Explanation
BACKGROUND: In response to the housing mortgage crisis, the city of Columbus was awarded $22,845,495.00 of Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP1) grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funds provide for the purchase of foreclosed or abandoned properties, as well as the rehabilitation, redevelopment or demolition of these properties in order to stabilize neighborhoods and stem the decline of house values of neighboring homes.
Ordinance 1860-2008 adopted the city's Neighborhood Stabilization Program, authorized the filing of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program application with HUD, and made a substantial amendment to the Consolidated Plan's 2008 Action Plan. Ordinance 0007-2009 implemented the NSP1 program by appropriating $19,983,997.00 within the General Government Grants fund to various departments and offices of the government of the City of Columbus. This ordinance will appropriate the balance of the award.
FISCAL IMPACT: This legislation totals $2,861,498.00 for the balance of NSP1 programs. Costs will be reimbursed to the city by HUD as expended.
This legislation is presented as an emergency for the effective continuation of NSP1 programs to address the current mortgage crisis in our city.
Title
To authorize an appropriation of $2,861,498.00 in various divisions and object levels of the General Government Grant Fund to provide funding for approved Neighborhood Stabilization Programs; and to declare an emergency. ($2,861,498.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the city of Columbus has been awarded $22,845,495.00 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the implementation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to address the current mortgage crisis; and
WHEREAS, ordinance 1860-2008 adopted the city's Neighborhood Stabilization Program, authorized the filing of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program application with HUD, and made a substantial amendment to the Consolidated Plan's 2008 Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, ordinance 0007-2009 implemented the NSP1 programs by providing funding to various city divisions; and
WHEREAS, it is desired at this time to appropriate the balance of the NSP1 award for the continuation of grant programs within the grant period; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management, in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate the aforementioned funds, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; Now, Therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That from the unappropriated monies in the fund known as the General Government Grant Fund, Fund No. 220, Grant # 440500 and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources during the 12 months ending December 31, 2010, there be and hereby is appropriated to the following divisions the following sums:
Dept OCA OL 01 Amount
4401 440500 01 $ 200,000
4401 440501 01 775,356
Total 4401 $ 975,356
4403 499049 01 $ 344,471
4410 440505 01 $ 975,042
4501 450500 01 $ 566,629
Grand Total $ 2,861,498
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby directed to encumber the above funds on auditor's certificates in order to formally obligate said funds per grant requirements.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 1 shall be paid upon the order of the respective department directors or elected officials for which the appropriations are made, except that small claims in amounts not to exceed Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) may be paid as authorized by Chapter 335 of the Columbus City Code, 1959, as amended; and except that payments or transfers between departments, divisions or funds of the City may be made by the City Auditor; and except that payments for premiums for official bonds, depository commissions, employees' hospitalization, life insurance, pensions, dental insurance and prepaid legal services, shall be made on the order and approval of the Director of the Department of Finance and Management or City Auditor; and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except upon voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 4. Except in the matter of payrolls providing for the payment of the salaries of officers and employees regularly employed by the City and extraordinary emergencies, no warrant shall be issued in liquidation of vouchers, unless the department contracting the expense shall have first obtained an order duly certified that there are sufficient funds appropriated to the credit of the proper funds from which the expenditure is to be made, which certificate must be obtained prior to the incurrence of the obligation, and the head of any department or division authorized to contract expenditures will be held personally responsible for any obligation incurred contrary to the provisions of this section. Except that such certificate shall not be issued for obligations pertaining to "Capital Outlay" in programs or activities funded by federal or state categorical grants without the prior approval of the Director of the Department of Finance and Management; such prior approval must be obtained before submission of any requisition for items coded as "Capital Outlay" to the Department of Finance and Management. The Director of the Department of Finance and Management will review such requests for conformity with the approved budget.
SECTION 5. That it is understood that this Council is not making specific appropriations for each item of every classification herein before contained but only for the total for each department and subdepartment, as shown in the final column. The itemized classification shall, however, constitute limitations on the powers of the several department heads as granted in Section 3, and no such officer shall make any expenditure for any other purpose in any amount beyond that of the particular classification; provided, however, that transfers may be made from Object Level 1 to another, within any one department or division. Transfers of sums exceeding $25,000 shall be authorized only by ordinance of Council. Transfers of sums of $25,000 or less shall be approved by letter with the signatures of the head of the department, the Director of the Department of Finance and Management, the City Auditor and the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
SECTION 6. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to pay obligations of various departments pertaining to preceding years obligations from current appropriations up to a maximum of $25,000.00 per obligation.
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.