Explanation
The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center, a non-profit corporation, in support of its Family Services program Choice Food Pantry.
The mission of Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center (CRC) is to deliver responsive services, cultivate partnerships, and promote opportunities to foster a healthier community. To that end, the Family Services program Choice Food Pantry is working every day to provide food to families who are impacted by food insecurity. In addition to alleviating food insecurity, families who access the food pantry are able to link with a social worker to sign up for food stamps, Medicaid, and other benefits for which they may be eligible. Families can also access diapers, baby formula, personal hygiene items, and clothing from the food pantry. CRC has a Housing Resource Specialist located at the food pantry, focused primarily on families who have been at imminent risk of eviction. Funding will be used to pay for staff time at the food pantry to continue to meet the growing need during times of shrinking funding available. CRC serves a high volume of immigrant/refugee families, families experiencing housing instability, older adults, and the unhoused. Our community relies on us as a safety net and CRC is requesting funding to continue to provide these life-saving services to the community.
This funding will help allow for continued operation of this program, and City Council is proposing $15,000.00 for this purpose.
FISCAL IMPACT: $15,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund for this purpose.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: An emergency designation is requested in order for Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center to ensure no interruption to food pantry operations.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center in support of its Family Services program Choice Food Pantry; to authorize an appropriation of $7,500.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; to authorize the expenditure of $15,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency ($15,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, there is need to provide support and resources to our city’s families who are impacted by food insecurity; and
WHEREAS, the mission of Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center (CRC) is to deliver responsive services, cultivate partnerships, and promote opportunities to foster a healthier community; and
WHEREAS, the organization runs the Family Services program Choice Food Pantry to provide for these needs; and
WHEREAS, Council is proposing support of $15,000.00 in support of these programs; and
WHEREAS, $15,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund for this purpose; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk's Office in that it is necessary for the Clerk to enter into a contract immediately with Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center to sustain the current operations in effect, all for the immediate preservation of 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 City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center in support of its Family Services program Choice Food Pantry.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $7,500.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $15,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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.