Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Board of Health to modify an existing contract with Decision Support Services, Inc. (DSS) to add additional funding to provide evaluation services for Columbus Public Health’s Healthy Start Project. The modification increases the current contract by $20,000, bringing the new total contract amount to $40,000.00 The contract term will remain April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026.
The original contract was based on a partial federal award, which limited available funds at the time of execution. Since then, the full award has been received, creating additional evaluation and reporting requirements to meet federal and local standards. DSS already possesses a deep knowledge of the Healthy Start Project, its evaluation framework, and associated federal reporting standards. Issuing a new procurement would delay critical evaluation work, risk duplication of effort, and threaten compliance timelines. Continuing with DSS ensures continuity of services, timely reporting, and cost efficiency. The $20,000.00 increase reflects DSS’s detailed scope-of-work expansion to address new data-collection, analysis, and reporting obligations associated with the full award. This pricing was reviewed and deemed reasonable based on the added hours, specialized staff time, and deliverables required.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency action is requested to avoid a gap in these critical evaluation services and to ensure continued compliance with program requirements. Approval is necessary to sustain ongoing Healthy Start activities and to maintain accountability for public health funding and outcomes.
FISCAL IMPACT: Expenditures to provide these services are budgeted in the 2025 Healthy Start Grant within the 2025 Health Department Grants Fund, Fund No. 2251. ($20,000.00)
Title
To authorize the Board of Health to modify an existing contract with Decision Support Services, Inc. to add additional funding to provide evaluation services for Columbus Public Health’s Healthy Start Project; to authorize an expenditure from the Health Department Grants Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($20,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Board of Health has a need to modify an existing contract with Decision Support Services, Inc. to add additional funding to provide evaluation services for Columbus Public Health’s Healthy Start Project; and
WHEREAS, the contract will be increased by $20,000.00, for a new total contract amount not to exceed $40,000.00. The contract period will remain from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Board of Health to modify an existing contract with Decision Support Services, Inc. to add additional funding to provide evaluation services for the Healthy Start Project, in order to avoid a gap in this critical service and to meet the ongoing demands of the program, 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 Board of Health is hereby authorized to modify an existing contract with Decision Support Services, Inc., that provides evaluation services for Columbus Public Health’s Healthy Start Project to add additional funding in the amount of $20,000.00, for a new total contract amount not to exceed $40,000.00. The contract period will remain from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $20,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from the 2025 Healthy Start Grant within the 2025 Health Department Grants Fund, Fund 2251, Department 50, Division 5001, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That this contract is in compliance with Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Code.
SECTION 4. 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 and to make any accounting changes necessary to ensure that this contract is properly accounted for and recorded accurately on the City’s financial records.
SECTION 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is 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.