Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Director of Finance and Management to enter into not-for-profit service contracts with Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH), Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio Inc, and Impact Community Action to implement workforce training programs.
Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH), Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio Inc, and Impact Community Action are 503(c)(3) nonprofits that support workforce development for the solar and clean energy industry.
Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH)’s Columbus Based Solar Training program will recruit participants from marginalized and low-income communities, with a focus on justice involved individuals. Participants will be grouped into 2 Cohorts of 15 individuals over the course of a year. Each cohort participant will obtain a Photovoltaic Installer Level 1 Certification and sit for the Electronics Technicians Association (ETA) PV1 National Certification. Courses will be conducted onsite in a group setting using online training sessions and coordinated classroom visits from professionals for hands-on training.
The Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator (CTA) is a 5-year initiative by Goodwill Industries International to create career pathways in advanced manufacturing. The program will launch in Central Ohio in 2025 and will prepare individuals for jobs in the clean energy and manufacturing sectors.
IMPACT Community Action will provide comprehensive solar workforce development training to 50 Central Ohio residents, focusing on historically disadvantaged populations. The program includes a six-week safety and introductory skilled trades pre-requisite training followed by a two-week specialized solar industry training in partnership with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). Training includes technical (NCCER and MREA curriculum) and soft skills instruction, culminating in certification exams.
These programs help achieve multiple policy priorities of the City of Columbus. Supporting workforce and job opportunity for residents in our Opportunity neighborhoods, diversity, equity and inclusion goals, and sustainability goals by focusing on solar and green jobs and supporting a long-term vision for equitable participation in the region’s clean economy. Training and equipping our communities of color to obtain good-paying jobs in these sectors will allow for wealth building and increased quality of life, which can further contribute to housing affordability and stability. A key priority and focus for the City of Columbus.
The services included in these agreements cannot be provided by existing city employees because these services are beyond the City’s current staffing capacity to provide.
These contracts will include program expenses beginning April of 2025
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the expenditure of $597,711.88 from the Sustainable Columbus Fund, to Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH), Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio Inc, and Impact Community Action to implement workforce training programs.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: This ordinance is being submitted as an emergency in order to expedite the approval of this contract so that the first cohorts of the programs can be in place by Fall of 2025.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management enter into not-for-profit service contracts with Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH), Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio Inc, and Impact Community Action to implement workforce training programs; to appropriate $597,711.88 from the unappropriated balance of the Sustainable Columbus Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $597,711.88 from the Sustainable Columbus Fund; to authorize reimbursement of expenses incurred prior to the issuance of purchase orders; and to declare an emergency. ($597,711.88)
Body
WHEREAS, Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH), Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio Inc, and Impact Community Action are 503(c)(3) nonprofits that support workforce development for the solar and clean energy industry; and
WHEREAS, The Columbus Based Solar Training program will recruit participants from marginalized and low-income communities, with a focus on justice involved individuals.; and
WHEREAS, these programs help achieve multiple policy priorities of the City of Columbus. They support workforce and job opportunity for residents in our Opportunity neighborhoods, diversity, equity and inclusion goals, and sustainability goals by focusing on solar and green jobs.; and
WHEREAS, these contracts are awarded pursuant to provisions relating to non-profit services of City Code Chapter 329.30; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into not-for-profit service contracts with Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH), Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio Inc, and Impact Community Action to implement workforce training programs, without delay to meet a targeted Fall 2025 date for the start of the first cohort, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Finance and Management is hereby authorized to enter into not-for-profit service contracts with Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH), Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio Inc, and Impact Community Action to implement workforce training programs, and that reimbursement of expenses incurred prior to the issuance of a purchase order, and on or after April 1, 2025, are hereby authorized.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, the sum of $597,711.88 is appropriated in Fund 2260 (Sustainable Columbus Fund), Dept-Div 4550 (Finance Director’s Office) in object class 03 (Contractual Services) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $597,711.88, or so much thereof as may be needed in regard to the action authorized in Section 1, is hereby authorized from the Sustainable Columbus Fund 2260 in object class 03 Contractual Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the monies in the foregoing Sections shall be paid upon order of the Director of Finance and Management, and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
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 this contract is awarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of Columbus City Code Chapter 329.30 relating to awarding not-for-profit service contracts.
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.