through all the different aspects of everyday life in the coming months and convince people to change their behavior. The campaign will reinforce proven behaviors like wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, washing hands, and getting tested. But this campaign is likely to be less educational and more psychological by focusing on the drivers and barriers of why people do not habitually adopt these known behaviors. It must be arresting and bold in tone and message to get right to the heart of people’s attitudes and help them shift from awareness to taking action for their own safety and the common good.
Once the campaign strategies are determined, they will be executed by Canvaas Consulting LLC (see ordinance 2700-2020).
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 021919 and contract compliance expires 3/31/2021.
Waiver of Request for Proposal Requirements: A waiver of the request for proposal requirements outlined in Columbus City Code Chapter 329 is being requested because of the nature of the public health emergency: immediate, ever changing and because services funded with federal CARES Act funds need to be completed by December 30, 2020, there is not time to complete the request for proposal process.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is provided to the City of Columbus from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress and signed into law March 27, 2020, and available in the Department of Development’s CARES Act budget (fund 2207, subfund 220701).
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is requested in order to encumber funds in a timely manner so Ologie can expend the funds before the end of the year.
Title
To waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329; to authorize the Director to execute a professional services contract with Ologie LLC in an amount up to $185,000.00 for the purpose of assisting the city of Columbus with planning and executing a new, comprehensive campaign to help stop the spread of COVID-19; to authorize an expenditure up to $185,000.00 from the CARES Act Fund; to authorize the payment of expenses starting March 1, 2020; and to declare an emergency. ($185,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, since March 2020, the city has enacted some smaller, focused campaigns to reduce the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, with the prolonged nature of the pandemic and anticipated surge nationwide this winter; and
WHEREAS, the city desires to create a new, comprehensive campaign to help stop the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City's best interests to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329 because of the nature of the public health emergency: immediate, ever changing and because services funded with federal CARES Act funds need to be completed by December 30, 2020, there is not time to complete the request for proposal process; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in numerous economic disruptions, illnesses, and even deaths; and
WHEREAS, expenditures of CARES Act funding for the creation of this campaign strategy is necessary to address the public health and economic issues caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditures of funds has not been previously accounted for the 2020 budget; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a professional services contract with Ologie so it can begin the campaign as soon as possible and expend the funds before the end of the year, such immediate action being necessary for the preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That this Council finds it is in the City's best interest to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code to enter into this contract.
SECTION 2. That the Director of the Department of Development is authorized to enter into a professional services contract with Ologie LLC in an amount up to $185,000.00 for the purpose of assisting the city of Columbus with planning and executing a new, comprehensive campaign to help stop the spread of COVID-19 beginning March 1, 2020.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose as stated in Section 2, the expenditure of $185,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby authorized in fund 2207, subfund 220701 (CARES Act Fund), Dept. 44-01 (Administration), in Object Class 03 (Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance 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 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 approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.