Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This legislation authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a contract with Canvaas Consulting, Inc. to run and champion an education and engagement campaign. This Dignity in Transit initiative aims to empower individuals and challenge societal perceptions surrounding public transportation, fostering a culture where public transit is celebrated as a viable and respected mode of transportation for all residents.
Public transportation plays a vital role in ensuring accessibility and mobility for diverse communities. However, negative stereotypes and misconceptions about transit ridership persist. This stigma not only undermines the dignity of transit riders but also discourages others from considering public transportation as a viable option. This campaign seeks to address these issues and foster a culture of dignity and respect in transit. Public transit ridership is diverse, encompassing individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, and cultural identities. By celebrating the benefits of public transportation, and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their mobility options, this campaign seeks to create a more inclusive and respectful transit environment for all residents.
Through collaboration with community stakeholders, transit agencies, and advocacy groups, the City aims to promote a positive and empowering narrative around public transit, emphasizing its role as a vital lifeline that connects individuals to opportunities, services, and each other. By elevating the voices and experiences of transit riders and fostering a sense of pride in using public transportation, the City seeks to build a more equitable and dignified transportation system that serves the needs of all members of the community.
Canvaas Consulting, LLC is located within Columbus, Ohio and is well-suited to this work. They have been identified as a minority-owned business and are well-situated to execute the service contract in a manner that satisfies the needs of the City.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes the appropriation and expenditure of $24,900.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to allow the Department of Public Service to enter into a contract with Canvaas to immediately kick off the campaign to empower individuals and challenge societal perceptions surrounding public transportation.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to appropriate $24,900.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; to authorize the Director of Public Service to enter into a service contract with Canvaas Consulting, LLC to run an education and engagement campaign related to the Dignity in Transit initiative; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, Public transportation plays a vital role in ensuring accessibility and mobility for diverse communities but negative stereotypes and misconceptions about transit ridership persist; and
WHEREAS, this stigma not only undermines the dignity of transit riders but also discourages others from considering public transportation as a viable option and this campaign seeks to address these issues and foster a culture of dignity and respect in transit; and
WHEREAS, through collaboration with community stakeholders, transit agencies, and advocacy groups, the City aims to promote a positive and empowering narrative around public transit, emphasizing its role as a vital lifeline that connects individuals to opportunities, services, and each other.
WHEREAS, by elevating the voices and experiences of transit riders and fostering a sense of pride in using public transportation, the City seeks to build a more equitable and dignified transportation system that serves the needs of all members of the community;
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Service in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a contract with Canvaas to immediately kick off the campaign to empower individuals and challenge societal perceptions surrounding public transportation, and to preserve the safety of the traveling public all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; and now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Auditor be and is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $24,900.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the Director of Public Service is authorized to enter into a service contract with Canvaas Consulting, LLC to run an education and engagement campaign related to the Dignity in Transit initiative.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $24,900.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 2 of this ordinance, 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, 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.