City of Columbus - File #: 2724-2012

• File #: 2724-2012
• Version: 1
• Type: Ordinance
• Status: Passed
• File created: 11/27/2012
• In control: Public Service & Transportation Committee
• On agenda: 12/17/2012
• Final action: 12/19/2012
• Title: To authorize the City Auditor to appropriate $450,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the Preserve TIF Fund; to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a professional services contract with EMH&T for the design of public infrastructure improvements in connection with the Morse Road widening project in the amount of $450,000.00; to authorize the expenditure of $450,000.00 from the Preserve Incentive TIF Fund; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Code regarding professional services contracts; and to declare an emergency. ($450,000.00)

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
12/19/2012	1	CITY CLERK	Attest
12/18/2012	1	MAYOR	Signed
12/17/2012	1	COUNCIL PRESIDENT	Signed
12/17/2012	1	Columbus City Council	Approved	Pass

Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to waive the competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Code Section 329 and enter into a contract with Evans, Mechwart, Hambleton and Tilton Inc. (EMH&T) for professional engineering services.

Ordinance 1187-2007 authorized the City of Columbus, through the Director of the Department of Development, to enter into a Reimbursement Agreement with The New Albany Company, LLC (NACO) and Lifestyle Communities, Ltd. (Lifestyle). The Reimbursement Agreement was signed on December 22, 2008. Under the terms of the reimbursement agreement, the City of Columbus agreed to pay NACO an amount not-to-exceed $2,428,785.00 for the Morse Road Widening project.

In 2010, NACO notified the City of Columbus of their inability to fulfill the Morse Road Widening obligations delineated in the Reimbursement Agreement. The City of Columbus and The New Albany Company subsequently executed an Instrument of Payment and Termination Agreement signed on December 23, 2011, that contains conditions that, once met, will lead to the termination of the reimbursement agreement. One condition included in that agreement was appropriating the funds for the construction of the Morse Road Widening from 955 feet east of Trellis Lane/Underwood Farms intersection to the project limits of the US 62/Morse Road roundabout. Another condition was the reimbursement to the Developer of $47,832.01 for the cost of preliminary engineering fees for EMH&T’s initial design work on this project.

Due to ongoing traffic and safety issues and anticipated future development in the Morse Road corridor between Trellis Lane/Underwood Farms intersection and the US 62/Morse Road Roundabout, the Department of Public Service would like to proceed with the design and construction of this project immediately. When this project was to be completed by NACO, they hired EMH&T to provide the engineering services for the project. EMH&T has c...