Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Finance to enter into a contract with Vaisala Inc. for the purchase of Mobile Road Weather Information Sensors for the Department of Public Service, Division of Infrastructure Management. This ordinance also authorizes expending grant funds within the Federal Transportation Grants Fund, Fund 7765, and city funds within the Municipal Motor Vehicle Tax Fund, Fund 2266. The Division of Infrastructure Management will use Mobile Road Weather Information Sensors on snow and ice equipment to monitor weather and to aid in decision making during snow and ice events. These sensors take different types of readings, including the level of friction and grip in real time during snow and ice events. This provides critical data to allow better decisions on salt and material usage, plowing effectiveness, roadway safety, and speed recovery. This information can be used to save time and material costs, redirecting resources to where they are needed most.
The grant funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is related to the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) Incentive grant program for the Department of Public Service. Through this program, grant funding up to $100,000 per State per Federal fiscal year is made available to support or offset the costs of standardizing innovative practices in a State transportation agency (STA) or other public sector STIC stakeholder. The program is administered by FHWA’s Center for Accelerating Innovation (CAI). The Department of Public Service was awarded up to $100,000 of said grant monies to fund the purchase of Mobile Road Weather Information Sensors and the grant agreement has been fully executed.
Ordinance 2007-2024 authorized the Director of Public Service to formally apply for funding from ODOT for the FHWA STIC Incentive program grant funds and, if awarded, to accept the award on behalf of the Depart...
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