Explanation
This ordinance will authorize and direct the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a lease agreement with the Board of Education of the Columbus City School District. The lease agreement will allow open space adjacent to Northtowne Elementary and Broadleigh Elementary School to be developed and used as a shared facility of school playground and city park. Improvements will include playgrounds, walkways, rubberized safety surfacing and site furnishings for the Building Safe Playgrounds and Neighborhoods Program. This initiative is a partnership guided by City Council and led by Finance and Administration Committee Chair Kevin Boyce. Additional members include Mayor Coleman's Administration, Columbus Recreation & Parks, Columbus Public Schools, Columbus Children's Hospital and KidsOhio.org. In 2005, this initial phase begins with playgrounds redesigned and redeveloped at Northtowne Elementary School and Broadleigh Elementary School. This focus of this program is ensuring that every playground offers students and families a safe environment that maximizes the social and educational benefits of outdoor play. This will be possible with the state of the art metal playground equipment and rubberized safety surfacing throughout. The improvement of these areas will benefit citizens of Columbus by creating additional park space within older urban areas for recreational use. This legislation is to authorize the Director of Recreation & Parks into a lease agreement with no expenditure $00.00).
The terms of the lease agreements shall be fifteen (15) years at a cost of zero dollars ($0.00) per year, per site, with construction improvements considered prepaid rent for the lease term.
Emergency action is requested in order to allow for late fall construction. These improvements are scheduled to be completed prior April 16, 2006.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact accociated with this legislation. This lease agreement coincides with legislation ordinance #1744-2005 entering into construction contract for playground improvements to the school property listed within this ordinance.
Title
To authorize and direct the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a lease agreement with the Board of Education of the Columbus City School District, and to declare an emergency. ($00.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus desires to create additional city parks within older urban areas; and
WHEREAS, the Recreation and Parks Department will lease open space adjacent to two Columbus Public Schools to provide improvements in these areas; and
WHEREAS, the improvements will involve the construction of playgrounds, walkways, rubberized safety surfacing and site furnishings at the sites; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Recreation and Parks Department in that it is immediately necessary to enter into said leases so that the parties may benefit from its provisions at the earliest possible date for the preservation of public health, peace, property and safety; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of Recreation and Parks be and he is hereby authorized and directed to enter into lease agreement with the Board of Education of the Columbus City School District for areas adjacent to Northtowne Elementary School and Broadleigh Elementary School.
Section 2. 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.