Explanation
BACKGROUND:
On December 12, 2022 the Columbus City Treasurer's Office in collaboration with the Department of Finance and Management and the City Auditor’s Office issued a request for proposal, RFQ023687, for various banking services. An Evaluation Committee comprised of five representatives from the City Treasurer’s Office, Department of Public Utilities, Department of Finance and Management, Division of Income Tax and the City Auditor’s Office received and reviewed proposals from six (6) banks. On May 12, 2023 a joint meeting of the Columbus Depository Commission and Treasury Investment Board was held at which the Treasurer presented the Evaluation Committee’s rankings of offerors. The Treasurer recommended, and the Depository Commission and Treasury Investment Board approved, subject to successful negotiation and the approval of City Council, the award of banking services to specific banks.
All such banks are currently eligible depositories of the City of Columbus, pursuant to Chapter 321.04 of the Columbus City Code. The contracts are for a period of ten (10) years beginning September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2033 subject to annual appropriations and approval of contracts by the Columbus City Council.
The Treasurer wishes to make the initial contract term 17 months to better align the annual term with the City’s budget.
The City Treasurer’s contract with US Bank will provide City agencies the ability to use gift as incentive payments for agency programs. In a previous contracts, ordinances that have authorized gift cards included:
• 1821-2021: Authorized the use of gift cards by Columbus Public Health (CPH) as an incentive for those that received a vaccine at a CPH COVID-19 vaccination site.
• 2188-2021: Authorized an additional allocation of gift cards for use by CPH for same initiative.
• 2579-2021: Authorized the use of gift cards by the Department of Public Safety as compensation to individuals to voluntarily surrendered firearms during a community gun buy-back event.
Funding for this ordinance will come from the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police and the Office of Violence Prevention for a Community gun buy-back event. The Office of Violence Prevention, in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety plans to host a community gun buy-back event on September 30, 2023 during which individuals who voluntarily surrender firearms will be compensated with a gift card. In addition to General Funds, Division of Police Chief Bryant has authorized the usage of Contraband Seizure Funds for this project.
The Columbus City Treasurer requests emergency designation so that the gift cards may be obtained in time for the community event scheduled for Saturday, September 30, 2023.
Contract Compliance: US Bank NA, 310841368, expiration 1/31/2024.
Title
To authorize an appropriation of $50,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the Law Enforcement Contraband Seizure Fund; to authorize the City Treasurer to enter into a contract for gift card banking services with US Bank NA; to authorize the expenditure of up to $200,000.00 from the General Fund; to authorize the expenditure of up to $50,000.00 from the Law Enforcement Contraband Seizure Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($250,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City Treasurer proposed the award of contracts for banking services as provided for in RFQ023687 issued on December 12, 2022, for which the Columbus Depository Commission, at a meeting held on May 12, 2023, recommended the award of banking services, subject to approval by Columbus City Council; and
WHEREAS, the City Treasurer wishes to enter into contract for gift card banking services with US Bank for the period of September 1, 2023 through March 31, 2025 to better align the annual term with the City’s budget; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Violence Prevention, in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety plans to host a community gun buy-back event on September 30, 2023 during which individuals who voluntarily surrender firearms will be compensated with a gift card; and
WHEREAS, as an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Treasurer’s Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Treasurer to enter into contract with US Bank and authorize the expenditures as cited below, so that the Office of Violence Prevention may obtain gift cards for its gun buy-back event scheduled for Saturday, September 30, 2023, and 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 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 ending December 31, 2023, the sum of $50,000.00 is appropriated in Fund 2219-Law Enforcement Contraband Seizure Fund in Object Class 03-Contractual Services per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the City Treasurer is hereby authorized to enter into contract with US Bank for the provision of gift card banking services for the City of Columbus for the period September 1, 2023 through March 31, 2025.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of up to $200,000.00 or so much thereof that may be necessary in regard to the action authorized in Section 2, be and is hereby authorized and approved from the General Fund per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of up to $50,000.00 or so much thereof that may be necessary in regard to the action authorized in Section 2, be and is hereby authorized and approved from the Law Enforcement Contraband Seizure Fund per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
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 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 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.