Explanation
1. BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Utilities to enter into a professional services agreement with EMA, Inc., for the Advanced Metering System Study and Implementation Project, in an amount up to $369,077.71, for Division of Water Contract No. 2073.
The City of Columbus is requesting professional services to develop and recommend a strategy, roadmap, and plan for implementation of an Advanced Metering System (AMS) for water and electrical meters at the City’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The consultant will evaluate state-of-the-art AMS technologies; evaluate and compare cost impacts; develop a detailed implementation schedule that will outline all steps for the City to begin to implement a fully functional AMS program; and assist the City in budgetary planning efforts that are aligned with its capital improvement program.
The entire project consists of four (4) Phases:
Phase 1: Develop an AMS System Roadmap (current)
Phase 2: Prepare an AMS system RFP
Phase 3: Coordinate an AMS System Vendor Selection Process
Phase 4: Provide program management assistance during the implementation.
Work under this project spans the entire City of Columbus’s planning areas.
2. ECONOMIC IMPACT/ADVANTAGES; COMMUNITY OUTREACH; PROJECT DEVELOPMENT; ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS/ADVANTAGES OF PROJECT: An AMS program is favorable to DPU's operations and customer service function as replacing older water and electrical meters will improve service, decrease burden on maintenance operations, reduce water loss, and improve revenue. Moving from quarterly to monthly billing will have a positive impact on customers as the bills will be more manageable in both cost and time.
3. BID INFORMATION: The selection of the firm providing the professional engineering services has been performed in accordance with the procedures set forth in Columbus City Code, Chapter 329, "Awarding professional service contracts through requests for proposals." The evaluation criteria for this contract included: 1. Proposal Quality and Feasibility, 2. Experience of Team (Qualifications and Experience of staff), 3. Ability of Offeror to Perform Expeditiously, 4. Past performance on similar projects, including demonstrated abilities to meet schedules and budgets, 5. Environmentally Preferable Offeror, and 6. Local Workforce.
Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) were received on December 12, 2014 from EMA, Inc., West Monroe Partners, ARCADIS U.S., Utiliworks Consulting Group, and Metrics AMI Consulting.
An evaluation committee reviewed the proposals and scored them based on the criteria mentioned above. The Department of Public Utilities recommends that the contract be awarded to EMA, Inc.
The Contract Compliance Number for EMA, Inc. is 41-1467091 (expires 12/18/16, MAJ). Additional information regarding all bidders, description of work, contract time frame and detailed amounts can be found on the attached Information form.
Searches in the Excluded Party List System (Federal) and the Findings for Recovery list (State) produced no findings against EMA, Inc.
4. FUTURE CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS: Since this project consists of four (4) phases, the original agreement will be modified an additional three (3) times.
5. FISCAL IMPACT: A transfer of funds from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund will also be made as a temporary measure until such time as the proceeds from the 2015 summer bond sale can be made available.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with EMA, Inc. for the Advanced Metering System Study and Implementation Project for the Division of Water; to authorize the transfer and appropriation of $369,077.71 from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund; and to authorize an expenditure up to $369,077.71. ($369,077.71)
Body
WHEREAS, five technical proposals for the Advanced Metering System Study and Implementation Project were received on December 12, 2014; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities recommends that the agreement be awarded to EMA, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for this Council to authorize the City Auditor to transfer funds from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund; and
WHEREAS, the City anticipates incurring certain Original Expenditures (as defined in Section 1.150-2(c) of the Treasury Regulations (the "Treasury Regulations") promulgated pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) with respect to the construction of the Project described in this Ordinance (collectively, the "Project"); and
WHEREAS, it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the Division of Water, Department of Public Utilities, to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to enter into a professional services agreement for the Advanced Metering System Study and Implementation Project; for the preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety;
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Public Utilities be and hereby is authorized to enter into a professional services agreement for the Advanced Metering System Study and Implementation Project with EMA, Inc., 2355 Highway 36 West, Suite 200, St. Paul, Minnesota 55113; for an expenditure up to $369,077.71; in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract on file in the Office of the Division of Water.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the Water System Reserve Fund, 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 ending December 31, 2015, the sum of $369,077.71, is hereby appropriated to the Division of Water, Division 60-09, Object level One 10, Object level Three 5502, OCA 695056.
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer $369,077.71, from the Water System Reserve Fund to the Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund, Fund No. 606, into the appropriate project account as specified within Section 4 herein, at such time as deemed necessary by him, and to expend said funds, or so much thereof as may be necessary.
SECTION 4. That the appropriation and expenditure of $369,077.71 is hereby authorized for the Advanced Metering System Study and Implementation Project within the Division 60-09, Water Works Enlargement Voted Bonds Fund, Fund No. 606, Project No. 690358-100000 (New Funding), OCA 660358, Object Level Three 6677.
SECTION 5. That upon obtaining other funds for the purpose of funding water system capital improvement work, the City Auditor is hereby authorized to repay the Water System Reserve Fund the amount transferred under Section 3 above, and said funds are hereby deemed appropriated for such purpose.
SECTION 6. 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 7. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer any unencumbered balance in the project account to the unallocated balance 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 no longer required for said project; except that no transfer shall be made from a project account by monies from more than one source.
SECTION 8. That the City Auditor is authorized to establish proper project accounting numbers as appropriate.
SECTION 9. 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 10. That the City intends that this Ordinance constitute an "official intent" for purposes of Section 1.150-2(e) of the Treasury Regulations, and that the City reasonably expects to reimburse itself for certain Original Expenditures incurred with respect to the Project from the proceeds of obligations to be issued by the City in a principal amount currently estimated to be $369,077.71 (the "Obligations").
The City intends to make a reimbursement allocation on its books for the Original Expenditures not later than eighteen months following the later to occur of the date of the Original Expenditure to be reimbursed or the date the Project for which such Original Expenditures were made is "placed in service" within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.150-2(c). Upon the issuance of the Obligations, the proceeds of such Obligations shall be used to reimburse the Water System Reserve Fund 603, which is the fund from which the advance for costs of the Project will be made.
SECTION 11. That this Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.