Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Directors of the Departments of Finance and Management and Public Safety to enter into contracts for various miscellaneous equipment needed for the Division of Police's new Crime Laboratory that is currently under construction on Woodrow Avenue. Items needed for the Crime Lab include network scanners, lab software and hardware, projector and various other equipment and services that are generally under $20,000.00 and involve multiple vendors. These miscellaneous items will be competitively bid, or acquired via quotes solicited from existing universal term contract vendors. This method of procurement will ensure that Capital Improvement Funds budgeted for the construction and outfitting of the new Crime Lab are properly legislated and available for the acquisition of the items needed.
Bid Information: The competitive bidding process for the purchase of these miscellaneous items will be followed and once competitive bids are received and/or quotes are solicited from existing universal term contract vendors, funds will be encumbered against the certificate.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is requested in order to conduct a transition of Crime Lab operations from their current location to the new building by the end of the year.
Fiscal Impact: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $100,000.00 from the Safety Voted Bond Fund for the purchase of miscellaneous equipment from multiple vendors for the City's new crime laboratory building. Funds were budgeted in Public Safety's 2014 Capital Improvement Budget for the construction of the Crime Lab and the purchase of new equipment.
Title
To authorize the Directors of the Departments of Finance and Management and Public Safety to enter into contracts for the purchase of miscellaneous equipment from multiple vendors, for the new crime lab; to authorize the expenditure of $100,000.00 from the Safety Voted Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, funds for the purchase of various equipment and materials for the new Crime Lab are budgeted in the Department of Public Safety's 2014 Capital Improvement Budget; and
WHEREAS, it is now necessary to authorize Capital Improvement Funds for the purchase of miscellaneous items from multiple vendors for the new Crime Lab; and
WHEREAS, once competitive bids and/or quotes from existing universal term contracts are received, funds will be encumbered against the certificate; and
WHEREAS, all expenditures from this project will be in compliance with competitive bid practices as set forth in the City Code; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Departments of Finance and Management and Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to provide funds for the purchase of miscellaneous equipment for the new Crime Lab in order to smoothly transition operations from the current location to the new building as soon as possible, 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 Directors of Finance and Management and Public Safety are hereby authorized to expend as needed, funding for various miscellaneous Crime Lab equipment purchases for the Division of Police.
SECTION 2. That the procurement of all parts and equipment shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 329.06 unless otherwise provided in Sections 329.07, 329.13, 329.22 or 329.24; awards will be based on quotes solicited by the Purchasing Office, and will not exceed $20,000.00 per award, unless via a current universal term contract. City Council recognizes that this ordinance does not identify the contractors to whom the contracts will be awarded and understands that its passage will give the Finance and Management Director and the Public Safety Director the final decision in determination of the lowest, best, responsive and responsible bidder for such contracts. This Council is satisfied it is in the best interests of the City to delegate this contracting decision.
SECTION 3. That an expenditure of $100,000.00, or so much thereof, as may be necessary, be and it is hereby authorized and directed from Division of Police, Division No. 30-03, Safety Voted Bond Fund 701, Project 330033-100000, OCA 701033, OL3 Code 6649
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project; except that no transfer shall be so made from a project account funded by monies from more than one source.
SECTION 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared 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.