Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with Woolpert, Inc., in the amount of up to $2,200,000.00 for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road project.
The intent of this project is to provide the City of Columbus, Department of Public Service, additional resources for planning and preliminary engineering services and documenting them in the format of a Feasibility Study generally following ODOT report guidelines. For the segment of the corridor where Williams Road intersects Norfolk Southern and CSX rail lines, the City intends to pursue funding for a grade separation from the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) via the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program. As such, services for that segment will follow the FRA Guidance on Development and Implementation of Railroad Capital Projects, and this contract is planned to be used through all the Project Lifecycle Stages as described in the guidance. Each Lifecycle Stage would not be advanced until FRA approval in order to be reimbursable under grant requirements. The City may reallocate the funds to other tasks if FRA funds are not secured or as otherwise determined. A connection to the Fortress Obetz site is planned to be investigated within the Planning Stage.
Ordinance 0748-2024 authorized the Director of Public Service, on behalf of the City of Columbus, to submit applications to and execute grant agreements with Ohio Rail Development Commission relative to the Ohio Grade Crossing Elimination Program, accept and expend awarded grant funds, and issue refunds, if necessary, for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road.
The Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road contract. The project was formally advertised on the Vendor Services and Bonfire web sites from October 25, 2024, to November 21, 2024. The City received two (2) responses. Both proposals were deemed responsive and were fully evaluated when the Evaluation Committee met on November 26, 2024.
The responding firms were:
Company Name City/State Majority/MBE/WBE/VET/EBE/LGBTBE/SLBE
Woolpert, Inc. Dayton, OH MAJ
HNTB Ohio, Inc. Cleveland, OH MAJ
Woolpert, Inc., received the highest score by the evaluation committee and will be awarded the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road contract.
Searches in the Excluded Party List System (Federal) and the Findings for Recovery list (State) produced no findings against Woolpert, Inc.
The certification of Woolpert, Inc. and all associated subcontractors was in good standing at the time the bid was awarded.
As part of their bid Woolpert, Inc. has proposed the following 7 subcontractors to work on the project:
|
Company Name |
City/State |
Majority/ODI Certification |
|
Advanced Engineering Consultants, Ltd. |
Columbus, Ohio |
MBE |
|
Burgess & Niple, Inc. |
Columbus, Ohio |
MAJ |
|
Gannett Fleming, Engineers and Architects, P.C. |
Columbus, Ohio |
MAJ |
|
Lawhon & Associates, Inc. |
Westerville, Ohio |
WBE |
|
National Engineering & Architectural Services Inc |
Columbus, Ohio |
MBE |
|
Smart Services, Inc. |
Heath, Ohio |
MAJ |
|
TranSystems Corporation of Ohio |
Cleveland, Ohio |
MAJ |
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
Woolpert, Inc.’s contract compliance number is CC001040 and expires 04/17/2025.
3. FISCAL IMPACT
A portion of this project is a reimbursable budgeted expense of $200,000.00 within the General Government Grants Fund, Fund 2220, Grant #G592410 (ORDC-Williams Road Study). Funds need to be appropriated.
The remaining balance of $2,000,000.00 is available and appropriated within Fund 7704, the Streets and Highways Bond Fund.
4. MINORITY AND WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE & SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM
This contract was bid with a City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program goal of 15% as assigned by the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). Failure by the contractor to meet this goal subjects the contractor to the Penalties for Non-Compliance as described in the “City’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise & Small Local Business Enterprise Program Manual” and in the “City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program Special Provision” that were part of the bid documents for this contract.
5. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested in order to complete needed improvements at the earliest possible time and meet the requirements of the start date for the Ohio Rail Development Commission funding award to avoid penalty and to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
Title
To appropriate funds within the General Government Grants Fund; to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with Woolpert, Inc. for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road project; to authorize the expenditure of up to $2,200,000.00 from the General Government Grants Fund and Streets and Highways Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($2,200,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, there is a need to enter into a professional services contract to provide for a procurement effort that will result in the award and execution of a task order contract for planning and design services for improvements to Williams Road between the Scioto River and S. Hamilton Road; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road project; and
WHEREAS, Woolpert, Inc. submitted the best overall proposal for this project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to enter into a contract with Woolpert, Inc. for the provision of professional engineering consulting services described above in the amount of up to $2,200,000.00; and
WHEREAS, General Government Grants funds will be used to pay for a portion of this project; and
WHEREAS, funds must be appropriated within the General Government Grants fund; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize an expenditure of up to $2,200,000.00 from the Streets and Highways Bond Fund and the General Government Grants fund for this contract; and
WHEREAS, this contract opportunity was submitted to the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) for review and assignment of an MBE/WBE goal prior to bidding; and
WHEREAS, this contract was bid with a City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program goal of 15% as assigned by the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI); and
WHEREAS, failure by the contractor to meet this goal subjects the contractor to the Penalties for Non-Compliance; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Service in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into contract with Woolpert, Inc. in order to provide funding for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road project to allow planning and design services for improvements to Williams Road between the Scioto River and S. Hamilton Road as soon as possible, to ensure the safety of the traveling public thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That from the unappropriated monies 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 ended December 31, 2024, the sum of $200,000.00 is appropriated in Fund 2220 (General Government Grants), Dept-Div 5912 (Design and Construction), Project G592410 (ORDC-Williams Road Study), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the Director of Public Service be, and hereby is, authorized to enter into a professional services contract with Woolpert, Inc. at One Easton Oval, Suite 400, Columbus, OH 43219, for the Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road project in an amount up to $2,200,000.00.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $2,000,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7704 (Streets and Highways Bond Fund), Dept-Div 5912 (Design and Construction), Project P533008-100000 (Arterial Street Rehabilitation - Williams Road Corridor - Scioto River to South Hamilton Road), in object class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of $200,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2220 (General Government Grants), Dept-Div 5912 (Design and Construction), Project G592410 (ORDC-Williams Road Study), in object class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That 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 6. 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 7. 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 8. That at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 9. 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.