Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Development enter into a service contract with Greenwood 360 LLC in an amount up to $121,922.86 and to act as the Application Manager for recipients as part of the department’s Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI) and to waive competitive procurement requirements of the Columbus City Code Chapter 329 because of their experience with the City’s ERA2 program and expertise in the emergency rental assistance application services process. This funding is needed to provide application review services for eligibility to provide rental and utility assistance to residents in the area. This ordinance also authorizes the payment of expenditures from September 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 the term of the contract.
Greenwood 360 LLC will manage the application process of the RHI program which helps provide rental and utility assistance to residents in the local area who qualify for the assistance. Greenwood 360 LLC will work collaboratively to implement a plan to distribute RHI funds to eligible tenants with the Wells Foundation which will be processing payments and handling fiscal management of the program.
Emergency Designation: An emergency exists as it is immediately necessary to modify this agreement to assure that the funding is in place to continue to further assist tenants facing housing instability, eviction, and potential homelessness.
Waiver of Request for Proposal Requirements: A waiver of the competitive procurement requirements outlined in Columbus City Code Chapter 329 is being requested because of the need for the evaluating and processing of emergency rental assistance applications and Greenwood 360 LLC is the vendor under the ERA2 program which is coming to an end September 30, 2025 and there is not enough time to complete the request for proposal process and the current vendor for the ERA2 program will be able to streamline into the RHI program without any interruption in the determination of eligibility and processing of rental, utility, and other homelessness prevention services.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 039806 and expires 09/08/2025.
Fiscal Impact: $121,922.86 is available within the Income Tax Set Aside Subfund (ITSA).
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development enter into a service contract with Greenwood 360 LLC in an amount up to $121,922.86 to act as the Application Manager for recipients as part of the department’s Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI); to authorize the waiving of competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329, to authorize the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $121,922.96 within the Income Tax Set Aside fund; to authorize the payment of expenses starting September 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 the term of the contract; and declare an emergency. ($121,922.86)
Body
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development has a need to enter into a service contract with Greenwood 360 LLC to provide the evaluation and processing of emergency rental assistance applications under the RHI program; and
WHEREAS, Greenwood 360 LLC is acting as the Application Manager for recipients as part of the department’s ERA2 Investment Strategy which will be ending September 30, 2025 and the department wishes to continue this as part of the Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative; and
WHEREAS, it is in the City’s best interest to waive the competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329 to assure there is no lapse in reviewing and processing applications for emergency rental assistance for the RHI program. With the vendors knowledge and they are already processing the applications under the ERA2 program the waiving of competitive bidding will streamline into the RHI program without any interruption in the determination of eligibility and processing of rental, utility, and other homelessness prevention services; and
WHEREAS, the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $121,922.86 is needed to help prevent eviction, homelessness, and finding new housing options to vulnerable residents of Columbus within the Income Tax Set Aside subfund; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a service contract with Greenwood 360 LLC in order to continue to provide emergency rental assistance through the RHI program for tenants facing housing instability, eviction, and potential homelessness as such immediate action is necessary to provide rental assistance beginning September 1, 2025, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; and NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a service contract with Greenwood 360 LLC, to act as the Application Manager for recipients as part of the department’s Columbus Resilient Housing Initiative (RHI) in an amount up to $121,922.86 to evaluate and process applications for emergency rental assistance beginning September 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026 the term of the contract.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1., the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $122,922.86 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Income Tax Set Aside Subfund (100099), Dept-Div 44-12 (Housing Stability), in object class 03 (Purchased Services) per the account codes in the attachment 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 this Council finds that is in the best interest of the City to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Chapter 329 of Columbus City Code to enter into this contract.
SECTION 5. That 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 which 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 it.