Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with AEP T&D Services, LLC for the Department of Public Utilities, Division of Power. The contract will provide for the design, purchase, installation, and commissioning of the relay equipment at the Dublin Ave. Substation in an amount not to exceed $675,000.00.
American Electric Power (AEP) has two 138kv lines feeding into the Dublin Ave. Substation (138-92 & 138-98) from AEP’s Vine Street Substation. These lines were originally protected by a pilot wire system. This system is obsolete and now is out of service. AEP has revised its other protective relay settings at the Vine Street Substation (to make the relays more sensitive) to compensate for the lack of a functioning pilot wire system. The Division of Power normally operates with a close ring bus, but with no pilot wire protection on the 138kv lines. AEP has required the Division of Power to open two of the six ring bus breakers to isolate the 138kv lines. This puts the Dublin Ave. Substation in jeopardy of increased system outages.
Dublin Ave. Substation is currently at an increased risk of outages because these protective devices are not in place. There was an outage in August 2016 that would have been prevented if the relays were in service. There was an agreement with AEP that the Division of Power would complete the new current differential protection system expeditiously as it could also have a negative impact to AEP system.
AEP is the entity that physically transmits power to the Dublin Ave. Substation. The Division of Power’s relaying equipment needs to communicate with the AEP’s relaying at the Vine Street Substation. Having AEP involved in this will ensure that similar equipment and settings will be installed at Vine Street Substation and Dublin Ave. Substation.
The Division of Power is required by the existing ILDSA to have protection on these two 138kv lines. AEP’s present standard is a fiber current differential protection system. This system requires AEP and the Division of Power to have relay systems on each end of the 138kv lines that can communicate with each other over a fiber optic line. These relays will have the ability to trip breakers on either end of the line to protect the Vine Street Substation and/or Dublin Ave Substation from tripping out the entire substation and transmitting a fault back into the system. The relaying in the Division of Power’s substation is the responsibility of Division of Power to fund.
This ordinance is being submitted in accordance with the relevant provisions of City Code Chapter 329 pertaining to the waiver of competitive bidding and contract modifications. If unforeseen issues or difficulties are encountered that would require additional funding, a modification would be requested.
SUPPLIER: AEP T&D Services, LLC (31-1750857) exp 11/16/18
AEP T&D, LLC does not hold MBE/FBE status.
The company is not debarred according to the Excluded Party Listing System of the Federal Government or prohibited from being awarded a contract according to the Auditor of State Unresolved Findings for Recovery Certified Search.
FISCAL IMPACT: $675,000.00 is budgeted and needed for this purchase.
Division of Power
$0.00 was spent in 2015
$0.00 was spent in 2014
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: This ordinance is being submitted as an emergency to immediately address system reliability concerns.
Title
To authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with AEP T&D Services, LLC to provide for the design, purchase, installation, and commissioning of the relay equipment at the Dublin Ave. substation in an amount not to exceed $675,000.00; to waive competitive bidding provisions of the City Code; to authorize the expenditure of $675,000.00 from the Electricity Operating Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($675,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Utilities, Division of Power, is in need of establishing a contract with AEP T&D Services, LLC. for the design, purchase, installation, and commissioning of the relay equipment at the Dublin Ave. substation; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City's best interest to waive the relevant provisions of City Code Chapter 329 pertaining to competitive bidding. If unforeseen issues or difficulties are encountered that would require additional funding, a modification would be requested; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities, Division of Power, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract to provide for the design, purchase, installation, and commissioning of the relay equipment at the Dublin Ave. Substation for the immediate preservation of the public, health, peace, property and safety; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Finance and Management be and is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with AEP T&D Services, LLC, 1 Riverside Plaza, Columbus, Ohio 43215, for the design, purchase, installation, and commissioning of the relay equipment at the Dublin Ave. Substation, in accordance with the terms and conditions as shown in the agreements on file in the Purchasing Office.
SECTION 2. That this Council finds it is in the City's best interests to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Code, Chapter 329, for the contracts with AEP.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $675,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, be and the same hereby is authorized in Fund 6300 Electricity Operating Fund in object class 06 Equipment in the amount of $675,000.00; per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is hereby 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.