Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
A. Need: This legislation is required of the City to execute three Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) agreements with the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA). A designated Sewerage and Drainage Division Project, identified in Section 2., is the sponsoring project for all three WRRSP projects. These projects were nominated by the City and have received funding approval through the Ohio Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Program.
B. Emergency Designation: This authorizing legislation must be submitted to the Ohio EPA by February 13, 2004, or this projects will be subject to removal from the priority list.
2. FISCAL IMPACT N/A
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to execute three (3) Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) agreements with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority; to designate a Division of Sewerage and Drainage Sanitary System Improvement project as the sponsoring project for all three WRRSP projects; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the City has nominated three Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP) projects and has designated a Division of Sewerage and Drainage project as the sponsoring project; and
WHEREAS, the Ohio EPA has informed the City that these three WRRSP projects have ranked within the funding range and are listed on the priority list of the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund Draft 2004 Program Management Plan; and
WHEREA, this legislation must be approved and a certified copy must be submitted to the Ohio EPA by the close of business on February 13, 2004 therefore an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Sewerage and Drainage, Department of Public Utilities, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Public Utilities to execute these three Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program projects with the State of Ohio for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, property, and safety; Now Therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of Public Utilities be, and hereby is, authorized to execute three Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program agreements with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Water Development Authority, for the following projects:
1. Bokes Creek/Mill Creek Scioto River Watershed Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
2. Big Run Preservation Park
3. Camp Lazarus Conservation Easement
Section 2. That the Director of Public Utilities be, and hereby is, authorized to designate the Division of Sewerage and Drainage project titled Big Walnut Outfall Sewer System Capacity Augmentation, Part 1 (aka BWARI, Part 2), CIP No. 650430.1, WPCLF No. CS392260-02 as the sponsoring project for all three of the WRRSP projects as herein described in Section 1 of this ordinance.
Section 3. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is 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.