Explanation
Background: The City of Columbus owns large tracts of land in Franklin, Pickaway, and Delaware Counties associated with operations of the Department of Public Utilities. Land being held for future expansion of Division of Water and Division of Sewerage and Drainage operations and for protection and buffering of groundwater well fields is leased for farming purposes. By leasing tillable tracts for farming purposes, the City; i) reduces its cost for property management and oversight such as mowing fields, maintaining fences & tree lines, etc.; ii) provides for good stewardship of the land keeping it in productive use to prevent vandalism and the formation of wetland conditions, and iii) generates a small amount of income for the Division of Water and Division of Sewerage and Drainage .
The Department of Finance and Management, Real Estate Management Office (REMO) is responsible for the leasing of these City-owned tracts for farming purposes on behalf of the Department of Public Utilities. Currently the City leases tracts of property to eleven (11) farming entities. The lease agreements with these entities will expire in November and December 2016. After considerable research into the dynamics of farmland leasing as they relate to the City’s goals for land stewardship, and an extensive review of the farming operations and stewardship practices of the current Tenants it has been determined that it is the best interest of the City to enter into new lease agreements with the existing Tenants to ensure consistent, professional management of the City’s tillable acreage to preserve and manage the land in conformance with best farming practices.
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to execute eleven new lease agreements for the farming of available tillable acreage at various properties used in Department of Public Utilities operations.
Emergency action is requested to assure that these eleven Lease Agreements are executed prior to expiration of the existing leases to allow farming operations to continue without interruption.
Fiscal Impact: The rental revenue received by the City of Columbus for one lease at the Southerly Waste Water Treatment Plant will be deposited into the Sewer Operating-Sanitary Fund 6100 and the rental revenue from the remaining ten leases associated with Division of Water operations will be deposited into Water Operating Fund 6000.
Title
To authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into lease agreements with eleven entities for use of certain tracts of City-owned land for farming purposes; and, to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus owns multiple tracts land in Franklin, Pickaway, and Delaware Counties associated with various operations of the Department of Public Utilities; and
WHEREAS, certain tillable tracts of land that are being held for future expansion of operations of the Department of Public Utilities and for protection and buffering of groundwater well fields are currently leased for farming purposes; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City’s best interest to lease tillable acreage of land held for future expansion of operations associated with the Divisions of Water and Sewerage and Drainage and for protection and buffering of groundwater well fields for farming purposes to reduce costs of property management and oversight, provide for good stewardship of the land, and generates income; and
WHEREAS, based on an extensive review of the farming operations and stewardship practices of the existing Tenants it has been determined that it is in the City’s best interest to enter into new leases agreements with the Tenants currently cultivating the land to maximize the long term productivity of the farmland; and
WHEREAS, the City’s current Lease Agreements for farming of tillable tracts of land at various City-owned locations will expire in November and December 2016 necessitating the need for the City to enter into new lease agreements with the existing Tenants; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City of Columbus in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to execute those documents necessary to enter into various Lease Agreements for use of City-owned tillable land for farming purposes, 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 Director of the Department of Finance and Management, on the behalf of the Department of Public Utilities, be and is hereby authorized to execute those documents, as approved by the Department of Law, Real Estate Division, for eleven land leases for farming purposes to commence December 1, 2016. The eleven leases to be executed are with the parties and at the locations as follows:
1. Radcliff Ventures, LLC, 5414 and 5600 Parsons Road, Franklin County, 336.19 total acres, 161 tillable acres
2. Jeffrey L. Writsel, Southerly Wastewater Plant, Franklin County, 593.94 total acres, 295 tillable acres
3. Richard Hempy, State Route 257, Delaware County, 167.6 total acres, 164 tillable acres
4. Edward A. & Lori S. Zimmerman, Taway Road, Delaware County, 16.56 total acres, 7 tillable acres
5. Timothy A. Barnes, Taway Road, Delaware County, 776.89 total acres, 660 tillable acres
6. Ronald L. & Vivian M. Noggle, Smokey Road, Delaware County, 44.61 total acres, 44 tillable acres
7. Lowell T. Taylor, Mooney Road, Delaware County, 46.36 total acres, 44 tillable acres
8. Timothy and Shirley Ackley, Smokey Road and SR 257, Delaware County, 359.71 total acres, 312 tillable acres
9. D & D Peters LLC & Adam Peters, South High Street at Weigand, Pickaway County, 417.18 total acres, 316 tillable acres
10. Mark Ruff, 2074 Weigand Road, Pickaway County, 25 total acres, 20 tillable acres
11. Clifton Brothers, Inc., State Route 104, Pickaway County, 101.52 total acres, 79 tillable acres
SECTION 2. That the terms and conditions of the leases shall be in a form approved by the Real Estate Division, Department of Law.
SECTION 3. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is thereby 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.