Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to waive the request for proposal requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329 and enter into a professional services contract with Vogt Santer Insights, dba Vogt Strategic Insights (VSI) in an amount up to $50,000.00 for the purpose of providing data analysis for the first triannual reevaluation of the Residential Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Program.
VSI is a national leader in housing, real estate and market research. VSI partnered with HR&A for the original incentive study in 2017 and has intricate knowledge and designed parts of the current CRA program policies and tools.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 3130 and contract compliance is pending.
Waiver of Request for Proposal Requirements: A waiver of the request for proposal requirements outlined in Columbus City Code Chapter 329 is being requested to contract with a firm that specializes in real estate market and data analysis, and has intricate knowledge of the existing CRA program.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available in the 2021 General Fund Budget. This ordinance is contingent upon the passage of the 2021 Operating Budget.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is requested in order to immediately begin the process of reevaluating the Residential CRA program to meet the 3 year reevaluation timeline of Summer 2021.
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to execute a professional services contract with Vogt Santer Insights, dba Vogt Strategic Insights, in an amount up to $50,000.00 for the purpose of providing data analysis for the first tri-annual reevaluation of the Residential CRA program; to authorize expenditure up to $50,000.00 from the General fund; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of City Code Chapter 329; and to declare an emergency. ($50,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Development desires to work with VSI to provide data analysis that will support the first triannual review of the Residential CRA program; and
WHEREAS, the reevaluation will be critical to analyzing the impact of the first three years of the program; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City's best interests to waive the competitive bidding requirements of City Code Chapter 329 because VSI is a national leader in the real estate market and analysis field who has intricate knowledge of the existing program after serving as a partner to HRA on the original 2017 study and has intricate knowledge of the program and helped design tools for implementation; 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 execute a professional services contract with Vogt Santer Insights, dba Vogt Strategic Insights, to begin the process of reevaluating the Residential CRA program to meet the 3 year reevaluation timeline of Summer 2021, and such immediate action being necessary, for the preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That this Council finds that is in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code to enter into this contract.
SECTION 2. That the Director of the Department of Development is authorized to enter into a contract with Vogt Santer insights dba Vogt Strategic Insights in an amount up to $50,000.00 for the purpose of providing data analysis for the first tri-annual reevaluation of the Residential Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) Program,
SECTION 3. That for the purpose as stated in Section 2, the expenditure of $50,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized in fund 1000 (General Fund), Dept. 44-01 (Administration), in Object Class 03 (Services) 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 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 approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.