Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into various grant agreements in support of National Night Out programming. Community organizations and civic associations were eligible to apply for funding to defray the cost of events or the acquisition and distribution of goods and materials in alignment with the values of National Night Out. Food and/or beverage purchases will be subject to what is allowable in the respective grant agreements. Food and beverage costs will not exceed $15 per person and any purchase of alcohol is strictly prohibited. These grants will be provided to grantees and fiscal agents in the following manner: 80 percent up-front and 20 percent on a reimbursement basis.
National Night Out is an annual event intended to highlight safety programs within communities, raise the awareness of neighborhood community policing and enhance the relationship between neighbors. The event will occur on August 5th this year. The grantees and their awarded grant amounts are:
Brittany Hills Civic Association ($500; fiscal agent is St. Stephens Community Services)
Clinton Estates Civic Association ($400)
Community for New Directions, Inc. ($400)
East Hampton Blockwatch Civic Association ($750; fiscal agent is South Eastmoor Civic Association)
South Eastmoor Civic Association ($480)
Eastmoor Civic Association & Blockwatch ($1000; fiscal agent is Institute for Human Services)
Edgewood Civic Organization, Inc. ($500)
Franklinton Board of Trade ($800)
Lower Lights Christian Center ($600)
Greater Southeast Communities ($600; fiscal agent is Urban Foundation)
Walnut Heights Blockwatch ($750; fiscal agent is Urban Foundation)
Just As IAM ($1000)
Kingdom Life Church Inc. ($1000)
Kingdom Power Baptist Church ($300)
Linden Park Block Watch ($300; fiscal agent is Community of Caring Development Foundation)
Lives Worth Saving Foundation ($800)
Madison Mills Blockwatch ($600; fiscal agent is Lead the Way Learning Academy)
Village at Williams Creek Blockwatch ($500; fiscal agent is Lead the Way Learning Academy)
Williams Creek Blockwatch ($600; fiscal agent is Lead the Way Learning Academy)
Maize Manor United Methodist Church ($800)
Marion Franklin Area Civic Association ($800)
Maize Morse Tri Area Civic Association ($800; fiscal agent is Northland Alliance, Inc.)
Northland Alliance, Inc. ($600)
Olde Towne East Jazz Festival ($700)
Omega Community Enrichment Foundation ($1000)
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity - Eta Nu Nu Chapter ($800)
On the Right Path ($500)
What Would Marcus Do ($500)
Queens of Quality Corp. ($800)
Rickenbacker Woods Foundation ($500)
Shepard Community Association Inc. ($800)
Short North Foundation ($800)
Harrison West ($600; fiscal agent is Short North Foundation)
Sigsbee Church of God ($500; fiscal agent is Kingdom Arts)
South Central Commons Blockwatch ($800)
South of Main Futures ($800)
The Highland West Civic Association ($800)
Sharon Woods Civic Association ($750)
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding is available within the General Fund 1000 and the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, subfund 100018.
REASON FOR EMERGENCY: National Night Out will occur on August 5th, leaving a limited window within which to distribute funding to grantees in advance of their expected expenses and programming. Many grantees are small organizations that may not be capable of fronting the funding for their programming.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into various grant agreements; to authorize an expenditure from the General Fund and the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; to authorize expenditures for reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverage costs; and to declare an emergency. ($27,300.00)
Body
WHEREAS, National Night Out is an annual event intended to highlight safety programs within communities, raise the awareness of neighborhood community policing and enhance the relationship between neighbors; and
WHEREAS, community events associated with national Night Out in the past have included live music, porch light vigils, and cookouts; and
WHEREAS, City Council deems the use of grant funds authorized under this ordinance for food and non-alcoholic beverage as an allowable expense; and
WHEREAS, City Council, the Division of Police, and the Department of Neighborhoods plan to assist community organizations and civic associations in the planning of community events; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the city in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into grant agreements to avoid causing interruptions in the delivery of program services currently scheduled for August 5th, which is primarily programmed by small local nonprofit organizations who lack the funding to pay for goods and services in advance of the event without assistance from the City, 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:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods is hereby authorized to enter into grant agreements, on a payment advancement schedule, with the organizations listed in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $9,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed is authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives fund 1000, subfund 100018, in Object Class 05 - Grants Services per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $18,300.00 or so much thereof as may be needed is authorized in Fund 1000, Subfund 100010 Dept-Div 48-01, in Object Class 05 - Grants per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the use of said expenditures may be put toward reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses, not to exceed $15.00 per person, and that City Council hereby finds such food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses to be for a proper public purpose. No part of the expenditures shall be used toward alcohol expenses.
SECTION 5. 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 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.