Explanation
BACKGROUND: Columbus City Council has legislated twice this year to provide financial support for Latino Heritage Month programming, first through Ordinance 0352-2025 and then through Ordinance 1245-2025. Since the City Clerk was authorized to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio, an additional $10,000.00 was identified by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This additional funding is added to the original contract through a contract modification, as authorized by this legislation. The purpose of this funding is to provide up-front funding to Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio. The purchase of food and beverages with money expended under this ordinance is prohibited.
When the initial two ordinances to provide funding for this event were passed, no further City funding had been identified as available to support Latino Heritage Month. Since then, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has identified $10,000.00. Competitive bidding requirements did not apply to this event because Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio is a nonprofit entity that is serving as a fiscal manager for the City's Latino Heritage Month funding. In this way, it is impractical to establish another contract.
This ordinance also authorizes a contract extension from November 30th, 2025 to January 30th, 2026.
REASON FOR EMERGENCY: Latino Heritage Month runs from mid-September to mid-October, and programming is already well underway. Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio needs the additional funds up front to ensure that all programming associated with Latino Heritage Month is financially supported in a timely manner.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funds are available in the General Fund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to modify and extend a not-for-profit service contract with Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio to add funding to the contract; to authorize an expenditure from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($10,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 0352-2025 authorized the City Clerk to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio in support of Latino Heritage Month programming; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1245-2025 amended Ordinance 0352-2025 to add more funding to the not-for-profit service contract; and
WHEREAS, the City's Office of Diversity and Inclusion has identified an additional $10,000 in support of Latino Heritage Month programming; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk insofar as it is immediately necessary to modify the existing contract with Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio in a timely fashion, considering the Latino Heritage Month programming commences in mid-September and extends through mid-October, all for the immediate 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 City Clerk is hereby authorized to modify and extend the not-for-profit service contract with Asociacion de Escritores de Ohio to add an additional $10,000.00, and to extend the contract from November 30th, 2025 to January 30th, 2026.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $10,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance is hereby authorized from the General Fund, per the accounting codes attached to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. 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 4. That for the reasons states in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.