Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Office of Education to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with the W.E. Upjohn Unemployment Trustee Corporation ("Upjohn"), a non-profit corporation, for evaluation of the Columbus Promise program.
The Columbus Promise is a transformational college access, success, and workforce program made possible by a coalition that includes Columbus City Schools, Columbus State Community College, I Know I Can, the Columbus Foundation, Upjohn, and other partners. Announced in the fall of 2021, the first cohort enrolled in the fall of 2022, and the second cohort enrolled in the fall of 2023, currently enabling Columbus City Schools students to attend Columbus State Community College.
Ordinance 2186-2022 was passed on July 25, 2022, and authorized the first contract with Upjohn for a contract term of November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023. The initial contract’s scope included analysis and feedback on best practices of Promise programs across the country and analysis and feedback on the impact and implementation of such a program in Columbus. Per Ordinance 2905-2023, these efforts were renewed to continue studying additional cohorts.
Columbus City Council seeks continued research, analysis, and feedback from Upjohn as the Columbus Promise program expands and matures. Following the completion of the third year of the Columbus Promise program, Upjohn will undertake a thorough evaluation of Columbus Promise as a pilot program and provide an evaluation as such. Under this contract, Upjohn will also provide continued technical assistance and an evaluation of the third year of the Columbus Promise program, a function not performed by existing city employees.
Emergency Designation: The Upjohn Institute is a vital partner in the Columbus Promise, and their evaluation work informs funding strategies and programming decisions for the entire program. This evaluation is ongoing, and to allow the Upjohn Institute to invoice the City for their work in a timely manner, emergency action is requested.
Fiscal Impact: Funding to support this agreement is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Office of Education to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with the W.E. Upjohn Unemployment Trustee Corporation for evaluation of the Columbus Promise program; and to authorize an appropriation and expenditure of $65,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($65,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Columbus Promise is a transformational college access, success, and workforce program with its third cohort of Columbus City Schools students enrolled at Columbus State Community College; and
WHEREAS, Upjohn, a private, not-for-profit, nonpartisan, independent research organization, has studied policy-related issues of employment and unemployment since its founding in 1945, and is an expert in college promise programs; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Office of Education in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a contract with the W.E. Upjohn Institute to continue studying the Columbus Promise program and providing technical assistance related to the management of the program so that payment for their ongoing work can be issued in a timely manner, for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, property, and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Office of Education is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a not-for-profit service contract with the W.E. Upjohn Unemployment Trustee Corporation for evaluation of the Columbus Promise program, and to pay for expenses before the purchase order was approved, which expenses are hereby determined to be incurred for a valid public purpose.
SECTION 2. That this agreement is awarded pursuant to the relevant provisions of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes relating to the process for awarding not-for-profit service agreements.
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $65,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of $65,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018 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.