Explanation
The City of Columbus, Public Service Department, Transportation Division, is engaged in the improvement and widening of Norton Road from a point approximately 500 feet south of Hall Road north to the intersection of Norton Road with West Broad Street. This is a City/County/State/Federal participation project that will be administered by the City of Columbus with 80% of the total right-of-way and construction costs paid from Federal funds and 20% paid by the City. Preliminary estimates for acquisition related expenses were $1,500,000.00. Ordinance 0348-2003, passed by Columbus City Council on March 3, 2003, authorized the expenditure of City funding in the amount of $300,000.00 (our initial 20% share) and authorized the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to enter into contacts for professional services and to acquire fee simple title and lesser interest for the Norton Road Project. Due to higher than projected appraisal values the acquisition related expenses are now estimated to be approximately $3,000,000.00, which means the local share of the project must be increased. At this time the expenditure of an additional $300,000.00 must be authorized to allow the City Attorney's office to continue with acquisition of the necessary right-of-way and to fully fund our 20% share. Monies to pay for these additional costs are available from the cancellation of old encumbrances within the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund. This legislation transfers monies between projects within that Fund.
Emergency action is requested to allow right-of-way acquisition to continue so that the City can meet current schedules that require the acquisition of the necessary additional right-of-way be completed by December 1, 2003.
Title
To authorize the transfer of $300,000.00 between projects within the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund; to authorize the City Attorney to acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to property needed for the Norton Road Improvement project for the Transportation Division; to expend $300,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed from the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund for the City share of additional acquisition costs related to this project and to declare an emergency. ($300,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, in cooperation with Franklin County, the State of Ohio and the Federal Highway Administration, is engaged in the improvement and widening of Norton Road from a point approximately 500 feet south of Hall Road north to the intersection of Norton Road with West Broad Street; and
WHEREAS, this City/County/State/Federal participation project will be administered by the City of Columbus with 80% of the total right-of-way and construction costs being paid out of Federal funds and 20% being paid by the City; and
WHEREAS, preliminary estimates for acquisition related expenses were $1,500,000.00; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 0348-2003, passed by Columbus City Council on March 3, 2003, authorized the expenditure of City funding in the amount of $300,000.00 and authorized the City Attorney's Office, Real Estate Division, to enter into contacts for professional services and to acquire fee simple title and lesser interest for the Norton Road Project; and
WHEREAS, due to higher than projected appraisal values the acquisition related expenses are now estimated to be approximately $3,000,000.00; and
WHEREAS, at this time the expenditure of an additional $300,000.00 must be authorized so the City Attorney's Real Estate Division can continue with acquisition of the necessary additional right-of-way; and
WHEREAS, monies are available from the cancellation of old encumbrances and the subsequent transfer of funds between projects to pay for these increased acquisition related expenses; 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 acquire fee simple title and lesser interests in and to those parcels needed for the Norton Road project and to expend those funds required to pay related acquisition costs for the immediate 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 transfer of monies available from the cancellation of old encumbrances be and hereby is authorized between projects within the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, Fund 765, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6600, be and hereby is authorized as follows:
TRANSFER FROM:
project#/project/amount
561034/Spring/Sandusky Interchange/$300,000.00
Total Transfer From: $300,000.00
TRANSFER TO:
project#/project/amount
593007/Norton Road/$300,000.00
Total Transfer To: $300,000.00
SECTION 2. That the City Attorney be and is hereby authorized to complete acquisition of fee simple title and lesser interests in and to those parcels needed for the Norton Road project and to expend those funds necessary to pay related acquisition expenses.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose of paying for said costs the sum of $300,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed be and hereby is authorized to be expended from the Federal-State Highway Engineering Fund, Fund 765, Department No. 59-09, Transportation Division, Object Level One Code 06, Object Level Three Code 6601, OCA Code 593007 and Project 593007.
SECTION 4. 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.