Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into contract with Arcadis to provide professional design services for the Big Walnut Trail - Little Turtle to Cherry Bottom Park, Alum Creek Trail Project. The contract amount is $415,131.75, with a contingency of $28,930.00, for a total of $444,061.75 being authorized by this ordinance.
In June of 2021, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) approved grant funding for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, awarding federal funds towards construction of a 2.5 mile section of the Big Walnut Greenway on the northeast side of the City. This section will run from the Little Turtle Community to Cherrybottom Park. As part of the grant funding, the Department is obligated to perform the design of the project. The Department solicited requests for proposals and this ordinance authorizes the Director of the Recreation and Parks Department to enter into a contract for the necessary preliminary design stage. This stage includes surveying the study corridor as well as conducting an inventory of environmental, cultural, and natural resources. This is also public involvement, an alignment study, permitting, cost estimating; and submittal of a final Preliminary Engineering Report to ODOT as part of this phase. This engineering study and outreach phase is scheduled to last approximately 9 months. Upon approval of the Preliminary Engineering Report, a Stage Two contract modification will be submitted in 2023 for the consultant team to complete the detailed design plans. The project is scheduled to be in construction beginning summer of 2025.
The MORPC grant provides 4.3 million dollars towards building significant trail infrastructure for the communities in the northeast area of the city, including an underpass beneath State Route 161, a direct connection to Blendon Woods Metro Park, a stream crossing to connect Northland area neighborhoods on the west side of the river, and a section of trail along Sunbury Road linking to the Alum Creek Trail. Over 15,000 Columbus residents live in neighborhoods served by this new trail section. Once completed, the trail will connect residents to retail, health care, cultural attractions, and jobs at major destinations, including Easton and the North Hamilton Road mixed use corridor.
Vendor Bid/Proposal Submissions (ODI designation status):
Proposals were advertised through Vendor Services, in accordance with City Code Section 329, on December 13, 2021 and received by the Recreation and Parks Department on January 6, 2022. Proposals were received from the following firms:
Arcadis (MAJ)
EL Robinson (MAJ)
MS Consultants (MAJ)
DLZ Ohio, Inc. (MBE)
Of note, professional services contracts are quality based selections and not based on price. Costs were not requested nor where they part of this evaluation.
In accordance with City Code, a selection team evaluated the proposals and recommended that Arcadis be selected to perform the work. The firm was chosen based on their referenced projects, experience, qualifications, availability, timeline, and project approach.
Principal Parties:
Arcadis U.S. Inc.
100 East Campus View Boulevard, Suite 230
Jay Muether, 614-985-9205, jay.muether@arcadis-us.com
Contract Compliance Number, Tax ID: 009409, 57-0373224
March 18, 2023
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested as the MORPC grant funding schedule for this project requires that the consultant be engaged in Stage 1 Preliminary Engineering by May 6, 2022.
Benefits to the Public: Access to trails and key destinations is one of the top rated priorities noted by Columbus residents. This project will provide significant connectivity for over 15,000 residents in northeast area communities that have no regional trail access. This access will connect residents to major employment centers and an estimated 40,000 jobs. It will also connect to 6 parks and over 24 miles of existing Alum Creek Trail. Completing this project provides the critical central core of trail infrastructure to build new extensions to Hoover Reservoir, Rocky Fork, Northland, as well as local path connections along the city’s current roadway improvement projects. There are regional linkage plans which connect this project to the surrounding cities of Westerville, Gahanna, and New Albany.
Community Input/Issues: Letters of Support were received from the community, trail users, civic associations, the Central Ohio Greenways organization, and the Northland Area Coalition. During this phase of the project, extensive public outreach will be conducted via a project website, stakeholder meetings, public open house, and community survey.
Area(s) Affected: Rocky Fork-Blacklick (33), Northland (35), All Columbus and regional trail users will benefit from these improvements
Master Plan Relation: This project supports the Department’s Master Plan by improving access to trails and greenways corridors. It provides equitable and safe access to the trail system for underserved communities.
Fiscal Impact: $444,061.75 is budgeted and available from within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 to meet the financial obligations of this contract.
Title
To authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into contract with Arcadis to provide professional design services associated with the Big Walnut Trail - Little Turtle to Cherry Bottom Park, Alum Creek Trail Project; to authorize the transfer of $444,061.75 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund, to authorize the amendment of the 2021 Capital Improvements Budget; to authorize the expenditure of $444,061.75 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($444,061.75)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of the Recreation and Parks to enter into contract with Arcadis to provide professional design services associated with the Big Walnut Trail - Little Turtle to Cherry Bottom Park, Alum Creek Trail Project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of $444,061.75 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the amendment of the 2021 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 2707-2021 in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this and future projects; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $444,061.75 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 contract with Arcadis as the MORPC grant funding schedule for this project requires that the consultant be engaged in Stage 1 Preliminary Engineering by May 6, 2022, 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 contract with Arcadis to provide professional design services associated with the Big Walnut Trail - Little Turtle to Cherry Bottom Park, Alum Creek Trail 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 $444,061.75 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between projects within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That the 2021 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 2707-2021 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. (Voted Carryover); $2,291,034 / ($444,062) / $1,846,972
Fund 7702 / P512028-100000; Big Walnut Trail - Little Turtle to Cherry Bottom Park, Alum Creek Trail (Voted Carryover); $0 / $444,062 / $444,062
SECTION 7. For the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $444,061.75 or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the cost thereof, be and is hereby authorized from the 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.