Explanation
The Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in cooperation with the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, is engaged in the widening and improvement of Hard Road from Sawmill Road to State Route 315. The City is currently preparing for construction of the second phase of this three-phase project. This phase, Phase C, running from Linworth Road to State Route 315, will widen 0.42 miles of existing Hard Road from two lanes to five lanes and will construct improvements including new turn lanes, raised traffic medians, new pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, street lighting, storm sewers, traffic signals, signs, and pavement markings. Also included in this phase of the project are the widening of 343 feet of Linworth Road, 1876 feet of Olentangy River Road and construction of turn lanes on State Route 315. Some parcels needed for this project were acquired earlier by the City through "advanced acquisition" as they became available. This legislation provides for the acquisition of all remaining properties needed for Phase C.
Fiscal Impact: This is a City/State/Federal participation project that is being administered by the City of Columbus. Eighty percent (80%) of the total right-of-way costs for this phase of the project will be paid out of Federal funds and the City will pay the remaining twenty percent (20%) of the cost. It is currently estimated that right-of-way acquisition costs for the remaining Hard Road Phase C parcels will be $1,860,000.00. Monies to pay for these costs are available in the federal/state match project within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund with the summer bond sale. This ordinance transfers and appropriates these funds to/within the Federal/State Highway Engineering Fund from which they are ultimately expended.
Right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation activities traditionally take two years to complete. Construction of this phase of the improvement project is slated to begin in early 2006 requiring right-of-way acquisition to be complete by November 1, 2005 to allow the utilities time to relocate before construction begins.
Emergency action is being requested to allow right-of-way acquisition-related activities to commence without delay so that construction can begin as currently scheduled.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to transfer $1,860,000.00 from the 1995 Voted Streets and Highways Fund to the Federal/State Highway Engineering Fund; to authorize the appropriation of $1,860,000.00 within the Federal/State Highway Engineering Fund; to authorize the City Attorney's Office Real Estate Division to contract for professional services to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for the Hard Road Phase C Improvement project for the Transportation Division; to authorize the expenditure of $1,860,000.00 from the Federal/State Highway Engineering Fund for acquisition-related costs for this project, and to declare an emergency. ($1,860,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, in cooperation with the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, is engaged in the widening and improvement of Hard Road from Sawmill Road to State Route 315; and
WHEREAS, this phase of the Hard Road project (Phase C) will widen 0.42 miles of existing Hard Road from two lanes to five lanes and will construct improvements including new turn lanes, raised traffic medians, new pavement, curb and gutter, sidewalk, street lighting, storm sewers, traffic signals, signs and pavement markings, widen 343 feet of Linworth Road and 1876 feet of Olentangy River Road and construct turn lanes on State Route 315; and
WHEREAS, this City/State/Federal participation project will be administered by the City of Columbus with 80% of the total right-of-way costs being paid out of Federal funds and 20% being paid by the city; and
WHEREAS, acquisition-related expenses for the remaining parcels on this phase of the Hard Road Phase C Improvement project are currently estimated to be $1,860,000.00; and
WHEREAS, funds are available in the federal/state match project within the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund with the summer bond sale; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance transfers and appropriates these funds to/within the Federal/State Highway Engineering Fund from which they are ultimately expended; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Public Service Department, Transportation Division, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Attorney to hire professional services and begin acquisition of fee simple title and lesser interests in and to those parcels needed for the Hard Road Phase C project and to authorize the expenditure of those funds required to pay acquisition-related costs so that construction can begin as currently scheduled, 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 sum of $1,860,000.00 be transferred within project 530208, the federal/state match project within Fund 704, the 1995, 1999 Voted Streets and Highways Fund, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6600 as follows:
TRANSFER FROM:
Project No. / Project / O. L. 01 / O. L. 03 Code / OCA Code
530208 / Federal/State Match / 06 / 6600 / 644385
Total transfer from: $1,860,000.00
TRANSFER TO:
Project No. / Project / O. L. 01 / O. L. 03 Code / OCA Code
530208 / Federal/State Match / 10 / 5501 / 644385
Total transfer to: $1,860,000.00
SECTION 2. That the transfer of $1,860,000.00 be and hereby is authorized between Funds as follows:
TRANSFER FROM:
Fund No. / Project No. / Project / O. L. 01/O. L. 03 Code / OCA Code
704 / 530208 / Federal/State Match / 10 / 5501 / 644385
Total transfer from: $1,860,000.00
TRANSFER TO:
Fund No. / Grant No. / Grant / O. L. 03 Code / OCA Code
765 / 561101 / Hard Road - Phase C / 0886 / 561101
Total transfer to: $1,860,000.00
SECTION 3. That from the unappropriated balance of the Federal State Highway Engineering Fund, Fund 765, 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, 2004, the sum of $1,860,000.00 be and hereby is appropriated to the Transportation Division, Department No. 59-09, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6601, OCA Code 561101 and Grant 561101.
SECTION 4. That the monies appropriated in the forgoing 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 the City Attorney's Office Real Estate Division be and hereby is authorized to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to those remaining parcels needed for the Hard Road, Phase C, Improvement project and to expend those funds required to pay related acquisition costs.
SECTION 6. That for the purpose of paying for said costs the sum of $1,860,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby authorized to be expended from Fund 765, the Federal/State Highway Engineering Fund, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6601, OCA Code 561101 and Grant 561101.
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 the same.