Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with Hagerty Consulting, Inc for services regarding the O'Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan Exercises.
O’Shaughnessy Dam has served as a reservoir for the City of Columbus’ water supply for over one hundred years. Failure of this infrastructure can result in life-threatening consequences for the residents that live downstream. Ensuring proper notification procedures and coordinated response actions are crucial during dam emergencies to protect life and property.
Using Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) methodology, the consultant will design, conduct, evaluate, and develop after-action reporting for a tabletop exercise and, if authorized, a functional exercise of Columbus Water & Power’s O’Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan. In design and development, the consultant will work with the project manager to identify exercise planning team members, schedule planning meetings, identify and develop exercise objectives, design the scenario, create documentation, facilitate the exercise, provide evaluation guides, and coordinate logistics.
The consultant will facilitate activities essential to conducting the tabletop exercise and, if authorized, a functional exercise, including preparing for exercise play, managing exercise events, and conducting immediate exercise wrap-up activities. They will develop an effective evaluation, assessing performance against the exercise objectives. Their evaluation will identify and document strengths and areas for improvement. The consultant will formulate these findings into an after-action report and improvement plan for Columbus Water & Power. Their report will provide corrective actions identified during exercise play and propose recommendations for implementation.
These proposed exercises will test the emergency action plan that supports notifying response partners, emergency evacuation, public information and warning, and coordinating resources in response to a dam emergency.
Procurement:
The Department of Public Utilities solicited competitive bids through the Vendor Services and Bonfire websites from October 30th, 2025 to December 5th, 2025 for the services regarding the O’Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan Exercises in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code, RFQ031599. Six bids were received by Ascenttra, Inc., Chloeta, Hagerty Consulting, Inc, Integrated Solutions Consulting, Summit Exercises and Training, and The Gate 15 Company. The bids were all deemed responsive and were evaluated on December 5th, 2025. The evaluation committee determined that Hagerty Consulting, Inc submitted the strongest proposal because of the subject-matter knowledge of its project team, its understanding of infrastructure preparedness involving discussion and operations-based exercises, and its experience with the requirements of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP).
The term of the contract will run from the date of execution by the City of Columbus through project completion, which is expected to be a period of ten months. For each year of the contract, funding is contingent on funding availability, mutual agreement between the parties, approval of City Council, and certification of funds by the City Auditor. The contract does not automatically renew.
This ordinance authorizes the initial term of the contract and is being submitted in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code.
Principal Party:
Hagerty Consulting, Inc
1618 Orrington Ave. Suite 201
Evanston, IL 60201
Mallory Buys-Brown, (847) 492-8454
Contract Compliance Number: 054136
Contract Compliance Expiration Date: December 2nd, 2027
Fiscal Impact: $59,995.00 is available from within the Public Utilities Operating Funds.
$00.00 was spent in 2025
$00.00 was spent in 2024
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with Hagerty Consulting, Inc for services regarding the O’Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan Exercises; and to authorize the expenditure of $59,995.00 from within the Public Utilities Operating Funds. ($59,995.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement with Hagerty Consulting, Inc for services regarding the O’Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan Exercises; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities solicited proposals for professional services regarding the O’Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan Exercises in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code through RFQ031599; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities wishes to enter into an agreement from the date of execution by the City of Columbus through the project’s completion, which is expected to be approximately 10 months; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $59,995.00 from the Public Utilities Operating Funds; and
WHEREAS, it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities, to authorize the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to enter into an agreement for services regarding the O’Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan Exercises with Hagerty Consulting, Inc; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Public Utilities is authorized to enter into an agreement with Hagerty Consulting, Inc for services regarding the O’Shaughnessy Dam Emergency Action Plan Exercises. The amount being authorized by this ordinance is $59,995.00.
SECTION 2. That this contract is in accordance with the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the expenditure of $59,995.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from object class 03, Services, split among the Electricity, Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Stormwater Operating Funds, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.