Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with Toole Design Group, LLC in the amount of up to $750,000.00 for the Columbus Bikeways and Micromobility Plan project.
The intent of this project is to provide the City of Columbus, Division of Mobility and Parking Services, a strategic action plan to implement a safe and connected bikeway and micromobility system throughout the city. The resulting plan will serve as an update of the 2008 Bicentennial Bikeways Plan and will advance the objectives of Vision Zero Columbus, the Columbus Climate Action Plan, and the LinkUS Active Transportation Vision. The plan will have a core focus on bicycle facilities, but will also examine opportunities to enhance all modes of micromobility and active transportation, with an emphasis on connections to transit, jobs, trails, and community destinations. Plan elements will include equitable public engagement, policy recommendations, priority network development, facility type recommendations, project constructability/feasibility analysis, and a recommended capital improvement program for priority implementation projects.
The Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Columbus Bikeways and Micromobility Plan contract. The project was formally advertised on the Vendor Services and Bonfire web sites from January 11, 2023, to February 8, 2023. The city received three (3) responses. They were all evaluated when the Evaluation Committee met on February 15, 2023. The two (2) finalists were asked to prepare a presentation to answer follow up questions for the committee. On February 23, 2023 the evaluation committee viewed the presentations and completed the evaluation process.
The responding firms were:
Company Name City/State MAJ/EBE/LGBTBE/MBE/
SLBE/VBE/WBE
Burgess & Niple Columbus, Ohio MAJ
HNTB Ohio Columbus, Ohio MAJ
Toole Design Group, LLC Columbus, Ohio WBE
Toole Design Group, LLC received the highest score by the evaluation committee and will be awarded the Columbus Bikeways and Micromobility Plan contract.
Searches in the Excluded Party List System (Federal) and the Findings for Recovery list (State) produced no findings against Toole Design Group, LLC.
2. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
Toole Design Group, LLC’s contract compliance number is CC00315 and expires 07/31/2024.
3. FISCAL IMPACT
Funding for this contract is available within Fund 2223, the Special Purpose Fund. Funds need to be appropriated.
4. MINORITY AND WOMAN OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE & SMALL LOCAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM
This contract was bid with an approved City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program goal of 20% as assigned by the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). Failure by the contractor to meet this goal subjects the contractor to the Penalties for Non-Compliance as described in the “City’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise & Small Local Business Enterprise Program Manual” and in the “City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program Special Provision” that were part of the bid documents for this contract.
5. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to expedite this contract so that a safe zone for bicycles and micromobility vehicles may be established throughout the city at the earliest time possible, to ensure the safety of the travelling public.
Title
To appropriate funds within the Special Purpose Fund; to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with Toole Design Group, LLC for the Columbus Bikeways and Micromobility Plan project; to authorize the expenditure of up to $750,000.00 from the Special Purpose Fund to pay for this contract; and to declare an emergency. ($750,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, there is a need to enter into a professional services contract to provide for a strategic action plan to implement a safe and connected bikeway and micromobility system throughout the city; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service, Office of Support Services, solicited Requests for Proposals for the Columbus Bikeways and Micromobility Plan project; and
WHEREAS, Toole Design Group, LLC submitted the best overall proposal for this project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to enter into a contract with Toole Design Group, LLC for the provision of professional engineering consulting services described above in the amount of up to $750,000.00; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to appropriate funds within the Special Purpose Fund, Fund 2223; and
WHEREAS, this contract opportunity was submitted to the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) for review and assignment of an MBE/WBE goal prior to bidding; and
WHEREAS, this contract was bid with an anticipated City of Columbus MBE/WBE Program goal of 20% as assigned by the City’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI); and
WHEREAS, failure by the contractor to meet this goal subjects the contractor to the Penalties for Non-Compliance; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Service in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into contract with Toole Design Group, LLC in order to provide funding for the Columbus Bikeways and Micromobility Plan so that the strategic action plan to implement a safe zone for bicycles and micromobility vehicles may be established throughout the city at the earliest possible time, to ensure the safety of the travelling public 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 from the unappropriated monies 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 ended December 31, 2023, the sum of $750,000.00 is appropriated in Fund 2223 (Special Purpose Fund), Dept-Div 5911 (Infrastructure Management), in Object Class 03 (Purchased Services) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the Director of Public Service be, and hereby is, authorized to enter into a professional services contract with Toole Design Group, LLC, 149 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, for the Columbus Bikeways and Micromobility Plan project in an amount up to $750,000.00.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $750,000, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2223 (Special Purpose Fund), Dept-Div 5911 (Division of Infrastructure Management), in Object Class 03 (Purchased Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. 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.