Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security (FCEMHS) for the purchase of equipment upgrades for existing City of Columbus outdoor warning sirens (tornado) that are outdated. There are a total of fifty-eight (58) emergency sirens covering the City of Columbus. Most of the sirens are of the advanced WPS 4000 variety. There are eleven older WPS 3000 sirens that need upgraded. This ordinance will provide funds to upgrade these eleven WPS 3000 sirens with new amplifiers, battery chargers, and controllers. The purchase and installation of a new siren cost approximately $20,000 per unit. This upgrade will cost less than $8,000 per siren. This legislation authorizes FCEMHS to upgrade the eleven (11) WPS 3000 warning sirens.
Under State of Ohio law, FCEMHS is the agency that has the responsibility to coordinate, operate and maintain the outdoor warning siren system within Franklin County. FCEMHS competitively bid their contracts with the assistance of the Franklin County Purchasing Department and comply with all basic laws pertaining to government contracting pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code, adjudicated case law, and Attorney General opinions concerning public contracts and competitive bidding. By entering into this agreement with FCEMHS, the City of Columbus will improve its portion of the outdoor warning siren system.
This legislation also amends the 2009 Capital improvement budget, Ordinance No 0806-2009 and authorizes the transfer of $80,000.00 between projects within the Safety Voted Bond Fund.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is needed to expedite the upgrade and ensure continued emergency coverage for the areas affected.
Bid Information: N/A.
Contract Compliance No: N/A
Fiscal Impact: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $80,000 from the Safety Voted Bond fund for the upgrade of the outdoor warning siren system maintained by the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency. These capital funds will be transferred from various Public Safety Projects with existing cash in the Voted Public Safety Bond Fund. The Department's 2009 spending plan of remaining cash includes the cost of these upgrades.
Title
To amend the Department of Public Safety's 2009 Capital Improvement Budget, to authorize the City Auditor to transfer funds between projects in the Safety Voted Bond Fund, to authorize the Director of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency to upgrade the existing warning sirens, to authorize the expenditure of $80,000 from the Voted Public Safety Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($80,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend the Capital Improvement Budget, Ordinance No 0806-2009 and to transfer funds within Safety Voted Bond for the upgrade of outdated warning sirens within the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the FCEMHS is responsible for managing the outdoor warning siren system within Franklin County not only by coordinating siren locations but also for their maintenance, relocation, replacement and activation; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus intends to improve its portion of the Emergency Management Agency outdoor warning siren system; and
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security has entered into competitively bid contracts for the necessary sirens, controls, installation and testing needed for improving the City of Columbus' portion of the outdoor warning siren system; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to enter into an agreement with the Emergency Management Agency of Franklin County for the aforementioned purpose for the preservation of 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 2009 Capital Improvement Budget (ordinance No. 0806-2009) is hereby amended as follows:
PROJECT PROJECT NO CURRENT CIB REVISED CIB
Sirens (Carryover ) 310106-100000 $0.00 $80,000.00
Police Apparatus Repl. 330034-100000 $284,849 $204,849
(Carryover)
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer funds within the Safety Capital Improvement Fund as follows:
FROM:
Dept/Div: 30-03|Fund: 701|Project Number 330034|Project Name - Police Apparatus Replacement |OCA Code 330034|Amount $80,000.00
TO:
Dept/Div: 30-01|Fund: 701|Project Number 310106|Project Name - Sirens|OCA Code 644518|Amount $80,000.00
SECTION 3. That the Director of Public Safety be and is hereby authorized and directed to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security for the purchase and installation of front panel upgrades to existing City of Columbus outdated sirens.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of $80,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary for said purpose, is hereby authorized from the voted Public Safety Bond fund as follows:
Division Fund. OCA Code Object Level 3 Project Name Project No. Amount
30 - 01 701 644518 6644 Sirens 310106 $80,000
SECTION 5. 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 6. 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 the same.