Explanation
Background: The Mid-Ohio Foodbank is the developer of the Eastland Prosperity Center (“Center”) which will combine a free food market with a community health center, city services and other support to create a one-stop destination for social services at 4485 Refugee Road, Columbus, Ohio. As part of this Center, the City is to lease space within for Columbus Public Health, for a Women, Infant and Children’s Clinic (3,195 square feet), for the Department of Neighborhoods, for a Neighborhood Pride Center and 311 call center (2,830 square feet), and for CelebrateOne, as a community outpost dedicated to reducing infant mortality (1,206 square feet). Three separate Lease Agreements (“Leases”) will be entered into with an effective date on or about December 3, 2026, as authorized by Ordinance 1558-2026.
This ordinance authorizes the expenditure of up to $114,352.00 annually, associated with the three (3) Lease Agreements authorized by ordinance 1558-2026 with Mid-Ohio Foodbank, an Ohio non-profit corporation, for space with the Eastland Prosperity Center located at 4458 Refugee Road, Columbus, Ohio. The Leases will be for twenty (20) consecutive one-year lease terms, each subject to appropriation and certification of necessary rental funds by Columbus City Council. This ordinance is deemed an emergency.
Fiscal Impact: Funding for the three (3) leases agreements is budgeted as follows:
• $25,560.00 - Columbus Public Health - Health Operating Fund 50-5001-03-63310-2250-000000-HE002-500106
• $62,260.00 - Department of Neighborhoods - General Fund 48-4801-03-63310-1000-100010-NH002
• $26,532.00 - CelebrateOne - General Fund 40-4005-03-63310-1000-100010-MA005
Emergency Action: This legislation is presented as emergency measure to allow for timely commencement of rent payments associated with the Lease Agreements all with an effective date on or about December 3, 2026.
Title
To authorize the expenditure of funds associated with the three (3) Lease Agreements authorized by 1558-2026 with Mid-Ohio Foodbank, an Ohio non-profit corporation, for space within the Eastland Prosperity Center located at 4458 Refugee Road, Columbus, Ohio; and to declare an emergency. ($114,352.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Development, through its Real Estate and Land Redevelopment Office, leases office space for various Departments of the City, and
WHEREAS, Real Estate and Land Redevelopment has negotiated leases, on behalf of Columbus Public Health, the Department of Neighborhoods and CelebrateOne, to occupy office space within the Eastland Prosperity Center, a Center being developed by Mid-Oho Foodbank as a social service hub at 4458 Refugee Road, all of which were authorized by the passage of ordinance 1558-2026; and
WHEREAS, funding for the payment of rent associated with this agreement is provided for within the General Fund and the Health Operating Fund, respectively, and each renewal being subject to the appropriation of rental funds and certification of funds availability by the City Auditor; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City in that it is immediately necessary that the of the Department of Finance and Management and Columbus Public Health is authorized to expend the funds necessary to timely pay rent associated with the three (3) Lease Agreements with Mid-Ohio Foodbank each with an effective date on or about December 3, 2026, all 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 expenditure of $88,792.00, or so much as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be expended from the General Fund, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $25,560.00, or so much as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be expended from the Health Operating Fund, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the monies to be expended in Section 1 and 2 shall be paid upon order of the director of the respective department and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes necessary to ensure that payment of this contract is properly accounted for and recorded accurately on the city's financial record and to make any changes to revise the funding source for any contract or contract modification associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. 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 passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten (10) days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.