Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Green Columbus to support Earth Day programming and Private Property Tree Planting.
Green Columbus is a sustainability-focused nonprofit and strives to activate volunteer engagement, grow equitable tree canopy coverage, and foster resilient communities.
Earth Day Columbus is the largest annual volunteer-driven Earth Day event in the country. In April 2026, Green Columbus provided $50,000 free native seeding trees to the community for reforestation projects. Over 20 different community gardens benefited from free soil, mulch, and compost to start food gardens for the growing season.
This grant will provide support to Green Columbus, in partnership with the MORPC critical home repair program, for Over 150 community worksites, the planting of 50,000 trees, thousands of volunteers engaged, and a community celebration at Scioto Audubon Metro Park for tree planting on private property to increase tree canopy and benefit public health.
Emergency action is required because due to unlimited unrestricted funds, upfront funding is needed to ensure that the program can be effectively implemented without financial constraints for operations and supplies.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this grant agreement is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Green Columbus to support Earth Day programming and Private Property Tree Planting; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($95,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Green Columbus provides the necessary support to grow equitable tree canopy coverage, improve public health, and foster resilient communities; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council seeks to support Columbus’ residents across all neighborhoods, and the organization’s mission furthers those goals; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Clerk's Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Green Columbus in support of their support Earth Day programming and Private Property Tree Planting is imminent and City support is needed in order to award the funds, all for the immediate preservation of 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 City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Green Columbus in support of their Earth Day programming and Private Property Tree Planting.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate, $75,000.00, in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That per the action authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $95,000.00, or so much thereof as necessary, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, the 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.