Explanation
This ordinance is to authorize the Public Service Director to modify and extend an existing grant agreement, Agreement No. 10970, with the Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation for the Freeway Management program.
The present agreement for the operation and maintenance of the Freeway Management System was established through Ordinance 2016-2000 between the State of Ohio, Department of Transportation and the City of Columbus, Public Service Department.
The State determined that it was in the public interest to proceed with the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a Freeway Management System (FMS) to be located on interstate highways and state and U.S. route numbered freeways and expressways within the City of Columbus. The city previously agreed to design, operate and perform maintenance on a freeway management system within the City of Columbus as authorized by Ordinance 1708-1991.
Fiscal impact: This program will be funded by the State of Ohio for two employees with space provided by the City of Columbus at no charge to the state to house staff, workspace and central equipment.
Emergency action is requested to make these funds available to the Transportation Division as soon as possible for actual and anticipated grant expenses and in order to provide for the uninterrupted operation of this program.
Title
To authorize the Public Service Director to extend the existing agreement with the Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation for the Freeway Management System Grant Program for one year (2005-2006) for the Transportation Division; to authorize the appropriation of $175,000.00 within the General Government Grant Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $175,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed from the General Government Grant Fund for the continued operation of this program and to declare an emergency. ($175,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of Transportation of the State of Ohio desires cooperation from the City of Columbus in the planning and execution of the Freeway Management program; and
WHEREAS, the Public Service Director has identified the need for a program to provide traffic delay information to the public and media suggested alternate routes in order to expedite traffic clearance from such delays; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Transportation Division in that it is immediately necessary to consent to a one-year agreement extension of the program as soon as possible in order to provide for the uninterrupted operation of this program, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City of Columbus hereby agrees to cooperate with the Director of Transportation of the State of Ohio and grants consent to the Ohio Department of Transportation for its development and execution of the program.
SECTION 2. The City agrees to host the ODOT Freeway Management System in the Traffic Management Center of the Transportation Division at 109 North Front Street and to provide operator staff for the operation of this program.
SECTION 3. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grant Fund, Fund 220, 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, 2005, the sum of $175,000.00 be and hereby is appropriated to Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 01, Object Level Three Code 1100, OCA Code 595004 and Grant 595004.
SECTION 4. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 3 shall be paid upon order of the Public Service Director and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 5. That for purposes of paying the cost thereof, the sum of $175,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed be and hereby is authorized to be expended from the General Government Grant Fund, Fund 220, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 01, Object Level Three Code 1100, OCA Code 595004 and Grant 595004.
SECTION 6. That the Public Service Director of the City of Columbus be and hereby is authorized on behalf of the City to enter into an agreement with the Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation as necessary for the development and execution of the program.
SECTION 7. 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 that same.