EXPLANATION
BACKGROUND: The City’s Department of Public Service (“DPS”) is performing the Signals - Dering Avenue at South High Street Project (Project Number 545013-100000) (“Public Project”). The City must acquire certain fee simple title and lesser real estate located at the intersection of South High Street and Dering Avenue (collectively, “Real Estate”) in order for DPS to timely complete the Public Project. The City passed Ordinance Numbers 3029-2018 and 0531-2022 authorizing the City Attorney to acquire the Real Estate. Furthermore, the City also adopted Resolution 0163X-2024 establishing the City’s intent to appropriate the Real Estate. The City’s acquisition of the Real Estate will help make, improve, or repair certain portions of the public right-of-way located at the intersection of South High Street and Dering Avenue which will be open to the public without charge.
The City Attorney, pursuant to Columbus City Code, Section 909.03, served notice to all of the owners of the Real Estate of the (i) Public Project’s public purpose and necessity, and (ii) adoption of Resolution 0163X-2024. However, the City Attorney was unable to either locate some of the Real Estate’s owner(s) or agree with some of the Real Estate’s owner(s) in good faith regarding the amount of just compensation.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding to acquire the Real Estate is available through the Streets and Highways GO Bond Fund, Fund Number 7704 pursuant to existing Auditor’s Certificate ACDI001231-10.
EMERGENCY JUSTIFICATION: Emergency action is requested in order to acquire the Real Estate which will allow DPS to timely complete the Public Project by December 2, 2024.
TITLE
To authorize the City Attorney to file complaints in order to immediately appropriate and accept the remaining fee simple and lesser real estate necessary to timely complete the Signals - Dering Avenue at South High Street Project; to authorize an expenditure of $4,933.00 and to declare an emergency. ($4,933.00)
BODY
WHEREAS, the City intends to make, improve, or repair certain public right-of-ways by completing the Signals - Dering Avenue at South High Street Project (Project Number 545013-100000) (“Public Project”); and
WHEREAS, the City intends for the City Attorney to acquire the necessary fee simple title and lesser real estate located in the vicinity of the public right-of-way at the intersection of South High Street and Dering Avenue; and
WHEREAS, the City, pursuant to the passage of Ordinance Numbers 3029-2018 and 0531-2022 and the adoption of Resolution Number 0163X-2024, intends to authorize the City Attorney to spend City funds and file the necessary complaints to immediately appropriate and accept title to the remainder of the Real Estate; and
WHEREAS, the City intends for the Real Estate’s acquisition to help make, improve, or repair certain portions of the public right-of-way at the intersection of South High Street and Dering Avenue which will be open to the public without charge; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of DPS in that it is immediately necessary to declare the City’s intent to appropriate and accept the Real Estate in order to prevent unnecessary delay in completing the Public Project which is scheduled for December 2, 2024, 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 fee simple and lesser real estate associated with the project parcel numbers listed in Section Four (4) of this ordinance (“Real Estate”) are (i) fully described in Resolution 0163X-2024 and incorporated into this ordinance for reference as if rewritten, and (ii) to be immediately appropriated and accepted for the public purpose of the Department of Public Service (“DPS”) timely completing the Signals - Dering Avenue at South High Street Project (Project Number 545013-100000) (“Public Project”).
SECTION 2. That the City declares, pursuant to the City's power and authority under the Ohio Constitution, Ohio Revised Code Sections 715.01, 717.01, 719.01, and 719.02, the City's Charter, and Columbus City Code Chapter 909, the appropriation of the Real Estate is necessary for the Public Project, because the City was unable to locate the Real Estate’s owner(s) or agree in good faith with the Real Estate’s owner(s) regarding the amount of just compensation to be paid by the City for the Real Estate.
SECTION 3. That the City intends to obtain immediate possession of the Real Estate for the Public Project.
SECTION 4. That the City declares that the fair market value of the Real Estate as follows:
PUBLIC PROJECT PARCEL NUMBER(S) - FAIR MARKET VALUE ESTIMATE
REAL ESTATE OWNER
OWNER ADDRESS
Parcel 2WD, T1, T2 (FMVE $970.00)
Claudia Realty, LLC
2385 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43207
Parcel 3WD1, WD2, FMVE ($3,963.00)
Muze Property Management, LLC
c/o Irene Whitesides, Statutory Agent
2404 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43207
SECTION 5. That the City Attorney is authorized to file petitions necessary to appropriate the Real Estate in the appropriate court of common pleas and impanel a jury to inquire and assess the amount of just compensation for the Real Estate.
SECTION 6. That the Real Estate’s acquisition for the Public Project is required to make, improve, or repair certain portions of the public right-of-way at the intersection of South High Street and Dering Avenue and associated appurtenances, which will be open to the public without charge.
SECTION 7. That the City Attorney, in order to pay for the Real Estate’s acquisition and appropriation costs for the Public Project, is authorized to spend up to Four Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty-three U.S. Dollars and 00/100 ($4933.00), or so much as may be needed from existing Auditor’s Certificate ACDI001231-10.
SECTION 8. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 9. That this ordinance, for the reasons stated in the preamble, which are made a part of this ordinance and fully incorporated for reference as if rewritten, is 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 (10) days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.