Explanation
Background: Mayor Ginther has charged the Department of Development to develop a Land Acquisition Strategy that will allow the Economic Development Division to be active and strategic in the acquisition, tactical divestment or redevelopment of key development sites across the City of Columbus. These efforts will provide the City with a “seat at the table” to influence various development activities to occur within the City. More importantly, these efforts will allow the City to become a catalyst in spurring specific types of development and redevelopment, within various submarkets of the City, where the market is not ready to invest and incentivize that development to take place and occur sooner for the health and welfare of the residents of Columbus. These activities will occur through 1) site cultivation; 2) strategic corridor investments; and easement acquisitions to support development opportunities throughout the City.
The Department of Development seeks to enter into a real property acquisition services contract in an amount up to $250,000.00 to assist the Economic Development team with creating and executing the department’s strategic land acquisition strategy. The work completed by way of this contract will specifically aid in the Department of Development’s ability to identify, negotiate, and acquire sites that may be strategic in the redevelopment of key development areas across the city and become a catalyst in spurring specific types of development and redevelopment, within various submarkets of the City, where the market is not ready to invest. By way of this ordinance, the Auditor will be authorized to encumber the funds that are anticipated to be needed for the contract. The department is currently engaged in the Request for Proposal process per Columbus City Code Chapter 329, but the process will not be completed, nor legislation ready, before City Council’s last meeting in 2021. It is estimated that the contract will be executed in February 2022. The Department will submit an ordinance authorizing the Director to enter into contract with the firm who is chosen from the RFP process. Funding for this agreement, up to $250,000, was planned and is available within the Administration Division’s General Fund budget.
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested in order to encumber the funds before the end of the fiscal year.
Fiscal Impact: $250,000.00 has been planned and is available within the Economic Development Division’s General Fund budget.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to encumber the funds for a real property acquisition services contract in an amount up to $250,000.00; to authorize the expenditure of up to $250,000.00 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($250,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of Development seeks to encumber the funds for a real property acquisition services contract to assist the Economic Development team with creating and executing the department’s strategic land acquisition strategy; and
WHEREAS, the Department is currently engaged in the Request for Proposal process per Columbus City Code Chapter 329, but the process will not be completed, nor legislation ready, before City Council’s last meeting in 2021; and
WHEREAS, after the RFP process is complete and a consultant has been chosen, the Department will seek Council authorization to enter into contract with the firm; and
WHEREAS, by way of this ordinance, the City Auditor is authorized to encumber the funds for a contract for the services mentioned above with a to-be-determined firm in an amount up to $250,000.00; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to encumber the funds before the end of the fiscal year, such immediate action is necessary for the preservation of 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 is authorized to encumber the funds for real property acquisition services contract in an amount up to $250,000.00 with a to-be-determined firm pending the outcome of the Request for Proposal process requirements in Columbus City Code Chapter 329. Upon completion of the RFP process, the Department of Development will seek Council authorization to enter into contract with the chosen firm.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $250,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 (General Fund), Dept Div 44 02 (Economic Development), in object class 03 (Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds are hereby deemed appropriated to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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.