Explanation
BACKGROUND: In 2003, the Discovery District Development Corporation asked Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation to initiate an effort to work with Discovery District property owners to create a Special Improvement District (SID) on the east side of downtown. Property owners were surveyed and overwhelmingly were in support of seeing a proposal to create a SID. The SID was created for a five year period and has been very successful. The SID property decided to terminate the existing Plan for Improvements and Services a year early and reauthorize the Discovery Special Improvement District for an additional five year period, with slightly different boundaries, but still called the Discovery Special Improvement District. The property owners initiated a one-petition process to reauthorize the SID in which at least 60% of the property owners within the District signed the petition and expressed an interest in reauthorizing the SID and approving the Articles of Incorporation. This petition was accepted and approved by Columbus City Council by Ordinance 0479-2010, passed April 5, 2010. Another action required by the Ohio Revised Code is the approval of the Plan for Improvements and Services and the inclusion of City owned property in said plan. This legislation was approved by Columbus City Council by Resolution 0033X-2010, adopted April 5, 2010. The third piece of legislation was to declare the necessity to implement the Plan of Services adopted by the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc., and to levy a special assessment for the services. This legislation was adopted by Columbus City Council by Resolution 0059X-2010, passed May 10, 2010. A final piece of legislation, providing for the levy of assessment to property owners, was approved by City Council by Ordinance 0888-2010, passed June 21, 2010. Each assessment is to be returned to the SID for operational requirements as set forth in the District Plan.
This legislation appropriates and approves the expenditure of assessments collected in FY 2015 that are to be returned to the SID. This legislation also allows the Director of Development to enter into a contract with the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. for disbursement of these funds.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funds for this expenditure will be received from the levy of assessments collected from property owners in the Discovery Special Improvement District. These funds are deposited into and expended from Agency Fund 310.
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to enter into a contract with the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. for the implementation of services set forth in the District Plan; to direct the City Auditor to appropriate and expend up to $600,000.00 from assessments levied from property owners; and to declare an emergency. ($600,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, City Council approved the creation and implementation of a plan for services for the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. for a period of 5 years from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2015; and
WHEREAS, City Council has also levied assessments in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 1710 for such purposes, which funds are in the process of collection and are required by law to be distributed to the District by the City; and
WHEREAS, the assessment funds collected by the County and forwarded to the City for disbursement will be available in March and September 2015; and
WHEREAS, this legislation is an emergency because the Discovery SID needs to continue to operate its organization and to fund initiatives in a timely manner; and
WHEREAS, there is an emergency in the usual daily operation of the City, requiring the distribution of such funds, and for the further 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 Development is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. for the implementation of services previously approved by City Council.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to expend from the year 2015 appropriation to the Discovery SID Fund 310, Object Level One 05, Object Level Three 5911, OCA 442310, for the operations requirements set forth in the District Plan from assessments levied pursuant to Resolution 0068X-2006 an amount not to exceed $600,000 for assessments, penalties and fees.
SECTION 3. 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 4. 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.