Explanation
Background: CelebrateOne manages multiple governmental and private grants that allow for the purchase of food and/or beverages in order to increase public participation in various programs and initiatives aimed at reducing health care disparity and infant mortality. This ordinance authorizes CelebrateOne to encumber and expend grant funding for the purchase of food and/or beverage items at various outreach events, which serve the public purpose of protecting health and improving birth outcomes for pregnant persons and families who are often food-insecure. Food and/or beverage purchases will be subject to what is allowable in the respective grant agreements. Any purchase of alcohol is strictly prohibited.
CelebrateOne conducts events during the calendar year which include:
(1) Multiple community public outreach events throughout the year in various Columbus neighborhoods geared towards pregnant persons and families with infants younger than one year old in order to inform, educate, and provide appropriate social services to improve birth outcomes and infant vitality;
(2) An annual celebration, First Birthday, to mark all Central Ohio babies first birthdays, intended to raise awareness of CelebrateOne and its mission of improving health care disparity and birth outcomes;
(3) Multiple kick-off and recognition events for volunteers who participate in any of CelebrateOne’s multiple programs aimed at improving health care disparity, birth outcomes, and infant vitality.
The food and/or beverages at these events are designed to (a) provide a nutritious meal or snack to those pregnant persons and families in our community who are food-insecure and (b) increase public participation at CelebrateOne events promoting health care equity and better birth outcomes. Typically, the catered food provided at these events are less than $15 per person. Typical foods include a sandwich that may be a hamburger or hot dog, pasta salad, fruit, vegetable, and a cupcake. These foods are rationed out with a ticket system for the families being served and are served via a walk-up counter/food truck. Beverages are bottled water. Attendee numbers vary from event to event, but typically about 150 pregnant people attend the events and approximately 300 servings are budgeted and prepared for each event. CelebrateOne holds approximately six public events during a calendar year.
Any volunteer recognition event or program kick-off food and beverage costs will not exceed $20 per person and will be funded with grants that expressly allow for such expenditures. Historically, CelebrateOne has hosted one to two of these events per year and purchased buffet meals or boxed lunches for approximately fifty participants. This ordinance will allow these purchases for the 2023 calendar year only. After 2023, CelebrateOne will evaluate the public event schedule, grant allowances, and need to procure food and beverages, and will legislate any similar expenditures in the future.
Fiscal Impact: There is no fiscal impact for this ordinance. Any encumbrances for food and/or beverages will be funded from government or private grants and are subject to available appropriations. This ordinance allows CelebrateOne to encumber these grant funds when needed, for events as described above, for the remainder of 2022 and throughout the 2023 calendar year. No City general fund monies will be used for the purchase of food and/or beverages.
Emergency Action: Emergency designation is requested in order to immediately facilitate any necessary purchase of these items in the usual daily operation of CelebrateOne.
Title
To authorize the Executive Director of CelebrateOne to encumber and expend grant funding for the purchase of food and/or beverage items for public outreach and volunteer events for the balance of 2022 and the 2023 calendar year; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, CelebrateOne has a need to purchase food and/or beverage items for various community and volunteer events throughout the remainder of 2022 and during the 2023 calendar year; and
WHEREAS, CelebrateOne manages multiple governmental and private grants in order to improve health care disparity and birth outcomes in Central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, some grant agreements allow for the purchase of food and/or beverages in order to provide nutrition to pregnant persons and families who are often food-insecure, increase public participation in CelebrateOne outreach events, and for volunteer recognition events; and
WHEREAS, the purchase of food and/or beverages will not exceed $20 per client or volunteer per event; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of CelebrateOne in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Executive Director to expend funds for the purchase of food and/or beverage items so that they are available without interruption for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Executive Director of CelebrateOne is hereby authorized to encumber and expend grant funding for the 2023 calendar year, for the purchase of food and/or beverage items for various community events throughout the year, which serve the public purpose of protecting health and improving lives through better birth outcomes not to exceed $20 per client.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes necessary to ensure that these expenditures are properly accounted for and recorded accurately on the City’s financial records.
SECTION 3. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten (10) days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.