Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into contract with Granicus, Inc. for the provisioning of Legistar and the Granicus Operations Cloud service.
Legistar is the city’s electronic records system for creating, submitting, and managing legislation for Columbus City Council. The platform is utilized by city employees in every department, and Council’s online legislation center allows for public access of available legislation records. In 2026, the Clerk’s office will be implementing the Granicus Operations Cloud, the most recent version of Legistar which includes an array of data insights, and enhanced public portal, and application and security updates for the platform.
Given that Granicus is the only authorized distributor and servicer of the Legistar platform, this contract is entered into under the sole source procurement provisions of Chapter 329 of Columbus City Codes.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; however, this contract is budgeted within Council’s 2026 departmental operating budget, and the Clerk’s office is expected to correct the source of funding to the departmental budget after passage of the 2026 general fund operating budget.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid a lapse in services with Granicus, Inc
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a service agreement with Granicus, Inc. for Legistar and the Granicus Operations Cloud services under the sole source provisions of Columbus City Codes; to authorize the appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($98,373.25)
Body
WHEREAS, Legistar is the city’s electronic records system for creating, submitting, and managing legislation for Columbus City Council; and
WHEREAS, the platform is utilized by city employees in every department, and Council’s online legislation center allows for public access of available legislation records; and
WHEREAS, in 2026, the Clerk’s office will be implementing the Granicus Operations Cloud, the most recent version of Legistar which includes an array of data insights, and enhanced public portal, and application and security updates for the platform; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of Columbus City Council in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a contract in order to avoid a lapse in services with Granicus, Inc., all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; and now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a service agreement with Granicus, Inc. for Legistar and the Granicus Operations Cloud services.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $98,373.25 from the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council per the accounting codes attached to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $98,373.25, or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, is hereby authorized from the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes attached to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That this contract is entered into under the sole source provisions of Chapter 329 of Columbus City Codes.
SECTION 5. 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 6. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all grant agreements or grant agreement modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is 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.