Fiscal Note
The Resolution authorizes expenditures not to exceed $115,000. Funding of $115,000 is included in the Planning Division's 2009 adopted operating budget. No additional appropriation is required.
Title
Authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into a contract with the University of Wisconsin's Applied Population Lab to expand the Neighborhood Indicators Project City-wide.
Body
WHEREAS, the continual and systematic collection, maintenance, and analyses of data is necessary to monitor the health of the City's neighborhoods over time and to identify trends that may indicate future problems; and
WHEREAS, information from multiple City agencies and other units of government integrated into a single database would facilitate a coordinated response to existing and emerging neighborhood issues before they become more serious problems; and
WHEREAS, staff has met several times to learn about similar efforts in other communities and to discuss the types of indicators that may be appropriate for Madison; and
WHEREAS, input on this topic was received at the City's 2006 Neighborhood Conference, 2007 and 2008 Neighborhood Roundtables, Neighborhood Resource Teams retreats, community group meetings including the Northside Planning Council, East Isthmus Neighborhoods Planning Council, South Metropolitan Planning Council, and various citizen committees including Public Safety Review Board, Board of Education-Common Council Liaison Committee, Community Services Commission and Community Development Block Grant Commission; and
WHEREAS, indicators generally fall into the following categories: basic area and population profile, public safety indicators, health and family well-being indicators, community action and involvement indicators, economic vitality indicators, housing quality and availability indicators; and transportation indicators; and
WHEREAS, a pilot project for a portion of the community has been completed and allows the system to be fine-tuned before expanding it city-wide; and
WHEREAS, the University of Wisconsin's Applied Population Lab has particular experience and expertise in developing such systems. Their unique qualifications include serving as the clearinghouse for all census data for the State of Wisconsin, experience with Web-based presentation of demographic data, developing indicator packages for other Wisconsin municipalities and neighborhood groups, and geographic modeling to assess residents' proximity to community amenities; and
WHEREAS, per Madison General Ordinances, Sec. 4.26 (4) (a) 4., the City may enter into negotiated contracts without a competitive bidding process for the purchase of services if the services are to be rendered by a university, college, or other educational institution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are hereby authorized to enter into a contract with the University of Wisconsin's Applied Population Lab on a sole source basis to expand the Neighborhood Indicators Project city-wide; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the contract with the Applied Population Lab to develop this pilot project not exceed $115,000 total funding as authorized by the City's adopted 2009 operating budget.