Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into contract with Resource International to provide engineering services associated with the Glenwood Park Natural Area Improvements Project. The contract amount is $77,080.00, with a contingency of $15,000.00, for a total of $92,080.00 being authorized by this ordinance.
The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) sought proposals from qualified consulting firms for professional design and engineering services for the Glenwood Park Natural Area Improvements Project. Glenwood Park is located at 1888 Fairmont Avenue, in the Hilltop Neighborhood, and the park consists of 16.7 acres in a west central location of the City. The park contains approximately 8.7 acres of developed land with a recreational facility and swimming pool. There is approximately 8 acres of undeveloped wooded terrain.
For years, the local community has advocated for beautification of the Greater Hilltop Area as presented in the Envision Hilltop: A Community Plan for Shared Success (https://www.envisionhilltop.com/). Neighborhood volunteer groups, including Friends of Glenwood Park and the Highland West Civic Association, have partnered with the City to remove litter, invasive plant species, as well as dead, dying, and diseased trees. These efforts reflect the Hilltop Community’s desire to revitalize this underutilized acreage of Glenwood Park. The overarching goal with improving Glenwood Park includes, creating more access, improving line of sight, and enhancing overall site safety for the community.
The entire 16.7-acre property is divided into three (3) separate physiographic areas. The existing Glenwood Community Center and Pool are in a relatively high flat topographic land space that is higher than West Broad Street, defined as the Upper Terrace. Along the land slope there is an intermediate perched flat area, defined as the Middle Terrace. An existing natural trail clearing and former roadway is evident along the Middle Terrace with a buried stone staircase down to the bottom of the slope. The lower wooded terrain and wooded land slope, defined as the Lowland Area, is relatively equal to or lower in elevation to Broad Street. The Lowland Area is the primary focus of this project. This project includes, but is not limited to, trail design, wetland enhancement, park signage, park amenities, park boundaries, street frontage and aesthetics.
Vendor Bid/Proposal Submissions (ODI designation status):
Proposals were requested from pre-qualified architecture and engineering firms that were pre-qualified internally through the bi-annual Request for Statement of Qualification (RFSQ) process outlined by Ordinance 2050-2020. Proposals were requested on January 10, 2022 and received by the Recreation and Parks Department on January 21, 2022. Proposals were received from the following firms:
Resource International (MBE)
Stone Environmental (MBE)
Environmental Design Group (MAJ)
Of note, professional services contracts are quality based selections and not based on price. Costs were not requested nor where they part of this evaluation.
In accordance with City Code, a selection team evaluated the proposals and recommended that Resource International be selected to perform the work. The firm was chosen based on their referenced projects, experience, qualifications, availability, timeline, and project approach.
Principal Parties:
Resource International
6350 Presidential Gateway, Columbus, Ohio 43231
Michelle Eckels, 614-823-4949 ext. 2076
Contract Compliance Number, Tax ID: 004197, 31-0669793
January 31, 2024
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested so that design can be completed and construction can start during the 2022 season, allowing construction to be completed by the spring of 2023.
Benefits to the Public: This project will benefit the community by providing a safe, accessible, and fun place for children to play. The project will also provide space for passive recreation while providing educational components to support visitors’ knowledge of natural resources, such as tree species and wetland characteristics.
Community Input/Issues: The concept of the improving the natural parkland in Glenwood Park has been discussed by the Greater Hilltop Area Commission, the Highland West Civic Association, and Friends of groups within this area for at least the past five years. Over the past 18 months, there have been many meetings with these groups and they will continue to be involved throughout the design and construction process, providing input as well as volunteer support.
Area(s) Affected: Greater Hilltop (53)
Master Plan Relation: This project supports the Department’s Master Plan by providing quality recreational parks, trails, and easy, all-age connectivity for Columbus residents.
Fiscal Impact: $92,080.00 is budgeted and available from within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 to meet the financial obligations of this contract.
Title
To authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into contract with Resource International to provide professional services associated with the Glenwood Park Natural Area Improvements Project; to authorize the transfer of $92,080.00 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund, to authorize the amendment of the 2021 Capital Improvements Budget; to authorize the expenditure of $92,080.00 from Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($92,080.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of the Recreation and Parks to enter into contract with Resource International to provide professional services associated with the Glenwood Park Natural Area Improvements Project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of $92,080.00 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the amendment of the 2021 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 2707-2021 in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this and future projects; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $92,080.00 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Recreation and Parks Department in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into contract with Resource International so that design can be completed and construction can start during the 2022 season, allowing construction to be completed by the spring of 2023, all for the 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 Director of Recreation and Parks be and is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Resource International to provide professional services associated with Glenwood Park Natural Area Improvements Project.
SECTION 2. 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 3. 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 4. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account 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 are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 5. That the transfer of $92,080.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between projects within the Recreation and Parks Bond Fund 7702 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That the 2021 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 2707-2021 is hereby amended as follows in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this ordinance and future projects.
Fund / Project / Project Name / Current / Change / Amended
Fund 7702; P511000-100000; Renovation - Misc. (Voted Carryover) / $218,948 / ($92,080) / $126,868
Fund 7702; P511036-100000; Glenwood Park Natural Area Improvements (Voted Carryover) / $0 / $92,080 / $92,080
SECTION 7. For the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $92,080.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the cost thereof, be and is hereby authorized from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 in object class 06 Capital Outlay per the accounting codes in the attachments to this ordinance.
SECTION 8. 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.