Explanation
1. BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Columbus Partnership to enter into contract with Navigant, Inc. to develop a framework and conduct research that measures and assesses consumer awareness, consideration, and perception toward electric vehicles in the Columbus market (including Franklin County and the six contiguous counties) for the Smart Columbus Consumer Adoption Market Research Assessment project.
In 2016, the City of Columbus pursued and won a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation with the goal of laying a practical path to replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility. The grant agreement with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation allows the use of sub-recipients with City Council approval and approval by the Foundation. To that end, the Department of Public Service requested to make the Columbus Partnership a grant sub-recipient to lead initiatives aimed at encouraging electric vehicle adoption by individuals, public entities, and private employers and increasing charging infrastructure locally.
As a sub-recipient to the grant agreement, funding will flow from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation through the Department of Public Service to the Columbus Partnership. The Columbus Partnership will be directly responsible for accomplishing the approved initiatives while operating under the terms and conditions of the grant agreement and for operating under the same procurement conditions as the Department of Public Service. The contracts that the Columbus Partnership enters into to accomplish the initiatives or expend grant funds must follow City Code and be approved by the Chief Innovation Officer, City Council, and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, unless otherwise noted. As a sub-recipient to the grant, the Columbus Partnership will receive up to $1,580,000.00 to work on the initiatives for eligible services rendered in conjunction with those efforts during this phase of the grant agreement.
The intent of this Request for Proposals was to identify an organization to provide Columbus Partnership and the Smart City Project with additional resources to develop a framework and conduct research that measures and assesses consumer awareness, consideration, and perception toward electric vehicles in the Columbus market (including Franklin County and the six contiguous counties) for the Smart Columbus Consumer Adoption Market Research Assessment project. The selected provider is readily available to perform such tasks when requested by the Columbus Partnership.
Services and detailed scopes for individual deployment projects will be developed as requested and work will be authorized by Columbus Partnership as individual scopes are developed. Funding for this program is included in the $1,580,000.00 legislated under Ordinance 1212-2017 to reimburse Columbus Partnership for expenses relative to the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan. Zero dollar legislation will need to be submitted to City Council requesting permission to enter into contract with Navigant, Inc.
These services were bid in accordance with Columbus City Codes and the project was advertised on the Columbus Partnership web site and Vendor Services from August 16, 2017, to September 4, 2017. Columbus Partnership received four (4) responses. All proposals were deemed responsive and were fully evaluated when the Evaluation Committee met on September 13, 2017. The responding firms were:
Company Name _________City/State Majority/MBE/FBE/ASN/PHC
Navigant, Inc. Boulder, Colorado Unknown
EMC Research Columbus, Ohio MAJ
Measurement Resources Company Columbus, Ohio MAJ
Complete Resource Connection Columbus, Ohio Unknown
2. Contract Compliance
Navigant is not contract compliant and will be required to complete the registration process before executing the aforementioned agreement.
3. FISCAL IMPACT
There is no immediate fiscal impact to the City. ACPO001861 was established per Ordinance 1212-2017 to allow reimbursement of project costs to the Columbus Partnership within Fund 7768 Smart City Private Grant Fund. If Columbus Partnership should seek reimbursement for these costs, reimbursement will be done through the Auditor’s Certificate previously established.
4. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to provide for the timely execution of the contract so the deliverables required by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation grant award can be met, avoiding delays which could jeopardize future funding of the Vulcan project.
Title
To authorize the Columbus Partnership to enter into contract with Navigant, Inc., for the Smart Columbus Consumer Adoption Market Research Assessment project; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, in 2016 the City of Columbus pursued and won a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation with the goal of laying a practical path to replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility; and
WHEREAS, the grant agreement with the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation allows the use of sub-recipients with City Council approval and approval by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Service and Smart Columbus made the Columbus Partnership a sub-recipient of this grant to lead initiatives aimed at encouraging and supporting electric vehicle adoption by individuals, public entities, and private employers and increasing charging infrastructure locally per Ordinance 1212-2017; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Partnership will be directly responsible for accomplishing the initiatives while operating under the terms and conditions of the grant agreement and for operating under the same procurement conditions as the Department of Public Service and Smart Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the Request for Proposals for the contract for the Smart Columbus Consumer Adoption Market Research Assessment was publicly posted on the Columbus Partnership website and Vendor Services as City Code requires; and
WHEREAS, Navigant, Inc. was selected by the evaluation committee to be awarded the Smart Columbus Consumer Adoption Market Research Assessment contract and the contract award was approved by the City’s Chief Innovation Officer; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of Smart Columbus in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Columbus Partnership to execute a contract with Navigant, Inc. so as to facilitate the provision of services necessary to achieve the deliverables schedule of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Vulcan grant, 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 Columbus Partnership is hereby authorized to execute a contract with Navigant, Inc., 1375 Walnut Street, Boulder, CO, 80302, relative to the implementation of the Smart Columbus Consumer Adoption Market Research Assessment.
SECTION 2. 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.