Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Building and Zoning Services to enter into professional service contract with Sky Nile Consulting for the purpose of conducting an awareness campaign to protect vulnerable homeowners from predatory real estate wholesaling practices.
In 2024, Council adopted 3505-2024, which created a Residential Property Wholesaler Registry to ensure ethical practices associated with wholesaling by capturing information around wholesaling transactions and requiring disclosure of information to homeowners. Wholesaling can harm homeowners by targeting those in financial distress or those without sufficient information about their rights. Predatory wholesaling practices threatens the stability of homeowners and their ability to accrue intergenerational wealth.
Sky Nile Consulting will support this effort through an awareness and education campaign focused on the homeowners most vulnerable to predatory real estate wholesaling practices. Their work will include plain-language education, culturally relevant assets, and grassroots outreach to ensure at-risk residents understand their rights and are aware of the Wholesaler Registry as a trusted resource. The total cost of the work will be $40,000 with $15,000 from the City of Columbus and $25,000 from the Columbus Realtors Association.
Sky Nile Consulting is a full-service marketing and branding agency that has substantial knowledge of the housing landscape in Columbus, having worked on the Housing For All campaign and Rise Together, among others. Deliverables will include a strategic memo on key messages, visual identity and slogan/tagline, and outreach; three short animated or live-action videos (30-60 seconds), five print-ready educational pieces, “Ask Before You Sign” homeowner checklist, and a social media toolkit (ten static graphics, five video clips, sample captions). Sky Nile Consulting will also partner with five to seven trusted community organizations for street-level outreach and conduct outreach via Facebook and Instagram, ad buys on relevant digital outlets, and paid placements on local radio with call-to-action. The final deliverable includes a wrap-up report with partner feedback and recommendations for ongoing education and expansion
The work will be completed within twelve weeks of initiation.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to initiate education and outreach to address the wholesaling issues.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Building and Zoning Services to enter into contract with Sky Nile Consulting for an education campaign about real estate wholesaling practice; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($15,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Sky Nile Consulting will support the City of Columbus in the Wholesaler Registry and education initiative through strategic outreach and communications; and
WHEREAS, Sky Nile’s focus will be on education, outreach, and awareness building to support homeowners most vulnerable to predatory real estate wholesaling practices; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of the Department of Building and Zoning Services in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into contract with Sky Nile Consulting in order to initiate planning and implementation of education on wholesaling practices as the requirement to register approaches the July 1 deadline, 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 Department of Building and Zoning Services is hereby authorized to enter into professional service contract with Sky Nile Inc in support of a wholesaler education and outreach campaign.
SECTION 2. That the Auditor is hereby authorized to appropriate $15,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That per the action authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $15,000.00 or so much thereof as is necessary 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.