Explanation
BACKGROUND: Pursuant to ordinance No. 0141-2006, passed by Columbus City Council on February 8, 2006, the Columbus Department of Development applied for, and was awarded, a Clean Ohio Assistance Fund grant of $750,000.00 from the Ohio Department of Development to perform environmental clean up at the Wheatland Avenue property in the Hilltop Area of Columbus.
The purpose of this legislation is to authorize an agreement between the Columbus Department of Development and the Ohio Department of Development to receive and administer the grant and to authorize Civil and Environmental Consultants to apply the grant funding toward the environmental cleanup at the project site.
The Wheatland Property is situated in the Hilltop Area on the north side of West Broad Street just east of Wheatland Avenue and west of the Ohio Department of Transportation headquarters. The site is 22 acres and was acquired by the City of Columbus from the State of Ohio in 2004 where it formerly served as a psychiatric hospital complex.
With input from Hilltop Area residents, the Columbus Department of Development requested and received developer proposals to convert the site to residential use. Dominion Homes was selected to construct approximately 100 new single-family homes on the site with an average estimated value of $125,000 per home.
A recent Phase 2 environmental assessment (approved April 25, 2005, Ord. No. 0594-05) conducted by consultants for the Columbus Department of Development revealed the site will required asbestos removal, structural demolition and soil clean up to prepare the site for redevelopment.
In preparation for a Clean Ohio Assistance Fund Grant award, the Columbus Department of Development undertook a Request for Proposal process during May and June of this year where up to 25 bids were solicited to clean and prepare the Wheatland Avenue property under a Clean Ohio Grant should the City be awarded the grant. Civil and Environmental Consultants was selected as the successful bidder.
This legislation is submitted as an emergency to commence the Clean Ohio assistance grant process immediately.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this legislation is provided by a Clean Ohio Assistance Fund grant from the Ohio Department of Development in the amount of $750,000.00.
Title
To authorize and direct the Director of the Columbus Department of Development to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Department of Development to receive and administer Clean Ohio assistant grant funds in an amount of $750,000.00; to authorize the appropriation of $750,000.00 from the General Government Grant Fund; to authorize and direct the Director of the Columbus Department of Development to enter into an agreement with Civil and Environmental Consultants to apply said grant funding for environmental clean up work at Wheatland Avenue Property in the Hilltop Area of Columbus; to authorize the expenditure of $750,000.00 from the General Government Grant Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($750,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the State of Ohio Clean Ohio Program will award $40 million per year, for five years, to communities throughout Ohio for the purpose of clean up and redevelopment of contaminated or abandoned properties known as "brownfields"; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus contains brownfield properties which may qualify for Clean Ohio clean up and redevelopment grant funding; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Department of Development has been involved with brownfield redevelopment since 1999 through its administration of the Columbus Brownfield Redevelopment Program and its associated task force; and
WHEREAS, Clean Ohio grant funding will greatly compliment the efforts of the Columbus Department of Development in helping to clean up and redevelop brownfield properties in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Department of Development has identified a brownfield property, which is eligible for the Clean Ohio grant assistance fund, at the Wheatland Avenue property where environmental clean up is required before redevelopment can occur; and
WHEREAS, the City was successful in its application to the State of Ohio for a Clean Ohio Assistance Fund grant of $750,000.00 to perform demolition, soil cleanup and asbestos clean up work at the Wheatland Avenue property; and
WHEREAS, Agreements with the Ohio Department of Development and Civil and Environmental Consultants are required in order for the City to receive, administer and apply the Clean Ohio assistance grant of $750,000.00, and;
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City of Columbus in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Columbus Department of Development to enter into agreements with the Ohio Department of Development and Civil and Environmental Consultants, for Clean Ohio assistance funding in order to commence the Clean Ohio assistance grant process immediately, all for the preservation of public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of the Columbus Department of Development is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Ohio Department of Development to receive and administer Clean Ohio assistance grant funds in the amount of $750,000.00 for environmental clean up at the Wheatland Avenue property.
Section 2. That the sum of $750,000.00 be and is hereby appropriated from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund, Fund 220, Grant 446020, 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, 2006, to the Department of Development, Economic Development Division, Division No. 44-02, Grant 446020, Object Level One 03, Object Level Three 3336, OCA Code 446020.
Section 3. That the Director of the Columbus Department of Development is authorized to enter into an agreement with Civil and Environmental Consultants in the amount of $750,000.00 for environmental clean up work at the Wheatland Avenue property.
Section 4. That for the purpose stated in Section 3, the expenditure of $750,000.00 is hereby authorized from the General Government Grant Fund, Fund 220, Grant No. 446020, Department of Development, Economic Development Division, Division No. 44-02, Object Level Three, 3336, OCA Code 446020.
Section 5. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, the 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.