Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) for general operating support.
Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) is a 30-year old community organization that serves immigrants and refugees in Columbus. The mission of CRIS is to help refugees and immigrants reach safety and stability, sustain self-sufficiency, and achieve successful integration into the Central Ohio community. Among other things, CRIS is a refugee resettlement agency. As an affiliate of Church World Service, CRIS has a cooperative agreement with the Department of State to directly receive and place refugees in our community.
Funding provided via this grant agreement is for general operating support. CRIS has experienced increase demand for services, and sustaining CRIS’ mission is in the best interests of all residents of the city. For that reason, this ordinance also authorizes an advanced distribution of funding to CRIS.
Emergency action is requested in order to provide CRIS with critically-needed resources in response to increased demand for services.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) for general operating support on a predetermined, advance payment schedule; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($50,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) is a 30-year old community organization that serves immigrants and refugees in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the mission of CRIS is to help refugees and immigrants reach safety and stability, sustain self-sufficiency, and achieve successful integration into the Central Ohio community; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of City Council in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a grant agreement in order to provide CRIS with critically-needed resources in response to increased demand for services; 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 Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) for general operating support, and that payment shall be made in advance to CRIS.
SECTION 2. That the Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $50,000.00 within 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 $50,000.00, or so much thereof as is 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 Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. 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.