Explanation
The City of Columbus Transportation Division has been selectively acquiring properties ultimately necessary to accommodate the widening of Hard Road between State Route 315 and Linworth Road as these become available for purchase. Such "advanced" acquisitions may result in the city paying less for the properties than what it would later and may serve to mitigate owner hardships incurred in selling properties that will ultimately be condemned. It is the division's intent to allow the homes on these properties to be leased until they must be demolished for the roadway improvement. Rental income from the leases is deposited into the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund and is used to offset the city's cost of ownership such as grounds upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, rental expenses, utilities and property taxes. Ordinance #3360-1998 passed December 14, 1998, and Ordinance #2329-2000 passed October 23, 2000, provided $33,000.00 and $50,000.00, respectfully, for this purpose. These previous authorizations have been exhausted. Ownership-related expenses have been incurred and paid by the division's operating fund, the Street Construction, Maintenance and Repair Fund; this Fund should be reimbursed for these expenses. This ordinance authorizes an additional $150,000.00 for ownership-related expenses, some of which will be used to reimburse the operating fund.
Funds for this purpose have been identified in the unappropriated balance of the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund.
Emergency action is requested to provide for timely payment of ownership-related expenses and reimbursement of the operating fund.
Title
To appropriate $150,000.00 within the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund; to authorize the Public Service Director to pay ownership-related expenses including but not limited to grounds upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, rental expenses, utilities and property taxes for occupied and unoccupied properties acquired by the city as a result of advanced acquisition for the Hard Road Improvement project for the Transportation Division; to authorize the expenditure of $150,000.00 from the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, and to declare an emergency. ($150,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is engaged in advanced acquisition of select parcels for the Hard Road Improvement (Phase C) project; and
WHEREAS, the Public Service Department intends that the homes located on these properties be leased until the project demands their demolition; and
WHEREAS, rental income from the leases is deposited into the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund; and
WHEREAS, income derived from leasing these properties is used to offset the costs of city ownership including but not limited to grounds upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, rental expenses, utilities and property taxes; and
WHEREAS, ownership-related expenses have been incurred and paid by the division's operating fund, the Street Construction, Maintenance and Repair Fund and this Fund should be reimbursed for these expenses; and
WHEREAS, monies are available within the unappropriated balance of the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, these monies must be appropriated; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate and authorize the expenditure of the funds required for ownership-related purposes, 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 $150,000.00 be and hereby is appropriated within the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, Fund 765, and from any and 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, 2003, to the Transportation Division, Department No. 59-09, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6606, OCA Code 561001 and Grant 561001.
SECTION 2. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 1 be paid by order of the Public Service Director and that no order shall be drawn or monies paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 3. That the Public Service Director be and hereby is authorized to expend those funds necessary to pay for ownership-related costs incurred as a result of advanced acquisition of select parcels required for the Hard Road Improvement project including but not limited to grounds upkeep, maintenance, cleaning, rental expenses, utilities and property taxes, including these expenses that have been incurred by the Street Construction, Maintenance and Repair Fund.
SECTION 4. That for the purpose of paying said ownership-related costs, the sum of $150,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized to be expended from Fund 765, the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, Transportation Division, Department No. 59-09, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6606, OCA Code 561001 and Grant 561001.
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 ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.