Explanation
Background:
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to make payment to the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (Capital Crossroads SID) to participate in the Downtown C-Pass Program pursuant to Ordinance 1465-2018 approved by Columbus City Council on May 21, 2018.
The Director of the Department of Development entered into the Downtown C-Pass Program Agreement on May 24, 2018.
The Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District of Columbus (Capital Crossroads SID) has developed a transit pass program called the Downtown C-Pass Program (the Program) for eligible employers and employees in downtown Columbus in partnership with the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). The Program will last for 31 months from June 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020.
The goal of the Program is to proactively address parking shortages in the Capital Crossroads SID that threaten the further development of Downtown Columbus. By shifting commuters from personal vehicles to public transportation, thousands of parking spaces could be opened that would encourage higher commercial office occupancy rates, provide cost-effective transportation to employees, improve air quality, and reduce roadway congestion. The Program is the largest of its kind in the nation and could become a model for other cities to follow to sustainably address transportation challenges by encouraging more transit use instead of continuing to build expensive parking garages that take up developable land.
The City is in the second year of a three year $80,000 annual sponsorship commitment to the Program. Additionally, since some City employees work in buildings that are within the Capital Crossroads SID boundaries but do not pay SID assessments, the City will pay $40.50 per eligible employee in the following City buildings: 77 North Front Street, 345 South High Street, 373 South High Street, 375 South High Street, and 120 Marconi Buildings. There are 826 eligible employees in these facilities and the 2019 C-Pass enrollment cost for these employees is $33,453.
Emergency action is requested in order to ensure continued participation in the Program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The funding for this legislation ($113,453) is fully budgeted within Funds 1000, 2265, 2240, and 4481 accordingly.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to make payment to The Capital Crossroads SID for the second year of a three year sponsorship commitment agreement to participate in the Downtown C-Pass Program; to authorize the appropriation of funds within the Capital South Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $113,453.00 within the General Fund; the Street Construction Maintenance and Repair Fund; the Development Services Fund; and the Capital South Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($113,453.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1465-2018 approved by Columbus City Council on May 21, 2018, gave the Director of the Department of Development, the authority to enter into an agreement with the Capital Crossroads SID for the City to participate in the Downtown C-Pass Program; and
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development entered into the Downtown C-Pass Program Agreement on May 24, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the Capital Crossroads SID has developed a transit pass program called the Downtown C-Pass Program for eligible employers and employees in downtown Columbus in partnership with COTA and MORPC; and
WHEREAS, the Program will last for 31 months from June 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the goal of this program is to proactively address parking shortages in the Capital Crossroads SID that threaten the further development of Downtown Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the City is in the second year of a three year $80,000 annual sponsorship commitment to the Program; and
WHEREAS, the City will pay a total of $33,453 or $40.50 for each of the 826 eligible employees that work in City buildings that are within the Capital Crossroads SID boundaries but do not pay SID assessments; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to make payment to the Capital Crossroads SID to continue the City’s sponsorship and participation in the Program, thereby preserving the public health, 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 Development is authorized to make payment to the Capital Crossroads SID for the second year of a three year sponsorship commitment agreement to participate in the Downtown C-Pass Program.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in Fund No. 4481, 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 ending December 31, 2019, the sum of $33,453.00 is appropriated per the accounting codes in the attachment to this legislation.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $113,453 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Funds 1000, 2265, 2240, and 4481 in Object Class 03 Contractual Services per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the agreement was originally awarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of City Code Chapter 329 relating to not-for-profit service contracts.
SECTION 5. 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 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 ten days after the passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.