Explanation
1. BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the City Auditor to transfer appropriation in the amount of $1,192,077.23 within the 2016 USDOT Smart City Award grant for the Smart City Program Office to be able to seek reimbursement of up to $1.25 million in personnel expenses estimated to be eligible for reimbursement under this grant for the remainder of the grant term.
On June 23, 2016, the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded the City of Columbus up to $40 million in federal funds for the Smart City Challenge. The purpose of the funding is to assist in implementation of the City’s proposal to demonstrate how advanced data and intelligent transportation systems 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.
Ordinance 2824-2016 authorized the City Auditor to appropriate funds within the 2016 USDOT Smart City Award for estimated expenses for the first and second years of the Smart City Challenge program. $1.25 million in personnel expenses are estimated to be eligible for reimbursement for the remaining term of the grant. This legislation is transferring appropriation within the 2016 USDOT Smart City Award to pay for the personnel expenses while awaiting reimbursement from USDOT for them.
2. FISCAL IMPACT
This is a reimbursable budgeted expense of $1,250,000.00 for this project within Fund 7768 (Smart City Grant Program), Grant G591610 (2016 USDOT Smart City Award). The grant currently has $57,922.77 in available appropriation in Object Class 01 (Personnel) and $1,227,905.55 in available appropriation in Object Class 03 (Purchased Services). (Object Class 03 currently shows $1,617,905.55 in available appropriation. Ordinance 3148-2019 currently going through approvals transfers $390,000.00 of this appropriation to Object Class 02.) It is necessary to transfer appropri...
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