Explanation
Columbus City Council appropriated $250,000 in April of 2013 to help the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department create more public awareness and expand the summer and afterschool food programs to include additional sites to reach underserved members of the community. With these monies, the department was able to increase sites as well as purchase radio, television and social media advertising to inform the community about safe locations where their children could go to receive nutritious meals, and participate in learning opportunities and physical activities. The Recreation and Parks Department also piloted the summer feeding program at two mobile sites on the east side for the first time in which staffing and refrigerated trucks were provided to serve the children in those two communities with this additional funding support from Council. The department is now asking Columbus City Council to approve the expenditure of $30,000 with the Dispatch Media Group to continue outreach efforts associated with the afterschool food program. The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department wishes to contract with the Dispatch Media Group as it is the only local entity that can provide TV, digital and print advertising services to reach the desired audience. A total of $46,395.00 was paid to the Dispatch Media Group from the 2013 Recreation and Parks operating budget for the purpose of promoting the S.E.L.F. after school feeding program. This ordinance waives the competitive bidding provisions of the City Code, Section 329.
Principal Parties:
Ashley VuKovic (contact)
770 Twin Rivers Drive
Columbus, OH 43215
Contract Compliance: 31-0711250 expires March 16, 2014.
Emergency Justification:
Emergency action is requested in order to promote this much needed resource to the public before summer begins.
FISCAL IMPACT:
$30,000 is required and budgeted in the Recreation and Parks operating fund to meet the financial obligations of this expenditure. A total of $46,395.00 was paid to the Dispatch Media Group from the 2013 Recreation and Parks operating budget for the purpose of promoting the S.E.L.F. after school feeding program.
Title
To authorize and direct the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a contract with the Dispatch Media Group to promote and advertise the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department's afterschool program, Students Eating, Learning and having Fun (S.E.L.F.); to waive competitive bidding provisions of the City Code, Section 329; to authorize the expenditure of $30,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Operating Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it has been a priority of Columbus City Council to identify opportunities to increase awareness of our summer and afterschool feeding program; and
WHEREAS, the Dispatch Media Group is the only single local entity that can provide TV, digital and print advertising services to reach the desired audience and therefore requires the waiver of the competitive bidding provisions of the City Code, Section 329; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in that it is immediately necessary to enter into this contract in order to promote this much needed resource to the public before summer begins 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 Columbus Recreation and Parks Director is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a contract with the Dispatch Media Group for the provision of a media driven public awareness campaign in central Ohio designed to inform the community about safe locations where their children could go to receive nutritious meals.
SECTION 2. That for the contract stated above, the sum of $30,000.00 is hereby authorized to be expended as follows:
Recreation and Parks Operating Fund 285
S.E.L.F. Program OCA#510420
Object Level 3 #3353
SECTION 3. That the provisions of Section 329 of the Columbus City Code are hereby waived.
SECTION 4. That for 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 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves or vetoes the same.