Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a not for profit service agreement in an amount up to $76,143.00 with the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority to administer a grant for the department’s C-PACE program.
Ordinance 0924-2020 authorized the Director of Public Utilities to accept an award of an EcoSmart Choice Sustainability Grant in the amount of $152,286.00 from American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP). Ordinance 1309-2020 authorized half of the grant amount ($76,143.00) to be transferred to the Department of Development’s C-PACE program to help fund energy projects for commercial customers of the City’s Division of Power. Ordinance 1168-2022 authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a not-for-profit service agreement with the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority to administer a grant for the department’s C-PACE program. The original grant agreement expired on December 31, 2024. This legislation seeks to reauthorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a new not for profit service contract for the original amount of $76,143.00. Funding will be used by the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority to administer a grant for the department’s C-PACE program.
These services provided by Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority cannot be provided by existing city employees because these services are beyond the City’s current staffing capacity to provide.
Emergency Designation: It is necessary to have this as an emergency to execute the agreement to provide funds from the City necessary to allow the Finance Authority to issue a grant and then close on a PACE Loan.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funds for this project are available in the Private Grant Fund 2291, G602000.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: The vendor number is 009436 and expires 01/12/2026.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a not for profit service agreement in an amount up to $76,143.00 with the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority to administer a grant for the department’s C-PACE program; and to authorize the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $76,143.00 from the Private Grant Fund; and declare an emergency. ($76,143.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 0924-2020 authorized the Director of Public Utilities to accept an award of an EcoSmart Choice Sustainability Grant in the amount of up to $152,286.00 from American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) in 2020; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1309-2020 authorized half of the grant funds, $76,143.00, to be allocated to the Department of Development to apply to the department’s C-PACE program’s energy projects; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1168-2022 authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a not-for-profit service agreement with the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority to administer a grant for the department’s C-PACE program; and
WHEREAS, due to an inability to qualify C-PACE program energy projects that are also commercial customers of the City’s Division of Power as eligible, the original contract expired on December 31, 2024; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation and expenditure in an amount up to $76,143.00 within the private grant fund for this agreement; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual and daily operations of the Department of Development that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Development Department to enter into a not-for-profit service agreement with the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority (CFCFA) to administer a grant for the department’s C-PACE Program and allow for the funds to be distributed immediately to close on a PACE Loan 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 Director of the Development Department is hereby authorized to enter into a not for profit service agreement with the Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority in an amount up to $76,143.00 in order to administer the EcoSmart Choice Sustainability Grant, on behalf of the City, for the City’s C-PACE Program.
SECTION 2. That the appropriation of $76,143.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2291 (Private Grant Fund), Dept-Div 4402 (Economic Development), Grant G602000 (EcoSmart Choice Sustainability Program Grant), object class 03 (Services) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $76,143.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2291 (Private Grant Fund), Dept-Div 4402 (Economic Development), Grant G602000 (EcoSmart Choice Sustainability Program Grant), object class 03 (Services) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4: That the agency identified in Section 1 is awarded a not for profit services agreement pursuant to Columbus City Codes, 1959, Section 329.30.
SECTION 5. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance 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. At the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 8. 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.