Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Columbus Kappa Foundation, a non profit entity, for the support of their Opiate Community Connectors Program.
The Columbus Kappa Foundation has been directly working with populations vulnerable to drug use and overdose since its creation in 1994. New research shows racial disparities in opioid overdose rates, with the rate of deaths among Black people growing faster than in other groups. The researchers are calling for expanding access to drug treatment and to education on how to prevent overdoses using the antidote drug, naloxone. The Opiate Community Connectors Program is a network of supporters who intervene and help find treatment for people with substance use disorder. The Opiate Community Connectors Program partners with churches and other faith institutions, schools, shelters, halfway houses, and other community infrastructures with the aim of strengthening naloxone distribution efforts in areas most affected by overdose numbers.
These partnerships will result in trainings conducted by The Opiate Community Connectors Program of lay distribution volunteers to engage with their neighborhoods to make naloxone access available as well as acceptable. Additionally, The Opiate Community Connectors Program will develop and implement a drug use presentation to be presented at specific organizations located in at-risk neighborhoods. This presentation will include a Narcan kit demonstration, educating the community on harm reduction efforts within the service area.
Emergency action is necessary to ensure funding is available immediately for residents who are suffering from opiate addiction.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with the Columbus Kappa Foundation in support of their Opiate Community Connectors Program; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($25,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Columbus Kappa Foundation has been directly working with populations vulnerable to drug use and overdose since its creation in 1994; and
WHEREAS, new research shows racial disparities in opioid overdose rates, with the rate of deaths among Black people growing faster than in other groups; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus Kappa Foundation plans on further developing and implementing a drug use presentation to be presented at specific organizations located in at-risk neighborhoods to include a Narcan kit demonstration, educating the community on harm reduction efforts within the service area; and
WHEREAS, the Opiate Community Connectors Program is a network of supporters who intervene and help find treatment for people with substance use disorder; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk's Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with The Columbus Kappa Foundation for the support of their Opiate Community Connectors Program to allow for immediate assistance to residents suffering from opiate addiction thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the not-for-profit Community Development for All People in support of their Opiate Community Connectors Program.
SECTION 2. That the appropriation and expenditure of $25,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1, is authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. 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 5. That for the reason 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.