Explanation
BACKGROUND: Columbus Public Health has been awarded a grant from the Ohio Department of Health originating from the U.S Department of Transportation. This ordinance is needed to accept and appropriate $69,060.00 in grant money to fund the Occupant Protection Regional Coordination for the Ohio Buckles Buckeye (OBB) grant program for the period of October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024.
The Occupant Protection Regional Coordination grant supports the statewide network of the child passenger safety program, known as Ohio Buckles Buckeyes (OBB). The Occupant Protection Regional Coordinators serve as the regional liaisons between ODH and the county-level contacts at the OBB Sites. This grant supports the regional coordinators as they work with local OBB sites to educate parents, lower child occupant protection misuse rates in Ohio, provide community resources, especially those in underserved and high-risk communities, and provide appropriate car seats to families that qualify under Women, Infant, and Children federal guidelines. Columbus Public Health is the regional coordinator for Region 5, which includes Franklin County and 13 surrounding counties.
This ordinance is submitted as an emergency so as to not delay car seat program services to Franklin County and 13 surrounding counties.
FISCAL IMPACT: The Ohio Buckles Buckeye program is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Ohio Department of Health and does not generate revenue or require a city match.
Title
To authorize and direct the Board of Health to accept a grant from the Ohio Department of Health for the Ohio Buckles Buckeye grant program in the amount of $69,060.00; to authorize the appropriation of $69,060.00 to the Health Department in the Health Department’s Grants Fund; to authorize the expenditure of said grant funds; and to declare an emergency. ($69,060.00)
Body
WHEREAS, $69,060.00 in grant funds have been made available through the Ohio Department of Health for the Ohio Buckles Buckeyes grant program for the period of October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to accept and appropriate these funds from the Ohio Department of Health for the continued support of the Ohio Buckles Buckeye grant program; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance is submitted as an emergency so as to allow the financial transactions to be posted in the City’s accounting system as soon as possible and to not delay car seat program services to Franklin County and 13 surrounding counties. Up to date financial posting promotes accurate accounting and financial management; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of Columbus Public Health in that it is immediately necessary to accept these grant funds from the Ohio Department of Health to meet deliverables and to appropriate these funds to Columbus Public Health to avoid delay car seat program services, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, property, peace, and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Board of Health is hereby authorized and directed to accept a grant award of $69,060.00 from the Ohio Department of Health for the Ohio Buckles Buckeyes grant program for the period of October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the Health Department's Grants Fund, Fund No. 2251, and from all monies estimated to come into said Fund from any and all sources during the grant period, the sum of $69,060.00 and any eligible interest earned during the grant period is hereby appropriated to the Health Department, Division No. 5001, according to the attached accounting document.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Health Commissioner and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except upon voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 4. That, at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 5. That 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 hereby authorized to transfer appropriations between object classes for the Ohio Buckles Buckeyes grant program as needed upon request by the Columbus Public Health department.
SECTION 7. That for 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.