Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement (as a beneficiary) with Young Men’s Christian Association (known as YMCA Central Ohio), in an amount up to $531,693.00 using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to provide operational support to mitigate financial hardships, to implement COVID-19 prevention and mitigation tactics, to provide premium pay for essential workers at the Van Buren Center, and to pay for expenses starting March 3, 2021.
Ordinance 1201-2021 authorized the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate approximately $187,030,138.00 of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as signed into law by the President of the United States on March 11, 2021.
YMCA of Central Ohio provides emergency shelter and wrap around services to homeless individuals. At the Van Buren Center, shelter staff have worked directly, in person, with people experiencing a housing crisis throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. They have risked the health and well-being of themselves and their families to keep our neighbors experiencing homelessness safe. As an essential worker in the city’s critical infrastructure to address the housing crisis, front line staff are eligible for premium pay under the ARPA guidelines.
Funding will also support additional cleaning services to mitigate and prevent COVID-19 at the Van Buren Center and will support retaining employees because of a decline in revenue due the public health emergency.
It is expected that the guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury will be modified while this grant is in effect and it is requested that the Director of Development be given the authority to modify the terms and conditions of the grant without seeking additional Council approval in order to align with the most current version of the laws, regulations, and guidance.
Emergency action is requested to address the impacts of the COVID-19 health emergency.
FISCAL IMPACT: Fu...
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