Explanation
This ordinances authorizes the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to enter into a grant agreement with the YWCA Columbus in support of the Restoring Community Conversations Outreach Project.
The Outreach Project is a two-year, city-led initiative in Columbus designed to center the lived experiences of residents and gather feedback for community-driven recommendations. It used strategies such as World Cafés, story labs, and podcasts to identify barriers and elevate priorities across neighborhoods. A core team of community advisors was established to guide engagement, build trust, and connect with diverse populations. Outreach efforts extended to leaders, organizations, and groups working with similar priorities, fostering collaboration and visibility for the project.
To date, the project has:
• Hosted 2 of 50 planned World Cafés
• Recorded 2 of 14 planned podcasts
• Engaged 53 people toward a 2,000-person goal
• Reached 13 of 17 target zip codes, with the highest participation in 43068 and 43219
Through these activities, the project built bridges and advanced collective solutions for Columbus residents.
This funding will facilitate the ongoing events of the series, including additional World Cafes, podcasts, and community engagement events.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to ensure that the activities of the Outreach Project can continue without interruption.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to enter into a grant agreement with the YWCA Columbus in support of the Restoring Community Conversations Outreach Project; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Outreach Project is a two-year, city-led initiative in Columbus designed to center the lived experiences of residents and gather feedback for community-driven recommendations; and
WHEREAS, through World Cafes, podcasts, and community engagement events, the project built bridges and advanced collective solutions for Columbus residents; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a grant agreement in order to ensure that the activities of the Outreach Project can continue without interruption, 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 Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the YWCA Columbus in support of the Restoring Community Conversations Outreach Project.
SECTION 2. That the Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $30,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That per the action authorized by Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $30,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, is hereby authorized per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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 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 passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.