Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into a construction reimbursement agreement with Franklin County Engineer’s Office for the Hilltop Camp Chase Trail Connection - Valleyview and Eureka Project. The City’s cost share for this project is $250,000.00 and this contribution is being authorized by this ordinance.
In 2018, the Recreation and Parks Department finished the Camp Chase Trail, a 3.3 mile regional trail, from Sullivant Avenue to Eureka Avenue. Between the end of the Camp Chase Trail at Eureka Avenue and the Scioto Trail is a 0.3 mile section of Franklin County streets where users must share the roadway with vehicle traffic as well as cross an active railroad line. This project will greatly enhance this condition by paving new 4 foot wide bike lanes along the berms of Eureka and Valleyview Avenues. A second major upgrade with this project is a new traffic-separated trail crossing of the Camp Chase Railroad tracks at Eureka Avenue. The current track crossing is narrow, unsigned, and in poor pavement condition. The Franklin County Engineer’s Office have prepared the full construction documents, are providing the majority of the funds for the new pavement, and have negotiated a railroad agreement with Camp Chase Railroad. Franklin County Engineer’s Office will also bid, administer, and provide construction inspection for this project. The Camp Chase Trail is the major greenway for the Hilltop community and is also a section of the National Ohio to Erie Trail, a 326 mile pathway from Cincinnati, through Columbus, to Cleveland.
Principal Parties:
Franklin County Engineer’s Office
970 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215
Barbara Cox, (614) 525-3030
Government Agency
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested as the County will be bidding the project in July of 2021 and construction is set to begin in September of 2021.
Benefits to the Public: The project will provide substantial safety and visibility improvements, a functional trail crossing of an active rail line, and better access for thousands of trail users.
Community Input/Issues: This unimproved trail section has been recently rated as the top Trail Improvement Priority of the Central Ohio Greenways Network. The Department has been working on this collaboration with Franklin County for over 2 years. There have been many requests and concerns received from trail users about the existing conditions.
Area(s) Affected: Citywide (99)
Master Plan Relation: This project supports the department’s Master Plan by providing safe and easy access to trails and parks.
Fiscal Impact: $250,000.00 is budgeted and available from within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 to meet the financial obligations of this contribution.
Title
To authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a construction reimbursement agreement with the Franklin County Engineer’s Office for the Hilltop Camp Chase Trail Connection - Valleyview and Eureka Project; to authorize the transfer of $250,000.00 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund, to authorize the amendment of the 2020 Capital Improvements Budget; to authorize the expenditure of $250,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($250,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of the Recreation and Parks to enter into a construction reimbursement agreement with the Franklin County Engineer’s Office for the Hilltop Camp Chase Trail Connection - Valleyview and Eureka Project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of $250,000.00 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the amendment of the 2020 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 2521-2020 in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this and future projects; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $250,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Recreation and Parks Department in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into this agreement as the County will be bidding the project in July of 2021 and construction is set to begin in September of 2021, all for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare and, NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Recreation and Parks be and is hereby authorized to enter into a construction reimbursement agreement with the Franklin County Engineer’s Office for the Hilltop Camp Chase Trail Connection - Valleyview and Eureka Project.
SECTION 2. 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 3. 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 4. 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 5. That the transfer of $250,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between projects within the Recreation and Parks Bond Fund 7702 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That the 2020 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 2521-2020 is hereby amended as follows in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this ordinance and future projects.
Fund / Project / Project Name / Current / Change / Amended
Fund 7702; P512000-100000; New Development - Misc. (SIT Supported); $4,412,886 / ($250,000) / $4,162,886
Fund 7702; P512023-100000; Hilltop Camp Chase Trail Connection - Valleyview and Eureka (SIT Supported) / $0 / $250,000 / $250,000
SECTION 7. For the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $250,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the cost thereof, be and is hereby authorized from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 in object class 06 Capital Outlay per the accounting codes in the attachments to this ordinance.
SECTION 8. 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.