Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the establishment of a contract with Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) and the expenditure of $120,000.00 within the Smart City Private Grant Fund for (CFO) to issue rebates for the Transportation Network Company (TNC) Electric Vehicle Rebate Program. Ordinance Number 1901-2017 authorized the Public Service Director to transfer signature authority to the Chief Innovation Officer or the Chief Innovation Officer's designee for all past, present and future Smart Columbus, Smart City Challenge, Paul G Allen Family Foundation contracts, documents, and projects.
In 2016, the City of Columbus, acting through the Department of Public Service, pursued and won a $10 million grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan) in connection with the Smart City Challenge sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The purpose of that award is to enable the City to lay a practical path to replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility.
Ordinance 1863-2016 authorized the Director of Public Service to enter into agreements with and to accept grant monies and other resources from Vulcan which are to be distributed to the City over the course of four years.
Ordinance 1193-2017 authorized the appropriation of $3,321,328.00 within the Smart City Private Grant Fund to support the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan as part of the Vulcan grant. $120,000.00 was budgeted within that plan to reimburse transportation network companies up to $3,000 for the purchase of a qualifying Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV), known as the TNC Electric Vehicle Rebate Program.
Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) is a non-profit organization that is a subconsultant to GPD Group on the Smart City Vulcan Charging and Decarbonization contract, approved by Council under Ordinance 1294-2017 on June 5, 2017. That contract was put in place to assist with the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan. Funds to pay for the administration of the TNC Electric Vehicle Rebate Program were included in the GPD contract but the funds to pay for rebates that are to be distributed were not included in that contract. CFO was selected to distribute the rebate funds because they are familiar with the overall project, familiar with the rebate program to incentivize the purchase of PEV, and has experience running other rebate programs.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
Funding in the amount of $120,000.00 is available in Fund 7768 Smart City Private Grant Fund within the Department of Public Service for project expenditures related to the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan. This is a budgeted item and a planned expense within the grant.
3. CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
The contract compliance number for Clean Fuels Ohio is CC000257, vendor number 000257, and expires on July 11, 2020.
4. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to provide for the timely expenditure of grant funds for the Smart Columbus Transportation Network Company (TNC) Electric Vehicle Rebate Program in accordance with timelines and the terms and conditions of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan) Phase II Grant Agreement.
Title
To authorize the City’s Chief Innovation Officer to enter into contract with Clean Fuels Ohio for the purpose of distributing rebate funds in connection with the Smart Columbus Transportation Network Company Electric Vehicle Rebate Program; to authorize the expenditure of up to $120,000.00 for this program from the Smart City Private Grant Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($120,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan) awarded the City of Columbus a $10 million grant for the purpose of replacing carbon-based fuel consumption through critical system improvements that increase safety, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance mobility; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance Number 1863-2016 authorized the Director of Public Service to enter into agreements with and to accept grant monies and other resources from Vulcan, which are to be distributed to the City over the course of four years; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance Number 1193-2017 authorized the City Auditor to appropriate the latest installment of Vulcan grant funds, which will support the implementation of the Smart Columbus Electrification Plan; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance Number 1901-2017 authorized the Public Service Director to transfer signature authority to the Chief Innovation Officer or the Chief Innovation Officer's designee for all past, present and future Smart Columbus, Smart City Challenge, Paul G Allen Family Foundation contracts, documents, and projects; and
WHEREAS, funding in the amount of $120,000.00 has been budgeted for a rebate program to incentivize transportation network companies to purchase qualifying Plug-In Electric Vehicles; and
WHEREAS, Clean Fuels Ohio, a non-profit organization, is familiar with the Vulcan project and has been selected to distribute the rebate funds; and
WHEREAS, it will be necessary to enter into contract with Clean Fuels Ohio to distribute the rebate funds; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Service, Smart City Program, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a contract with Clean Fuels Ohio and the expenditure of the rebate funding to meet timelines and terms and conditions established in the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation (Vulcan) grant agreement, 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 City’s Chief Innovation Officer, on behalf of the Department of Public Service, be and is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Clean Fuels Ohio, 530 West Spring Street, Suite 250, Columbus, Ohio, 43215, in an amount of up to $120,000.00 for the purpose of distributing rebate funds in connection with the Smart Columbus Transportation Network Company Electric Vehicle Rebate Program.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $120,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary, be and is hereby authorized in Fund 7768 Smart City Private Grant Fund in Object Class 06 Capital Outlay per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. 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 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.
SECTION 6. 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.