Explanation
This ordinance establishes the Vacant Tenant Services Special Revenue Subfund in the Special Purpose Fund, into which reimbursements from property owners paid to the city for tenant relocation assistance shall be deposited.
Ordinance 1987-2024, passed by City Council on July 15, 2024, amended sections of Title 45, Housing Code, and Title 7, Health, Sanitation, and Safety Code, of the Columbus City Code (C.C.C.) and enacted section 4509.061 to define relocation assistance provided by the City of Columbus as an abatement activity under the following circumstances:
1. Due to a code violation that resulted in an emergency order to vacate issued pursuant to C.C.C section 4509.06 or C.C.C section 701.13 for a condition or conditions that the City determined were the property owner's responsibility to remedy; or
2. Due to a condition that caused the tenant to vacate the property voluntarily, for which the City later issued a notice of code violation and order that the property be kept vacant pursuant to C.C.C. section 4701.08, that the City determined was the property owner's responsibility to remedy; or
3. Due to a condition that was subsequently found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have caused the tenant to vacate and which was the property owner's responsibility to remedy.
Included in section 4509.61, the city may provide relocation assistance under this section to, or on behalf of, a tenant if the property owner or operator does not provide such relocation assistance. In return, the property owner shall reimburse the City for the full cost of relocation assistance provided.
The city’s Vacant Tenant Services Special Revenue Fund shall be the fund into which any revenue received by the city in accordance with Columbus City Code 4509.061 will be deposited.
Title
To establish the Vacant Tenant Services Special Revenue Subfund within the Special Purpose Fund.
Body
WHEREAS, ordinance 1987-2024, passed by City Council on July 15, 2024, amended sections of Title 45, Housing Code, and Title 7, Health, Sanitation, and Safety Code, of the Columbus City Codes and enacted section 4509.061; and
WHEREAS, section 4509.61 defines relocation assistance provided by the City of Columbus on behalf of a tenant due to a code violation or condition that required them to vacate as an abatement activity; and
WHEREAS, that, under section 4509.61, the city may provide relocation assistance to, or on behalf of, a tenant if the property owner or operator does not provide such relocation assistance; and
WHEREAS, in return, the property owner shall reimburse the City for the full cost of relocation assistance provided; and
WHEREAS, the city’s Vacant Tenant Services Special Revenue Fund shall be the fund into which any revenue received by the city in accordance with Columbus City Code 4509.061 will be deposited; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That there is hereby established the Vacant Tenant Services Special Revenue Subfund within the Special Purpose Fund.
SECTION 2. That all proceeds associated with Columbus City Code 4509.061 shall be deposited into the Vacant Tenant Services Special Revenue Fund.
SECTION 3. That this revenue will be committed to providing relocation assistance to tenants due to an emergency order to vacate, conditions that caused a tenant to vacate a property voluntarily that later resulted in a code violation, or conditions that were subsequently found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have caused the tenant to vacate and which were the property owner's responsibility to remedy.
SECTION 4. That this ordinance shall take effect at the earliest date allowable by law.