Explanation
BACKGROUND: Ordinance 1497-2007 authorized the City Auditor to transfer $1,000,000.00 from the Special Income Tax Fund to the Development Revolving Loans/Grants Fund for the purpose of providing assistance to low income homeowners for the operation of the Roof Repair Plus! Program. It has been determined that the City needs to expand the use of funds beyond roof and roof-related repairs to include prioritized home repairs provided through the Home Safe and Sound Program. Examples of eligible Home Safe and Sound repairs include structural, mechanical and housing code items that create unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions for individuals and families. This legislation will amend both the Title and Section 4 of Ordinance 1497-2007 to include Home Safe and Sound home repair activities as eligible expenditures for the Development Revolving Loans/Grants Fund.
Emergency action is necessary to allow for payment of projects currently underway at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT: This legislation will expand the activities eligible for expenditure. No additional funds are necessary.
Title
To amend Ordinance 1497-2007, passed October 15, 2007, to include Home Safe and Sound home repair activities as eligible expenditures for the Development Revolving Loans/Grants Fund; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, on October 15, 2007, Columbus City Council passed Ordinance 1497-2007 authorizing the City Auditor to transfer $1,000,000.00 from the Special Income Tax Fund to the Development Revolving Loans/Grants Fund for the purpose of providing assistance to low income homeowners for the operation of the Roof Repair Plus! Program; and
WHEREAS, since then, it has been determined that the City needs to expand the use of funds beyond roof repairs to include prioritized home repairs provided through the Home Safe and Sound Program; and
WHEREAS, this legislation will amend both the Title and Section 4 of Ordinance 1497-2007 to include Home Safe and Sound prioritized home repair activities as eligible expenditures for the Development Revolving Loans/Grants Fund; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development, Housing Division, in that it is immediately necessary to amend said ordinance to allow for payment of projects currently underway, thereby preserving 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 Title of Ordinance 1497-2007 be and is hereby amended to read as follows:
To authorize and direct the City Auditor to transfer $1,000,000.00 from the Special Income Tax Fund to the Development Revolving Loans/Grants Fund; to authorize the expenditure of $1,000,000 from the Development Revolving Loans/Grants Fund for the purpose of providing assistance to low income homeowners for the operation of the Roof Repair Plus! and Home Safe and Sound programs; and to declare an emergency. ($1,000,000)
Section 2. That Section 4 of Ordinance 1497-2007 be and is hereby amended to read as follows:
That the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to provide assistance through the Roof Repair Plus! and Home Safe and Sound programs, as administered by the Housing Division, to eligible low and moderate income homeowners for roof and other prioritized home repairs critical to preserving the housing stock.
Section 3. 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 approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.