Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the expenditure of $35,000 to engage the professional services of
Columbus Sister Cities International, Inc. to administer the Columbus Sister Cities International Program (CSCI) for
the purpose of promoting business, government, and educational exchanges between our Sister Cities for long-term
economic development. City funding was provided in 2003 to support staffing and administrative costs of CSCI.
CSCI has worked diligently to raise capital for its overall operation but additional support is required to maintain a
full-time executive director and to defray miscellaneous administrative costs. Most recently, CSCI initiated and
coordinated two reciprocal exchanges of local business and government delegates between Hefei, China and
Columbus under the auspices of a grant from the US State Department, and provided assistance to a martial arts
delegation from the same Sister City to the 2004 Arnold Classic in March 2004.
FISCAL IMPACT: This legislation authorizes the expenditure of $35,000 from the 2004 General Fund.
EMERGENCY JUSTIFICATION: The Columbus Sister Cities International Program has only one full-time staff person who serves as its Executive Director. Delaying of City's funding will cause this program to temporarily suspend its day-to-day operation due to lack of professional staff.
Title
To authorize the Director of Department of Development to enter into a contract with the Columbus Sister Cities International, Inc.; to authorize the expenditure of $35,000 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($35,000)
Body
WHEREAS, this legislation authorizes the expenditure of $35,000 to engage the professional services of Columbus
Sister Cities International, Inc; and
WHEREAS, Columbus Sister Cities International, Inc. will administer the Columbus Sister Cities International
Program (CSCI) for the purpose of promoting business, government, and educational exchanges between our Sister
Cities for long-term economic development; and
WHEREAS, General revenue monies have been budgeted and appropriated for the Columbus Sister Cities International, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, emergency action is necessary because a delay in the City's funding will cause this program to temporarily suspend its day-to-day operation due to lack of professional staff; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into contract with the Columbus Sister Cities International, Inc., thereby, continuing the City's effort to promote cultural and economic exchanges with the City's existing sister cities and to explore the possibility of recruiting new sister cities worldwide, NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter into contract with
Columbus Sister Cities International, Inc. for the purpose of engaging professional services to
administer the Columbus Sister Cities International Program.
Section 2. That the expenditure of $35,000 be and is hereby authorized from the Economic Development
Division, Division 44-02, General Fund, Fund 010, as follows:
Object Level One Object Level Three OCA Code Amount
03 3336 440314 $35,000
Section 3. That for 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 the after is approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.