Background
Ordinance 1214-2022 authorized the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into a not-for-profit service contract through July 31, 2023 with Neighborhood Design Center to administer a neighborhood beautification grant program known as 614 Beautiful. 614 Beautiful is a program aimed at beautifying and unifying Columbus communities through place-based, public-facing improvements. The 614 Beautiful program was aiming to fund projects such as pocket parks, landscape enhancements, streetscape and public right-of-way improvements, place making signage, and public art.
Ordinance 1424-2023 authorized an extension of the original contract through July 31, 2024, and increased the available funding by $300,000.00 from the Neighborhood Initiatives Subfund. Ordinance 0660-2024 authorized a contract extension to July 31, 2025.
This ordinance increases the available funding by $300,000.00 under the current contract from the Neighborhood Initiatives Subfund and authorizes payment for reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages expenses from the effective date of this ordinance.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives Subfund (Subfund 100018).
Emergency action is requested so that Neighborhood Design Center will have enough time to plan, market, and score the applicants in advance of projects in order to avoid any disruption of the neighborhood beautification program.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to modify an existing agreement with the Neighborhood Design Center to add additional funding; to authorize the appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives Subfund; to authorize payment for reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages from the effective date of this ordinance; and to declare an emergency. ($300,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, 614 Beautiful is a program created in 2022 aimed at beautifying and unifying Columbus communities through place-based, public-facing improvements; and
WHEREAS, in addition to activating spaces and creating places, the program aims to encourage dialogue amongst neighbors, local businesses, and organizations, and promote creativity and ingenuity in strategies that support all within Columbus; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary that food and non-alcoholic beverage expenditures be an allowable expense from the effective date of this original ordinance; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Neighborhoods in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a contract modification with Neighborhood Design Center to add additional funding so that Neighborhood Design Center will have enough time to plan, market, and score the applicants in advance of projects in order to avoid any disruption of the neighborhood beautification program, 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 Neighborhoods is hereby authorized to modify an existing agreement with Neighborhood Design Center, originally authorized by ordinance 1214-2022, by adding $300,000.00 of available resources and to authorize payment for reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverages from the effective date of this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That Columbus City Council deems that the expenditures authorized by this ordinance for the distribution of food and non-alcoholic beverages to be a proper public purpose for program participants and program events. Reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverage related expenditures will only be allowable from the effective date of this ordinance. However, in no case may food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses incurred prior to the effective date of this ordinance be reimbursed.
SECTION 3. That the Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $300,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives Subfund, Fund 1000, Subfund 100018, to the Department of Neighborhoods in 03-Services per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That per the action authorized by Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $300,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives Subfund, Fund 1000, Subfund 100018, is hereby authorized per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. 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 6. 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 7. 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 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.