Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This legislation authorizes the establishment of the Green Columbus Fund Program. The Green Columbus Fund Program will provide grants for projects that promote sustainable economic development by reimbursing environmental assessment costs and a portion of land acquisition costs to facilitate safe redevelopment of brownfield sites, and for the provision of grants that promote sustainable economic development by reimbursing LEED Certification costs and providing incentives for qualifying green buildings.
The Green Columbus Fund represents the City's commitment to promote economic development and job creation, with emphasis on but not limited to inner city developed areas. In addition the Green Columbus Fund represents the City's commitment to become greener and more sustainable. Emergency action is necessary to allow the program to begin promptly.
For these reasons the City included in its July 2010 Bond Sale Ordinance an appropriation of $1,000,000 for what is referred to therein as the Green Columbus Initiatives Fund with this bond purpose clause language: "providing funding for the Green Columbus Fund, which fund will be used to further the Get Green Columbus initiative by, among other things, (1) making grants (a) for the purchase of contaminated property within Columbus' CDBG Service Area or 1950 boundaries, and (b) to finance the costs of completed Phase 1 Environmental Assessments and Phase 2 Environmental Assessments to determine clean-up costs; and (2) facilitating LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification of "green" buildings within the City of Columbus by, among other things, providing funds for (x) full or partial reimbursement of the LEED Certification fee charged by the U.S. Green Building Council, and (y) further reimbursement of the LEED Certification fee based on the number of LEED credits and the location of the building within the City of Columbus."
FISCAL IMPACT:
No funding is required for this legislation. Expenditures will be subject to future authorization by City Council. Funding will be provided from the Green Columbus Fund - 2010 Capital Improvements Budget, Northland and Other Acquisition Fund and will not to exceed $1,000,000.
Title
To authorize the establishment of the Green Columbus Fund Program in the Department of Development for the purpose of making grants for brownfield redevelopment and creation of green buildings in accordance with the procedures called for in this legislation; and to declare an emergency. (REPEALED BY 1931-2012 PASSED 9/10/2012)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Development desires to administer a Green Columbus Fund Program using proceeds of the July 2010 Bond Sale; and
WHEREAS, these monies will be used to provide grants to facilitate brownfield redevelopment and creation of green buildings; and
WHEREAS, the Green Columbus Fund represents the City's commitment to become greener and more sustainable; and
WHEREAS, emergency action is necessary to allow the program to get underway promptly; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the establishment of the Green Columbus Fund Program 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 Department of Development is hereby authorized to prepare and circulate program guidance and information that includes but is not limited to program descriptions and application forms, to modify these as appropriate, and to take other appropriate steps to provide for the fair and effective administration of the Green Columbus Fund Program by the Department of Development.
Section 2. That the Director of Development shall prepare and bring before the City Council for authorization brownfield redevelopment agreements providing for reimbursement grants up to a maximum of $200,000 per project. These brownfield redevelopment agreements may apply to costs for Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessments and Physical Phase II Environmental Assessments for abandoned gas stations, and may apply to a portion of land acquisition costs that shall not exceed the Franklin County Auditor card value of the property nor shall it exceed 50% of the total grant funds received from the City for the project.
Section 3. That the Director of Development shall prepare and bring before the City Council for authorization green building development agreements setting forth the terms under which the City will reimburse the owner of a qualifying building for its LEED certification costs, and may provide further incentives up to triple that cost if additional valued criteria are achieved.
Section 4. Ordinances prepared by the Development Department for consideration by City Council pursuant to Sections 2 and 3 herein will be to authorize the Director to enter into the brownfield redevelopment agreement or green building development agreement, and to authorize expenditure of up to a set dollar maximum pursuant to that agreement.
Section 5. 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.