Explanation
Background: The City of Columbus owns multiple tracts of land in Franklin, Pickaway and Delaware Counties that are utilized in various operations of the Department of Public Utilities. Specifically, land in Franklin County serves the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant (SWTP) and Parsons Avenue Water Project (PAWP); in Pickaway County, the land serves as a buffer to City well fields; and in Delaware County, land is set aside for future upground reservoirs. These large tracts of land have been leased out for farming purposes as a means to offset the expense for maintenance of the land until such time as the land is actively used in city operations. Additionally, when the land was purchased, a house was acquired as part of the land purchase. This house has also been leased as residence.
The Department of Finance and Management, through its Real Estate Management Office (REMO) is responsible for the leasing of City property used in operations. As such, the administration of leasing of these City-owned properties was recently transitioned to REMO. The leases, as currently structured, do not contain similar expiration dates. In order to most efficiently manage the leases and allow the City, if it determines that it is in its best interest, to package the farm tracts in a single solicitation for proposals, the existing leases must have the same expiration date. In addition, the leases do not have rent rates consistent with REMO’s research of current market rent rates for Ohio farmland. This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to execute lease amendments for the existing leases to modify rent and any other necessary provisions and to extend the terms of the leases until November 30, 2016.
Emergency action is requested to assure that the Lease Amendments are executed prior to expiration of the existing leases.
Title
To authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into lease amendments to amend an...
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