Explanation
BACKGROUND: The City is required to conduct Environmental Review Record of all federally funded projects to determine whether it meets federal, state, and local environmental standards. CAP STONE & Assoc Inc. (dba and referred to throughout as Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc.) has been assisting the Department of Finance and Management in preparing Environmental Review Records for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funded projects.
This ordinance is needed to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract for environmental review consultation services for the period of January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024; to authorize the expenditure of Department of Finance and Management - Grants Management Administration funds (Fund 2248) that were appropriated through Ordinance 2995-2023; and to appropriate and authorize the expenditure of HOME Investment Partnership and HOME-ARP funds for this purpose.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance will authorize the expenditure of $40,000.00 from the Community Development Block Grant Fund (Fund 2248), $50,000.00 from the HOME Investment Partnerships Fund (Fund 2201), and $20,000.00 from the HOME-ARP Fund (Fund 2201) for a total expenditure of $110,000.00.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: An emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a contract so that Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. will have the ability to continue assisting the Department of Finance and Management with preparing environmental review records and avoid disruption in providing such services, to comply with federal requirements, and for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc.; to authorize the expenditure of Department of Finance and Management - Grants Management Administration funds in the amount of $40,000.00 (Fund 2248); to authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to appropriate and authorize the expenditure of $50,000.00 of HOME Investement Partnership funds (Fund 2201) and $20,000.00 of HOME-ARP funds (Fund 2201); and to declare an emergency. ($110,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is an entitlement community and a Participating Jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the City is a current recipient of various HUD Community Planning Division (CPD) grant funds; and
WHEREAS, an environmental review is the process of reviewing a project and its potential environmental impacts to determine whether it meets federal, state, and local environmental standards; and
WHEREAS, the environmental review process is required for all HUD-assisted projects to ensure that the proposed project does not negatively impact the surrounding environment and that the property site itself will not have an adverse environmental or health effect on end users; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Finance and Management utilized a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to identify and assess qualified firms for providing environmental review services; and
WHEREAS, proposals were submitted in response RFQ015377 in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code pertaining to professional services contracts, through which process Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. received the highest overall score;
WHEREAS, RFQ015377 stated that the proposal may be renewed annually for a period of up to five (5) years; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 2995-2023 authorized the appropriation of 2024 CDBG Program Year funds for various activities, including Department of Finance and Management - Grants Management Administration; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. for consultation services to assist the City in preparing Environmental Review Records for the 2024 HUD Program Year; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a contract so that Stone Environmental Engineering and Science Inc. will have the ability to continue assisting the Department of Finance and Management with preparing environmental review records and avoid disruption in providing such services, to comply with federal requirements, 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 expenditure of $40,000.00 is authorized within the CDBG Fund 2248 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the appropriation and expenditure of $50,000.00 is authorized within the HOME Fund 2201 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the appropriation and expenditure of $20,000.00 is authorized within the HOME-ARP Fund 2201 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. 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 4. 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.