Explanation
BACKGROUND:
Columbus Water and Power is committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable utility services and assisting customers experiencing financial hardship. The City of Columbus would like to establish the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund at The Columbus Foundation to create a charitable mechanism through which individuals, businesses, corporations, organizations, customers, philanthropic partners, and other interested parties may make voluntary contributions to support utility customer assistance and other approved utility-related community initiatives and projects.
The Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund, a fund to be established at The Columbus Foundation by the City of Columbus, will provide an established charitable structure to receive, hold, invest, and administer eligible contributions. Contributions may be used to supplement existing utility affordability and customer assistance programs, provide utility bill assistance to eligible customers experiencing financial hardship, and support other approved utility-related community initiatives and projects. Columbus Water and Power will retain responsibility for establishing program requirements, determining eligibility for assistance, approving assistance, and directing the use of distributions from the fund.
The Columbus Foundation will provide charitable fund administration, including the receipt and administration of contributions, investment of fund assets, accounting and reporting, and processing of authorized distributions. Establishing the fund through The Columbus Foundation will also provide the ability to accept tax-deductible contributions from a broader range of donors and charitable sources.
This ordinance is needed to authorize the Director of Columbus Water and Power to enter into an agreement with The Columbus Foundation to establish and manage the fund known as the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund and to authorize the initial funding necessary to establish the fund.
EMERGENCY: This ordinance is submitted as an emergency so that the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund may be established and contributions may be received as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: This legislation authorizes the expenditure of $10,000.00 to the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund for its initial development and transfers $10,000.00 between object classes within the Columbus Water & Power Director’s office.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to transfer $10,000.00 between object classes within Columbus Water & Power Director’s office; to authorize the Director of Columbus Water and Power to enter into an agreement with The Columbus Foundation to provide for the establishment and management of a charitable fund to be known as the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund; to authorize an initial contribution to establish the fund; to authorize the expenditure of $10,000.00 split between the Electricity, Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Stormwater Operating Funds; and to declare an emergency. ($10,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, Columbus Water and Power, is committed to providing safe, reliable, and affordable utility services and assisting customers experiencing financial hardship; and,
WHEREAS, the City desires to establish a charitable fund that will provide individuals, businesses, corporations, organizations, philanthropic partners, and other interested parties with a mechanism to make voluntary charitable contributions for the benefit of Columbus Water and Power customers and other approved utility-related community initiatives and projects; and,
WHEREAS, the City desires to establish the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund at The Columbus Foundation to provide an established charitable structure through which eligible contributions may be received, held, invested, administered, and distributed in accordance with an agreement between the City and The Columbus Foundation; and,
WHEREAS, contributions to the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund may be used to supplement existing City utility affordability and customer assistance programs, provide utility bill assistance to eligible customers experiencing financial hardship, and support other approved utility-related community initiatives and projects consistent with the purposes of the fund and the agreement with The Columbus Foundation; and,
WHEREAS, the Columbus Water and Power will retain responsibility for establishing applicable program requirements, determining eligibility for assistance, identifying qualifying programs and expenses, approving assistance, and directing the use of distributions received from the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund in accordance with applicable City policies and requirements; and,
WHEREAS, The Columbus Foundation will administer the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund, including receiving and holding eligible charitable contributions, investing fund assets, processing authorized distribution requests, and providing accounting, reporting, and other fund administration services in accordance with the agreement; and,
WHEREAS, funds held in the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund may realize investment earnings in accordance with the investment options and terms established with The Columbus Foundation; and,
WHEREAS, an initial contribution of $10,000 is required to establish the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund with The Columbus Foundation; and,
WHEREAS, a transfer of budget appropriation is needed with the Director’s Office of Columbus Water & Power; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to enter into an agreement between the City of Columbus, Columbus Water and Power, and The Columbus Foundation to establish and administer the fund known as the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Columbus Water and Power in that it is immediately necessary to enter into an agreement with The Columbus Foundation and establish the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund so as to allow contributions to be received and made available for eligible purposes as soon as possible and in time to help potentially offset 2027 rates increases, for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; Now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Columbus Water and Power is hereby authorized to enter into an agreement with The Columbus Foundation to provide for the establishment and management of a charitable fund to be known as the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund.
SECTION 2. That the transfer of $10,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed is hereby authorized between Object Classes within Fund 6000, Water Operating Fund, Fund 6100 Sanitary Operating Fund, Fund 6200 Storm Sewer Operating Fund and Fund 6300 Electricity Operating Fund per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the Director of Columbus Water and Power is hereby authorized to make an initial contribution of $10,000 to The Columbus Foundation for the establishment of the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund, subject to the availability and appropriation of funds and in accordance with applicable City requirements.
SECTION 4. That the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund is established for the purpose of receiving and administering eligible charitable contributions to support utility customer assistance, utility affordability initiatives, and other approved utility-related community initiatives and projects benefiting Columbus Water and Power customers and the communities served by Columbus Water and Power.
SECTION 5. That distributions from the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund shall be requested and used in accordance with the agreement with The Columbus Foundation and applicable City policies and procedures. Columbus Water and Power shall retain responsibility for determining eligible programs, expenses, customers, or other recipients of assistance and for directing the application of funds received from the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund.
SECTION 6. That the Columbus Foundation is authorized under the agreement to receive, hold, invest, and administer contributions to the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund and to make distributions pursuant to authorized requests consistent with the purposes of the fund.
SECTION 7. That Columbus Water and Power is authorized to execute such documents and take such actions as are necessary and consistent with this ordinance to establish and administer the Columbus Water and Power Assistance Fund.
SECTION 8. 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 9. 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 10. That for the purpose stated in Section 3, the expenditure of $10,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the cost thereof, be and is hereby authorized from Columbus Water and Power object class 05 Other, split among the Electricity, Water, Sanitary Sewer, and Stormwater Operating Funds, per the accounting codes in the attachments to this ordinance.
SECTION 11. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is declared to be an emergency measure to allow contributions to be received and made available for eligible purposes as soon as possible and in time to help offset 2027 rates increases, 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.