Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
The purpose of this legislation is to authorize the Director of Public Service to execute a not-for-profit service contract with Battelle Memorial Institute for services related to the Smart City Challenge project.
On December 7, 2015, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the Smart City Challenge, a program to demonstrate how advanced data and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies and applications can be used to reduce congestion, keep travelers safe, protect the environment, respond to climate change, connect underserved communities, and support economic vitality.
On June 23, 2016, the USDOT notified the City of Columbus of its selection as the winner of the Smart City Challenge. As the winner, the City will receive $40 Million in federal funds, $10 million in private funds from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan), and a variety of materials, services and equipment from USDOT Smart City Challenge partners. In assembling its winning proposal, the City also assembled its own team of partners who have additionally committed resources in the form of materials, in-kind services, and equipment.
The City of Columbus has been negotiating agreements with the 27 partners USDOT and the City brought to the winning Smart City Challenge application. The USDOT partners include Paul Allen’s Vulcan, Mobileye, Autodesk, Amazon Web Services, NXP, Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, US Department of Energy, AT&T, DC Solar, and Continental. The City partners include Franklin County, Ohio, American Electric Power, The Ohio State University, the Columbus Partnership, Ohio Department of Transportation, Battelle, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Experience Columbus, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Honda of America, HERE, Inc., Peloton, SPARC, Mass Factory, INRIX, Econolite, and FleetCarma. The list of City partners has also grown to include Siemens since winning the Smart City Challenge.
On July 18, 2016, Columbus City Council passed Ordinance 1863-2016. The legislation authorized the Director of Public Service to sign agreements with USDOT, Vulcan, or others in connection with the award of the Smart City Challenge grant, the expenditure of those grant funds through additional council action, if needed, and the return of unused Smart City Challenge grant funds if any should remain at the end of the grant. The legislation also authorized the Director of Public Service to enter into agreements with organizations or individuals to accept contributions of materials, services, equipment, grants, or other type of assistance related to the Smart City Challenge, to administer the contributions according to the terms and conditions of the agreements, and authorized the return of any contributions if required at the end of the term of the agreement. The legislation also notified City Council that as the City deploys the Smart Columbus program, additional legislation will be introduced to City Council for expenditure of grant funds and City funds associated with the agreements being authorized with this legislation.
The City is entering into a not-for-profit service contract with Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest not-for-profit research and development institution based in Columbus, as a partner to the Smart Columbus program. Under the terms of the not-for-profit service contract, Battelle would be expected to provide all or a portion of the following for the duration the four-year Smart Columbus grant program:
• Program Management (EWPM) support to Smart Columbus, reporting to the City of Columbus Chief Innovation Officer. The purpose of the EWPM will be to bring coherence across the entire enterprise of Columbus Smart Cities, thereby facilitating, monitoring and assessing the projects within the Smart Cities portfolio, as well as how the overall program is performing.
• Necessary technical support to the Smart Columbus Program including support for Safety Oversight and Auditing and Technical Trouble Shooting and Testing.
• Development of a Safety Management Plan (SMP) for each of the 15 individual Smart Columbus projects to meet the needs associated with the safety of all travelers, subjects, and other personnel.
• Development of an Independent Safety Assessment of the preferred provider of the Electric Autonomous Vehicle (EAV) project.
• Preparation of the materials and forms necessary to obtain a ruling if the project will require review, approval, and oversight from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) for human subjects research.
• Provide overall system engineering and integration support for the Smart Columbus Connected Vehicle Environment project.
Per Columbus City Code 329.30, the Department of Public service has complied with the requirements for awarding a not-for-profit service contract to Battelle Memorial Institute. A search of the I.R.S. website of not-for-profit organizations reveals a current listing for Battelle Memorial Institute.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
These expenses are expected to be reimbursed from the United States Department of Transportation through the Smart City Grant Fund (G591610 USDOT Grant - Smart City).
3. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to allow the Department of Public Service to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with Battelle Memorial Institute to meet critical deadlines imposed by the Smart City Challenge.
Title
To authorize the appropriation of $300,000.00 in the USDOT Grant - Smart City Fund; to authorize the Director of Public Service to execute a not-for-profit service contract with Battelle Memorial Institute for services related to the Smart City Challenge; to authorize the expenditure of up to $300,000.00 to pay for these services; and to declare an emergency. ($300,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced on December 7, 2015, the Smart City Challenge, which is a grant program that was awarded on a competitive basis; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Smart City Challenge award is for a mid-sized city that can demonstrate how advanced data and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies and applications can be used to reduce congestion, keep travelers safe, protect the environment, respond to climate change, connect underserved communities, and support economic vitality; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus was announced the winner of the Smart City Challenge on June 23, 2016; and
WHEREAS, Smart Columbus partners presently include Vulcan, Mobileye, Autodesk, Amazon Web Services, NXP, Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs, US Department of Energy, AT&T, DC Solar, Continental, Franklin County, Ohio, American Electric Power, The Ohio State University, the Columbus Partnership, Ohio Department of Transportation, Battelle Memorial Institute, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Experience Columbus, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Honda of America, HERE, Inc., Peloton, SPARC, Mass Factory, INRIX, Econolite, FleetCarma, Siemens; and
WHEREAS, Battelle Memorial Institute, a not-for-profit corporation, has committed approximately $300,000.00 in discounted in-kind services in support of the Smart Columbus connected vehicle and autonomous vehicle projects and overall enterprise-wide program management; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service does not currently have qualified staff available to manage project development and program management for highly technical projects of connected vehicle and autonomous vehicle technologies, and Battelle Memorial Institute has staff who are qualified for said projects; and
WHEREAS, the Director of Public Service desires to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit corporation, for the discounted in-kind services commitment by Battelle Memorial Institute in the amount up to $300,000.00; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of up to $300,000.00 to pay for these services will need to be authorized; and
WHEREAS, the sum of $300,000.00 will need to be appropriated in the USDOT Grant - Smart City to pay for this service; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Service in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to execute necessary agreements with Battelle Memorial Institute to meet critical deadlines imposed by the Smart City Challenge, 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 from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, the sum of $300,000.00 is appropriated in Grant G591610 USDOT Grant - Smart City in Object Class 06 Capital Outlay per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the Director of Public Service be and is hereby authorized to enter into a not-for-profit service contract in an amount up to $300,000.00 with Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit corporation, for project and program assistance to the Smart Columbus program.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of the sum of $300,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7768, Smart City Fund, in object class 06 Capital Outlay 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 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 6. 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.
SECTION 7. 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 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.