Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a Beneficiary Grant Agreement with Besa Community Inc. (Besa), a non-profit organization, in an amount up to $300,000.00, and to authorize payment of operational expenses starting January 1, 2023, using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support and increase their organizational capacity to service disproportionately impacted census tracts.
Ordinance No. 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.
Besa is a not-for-profit organization that coordinates community-wide service projects, manages citywide drives to educate and connect people to community resources, and partners with businesses and other not-for profits to connect volunteers to communities in need. At the onset of the pandemic, Besa’s response plan was to mobilize and direct resources to where they were needed most. COVID-19’s impact on communities of color and communities with concentrated poverty has only exacerbated the divide and the basic needs of those communities already suffering with food insecurity, housing instability, infant mortality, and health disparities. This funding will allow Besa to continue to help those communities and people still experiencing the negative impact of COVID-19 in need in 2023. The majority of Besa’s work will take place in the Near East, the Hilltop, Franklinton, Linden, and smaller neighborhoods in or adjacent to Downtown.
If the guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury is modified while this Beneficiary Grant Agreement is in effect, it is requested that the Director of Development be given the authority to modify the terms and conditions of the Beneficiary Agreement 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 continued impacts of the COVID-19 health emergency and to assure that operational support funding is available for this agency so they can maintain the organizational capacity to serve disproportionately impacted census tracts continuing to suffer from food insecurity, housing instability, infant mortality, and health disparities.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding is provided to the City of Columbus from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress and signed into law March 11, 2021.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: The vendor number is 040045 and expires 11/02/2023.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a Beneficiary Grant Agreement with Besa Community Inc., in an amount up to $300,000.00, using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support and increase the organizational capacity of the not-for-profit to service disproportionately impacted census tracts and to pay for operational expenses starting January 1, 2023; to authorize the Director of the Department of Development to modify the terms and conditions of the Beneficiary Grant Agreement as needed without seeking further City Council approval in order to align with the most current version of the laws, regulations, and guidance; to authorize the expenditure of up to $300,000.00 of ARPA funds; and to declare an emergency. ($300,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development desires to enter into a Beneficiary Grant Agreement with Besa Community Inc., a non-profit entity, to provide support and increase their organizational capacity to service disproportionately impacted census tracts and authorize the payment of expenses beginning January 1, 2023; and
WHEREAS, Besa Community Inc., works to assure that many non-profit organizations have the capacity to meet their growing needs; and
WHEREAS, disproportionately impacted census tracts have a much greater need than anticipated because of COVID-19, especially regarding food insecurities, housing instability, infant mortality, and health disparities; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in negative economic impacts on not-for-profit organizations; and
WHEREAS, expenditure of ARPA funding to support costs incurred by not-for-profit organizations beginning on March 3, 2021, is necessary to alleviate the continued negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditure of funds has not been previously accounted for in the 2023 Budget; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development to address the continued impacts of the COVID-19 health emergency and to assure that operational support funding is available for this agency so they can maintain the organizational capacity to serve disproportionately impacted census tracts continuing to suffer from food insecurity, housing instability, infant mortality, and health disparities, such immediate action is necessary for the preservation of 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 Director of the Department of Development is authorized to enter into a Beneficiary Grant Agreement with Besa Community Inc., in an amount up to $300,000.00, using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for operational support in disproportionately impacted census tracts and is authorized to make payments for such operational expenses incurred starting January 1, 2023.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the Director of the Department of Development is authorized to modify the terms and conditions of the Beneficiary Grant Agreement as needed without seeking further City Council approval in order to align with the most current version of the laws, regulations, and guidance.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $300,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2209 (ARPA), Dept-Div 44-01 (Administration), in object class 05 (Other) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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 passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.