Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into advance payment grant agreements with 48 non-profit organizations in support of 2026 National Night Out programming and to declare an emergency.
Community organizations and civic associations are eligible to apply for funding to defray the cost of events or the acquisition and distribution of goods and materials in alignment with the values of National Night Out. Food and/or non-alcoholic beverage purchases will be subject to what is allowable in the respective grant agreements. Food and non-alcoholic beverage costs will not exceed $15 per person and any purchase of alcohol is strictly prohibited. These grant funds will be disbursed to grantees and fiscal agents in the following manner: 80 percent up-front and 20 percent on a reimbursement basis.
National Night Out is an annual event intended to highlight safety programs within communities, raise the awareness of neighborhood community policing and enhance the relationship between neighbors. The event will occur on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. The grantees and their awarded grant amounts are as follows:
A Step in the Right Direction ($600)
Ace Community House ($800)
African Women for Change Network ($600)
Berwick Civic Association ($800)
Berwin East Civic Association ($800; fiscal agent is Redeemer’s Church)
Brittany Hills Civic Association ($800; fiscal agent is Inspirations of Miracles)
Cedar Run Civic Association ($800; fiscal agent is Seven Baskets Development Corporation)
Central Eastmoor Civic Association ($800; fiscal agent is Institute for Human Services)
Clinton Estates Civic Association ($552)
Cultivate CDC ($800)
Diverse Center ($600)
East Hampton Blockwatch Civic Association ($600; fiscal agent is South Eastmoor Civic Association)
EastPointe Christian Church ($1,000; fiscal agent is Seven Baskets Development Corporation)
Edgewood Civic Organization, Inc. ($800)
Franklinton Board of Trade ($800)
Harrison West Society Inc ($800; fiscal agent is Short North Foundation)
House of Many Educations dba The Welcome Home Foundation ($1,000)
Just As IAM ($1,000)
Kingdom Power Baptist Church ($800; fiscal agent is A Beloved Community Columbus)
Lead, Mentor, Grow Inc ($1,000)
Linden Park North Block Watch ($280; fiscal agent is Community of Caring Development Foundation)
Madison Mills Blockwatch ($800; fiscal agent is Lead the Way Learning Academy)
Maize Morse Tri Area Civic Association ($600; fiscal agent is Northland Alliance, Inc.)
MiraCit Development Corporation ($800)
New Birth Christian Ministries ($800)
Olde Town East Neighborhood Association ($800)
Olde Towne East Jazz Festival ($600)
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity - Eta Nu Nu Chapter ($800; fiscal agent is 1911 Foundation)
Queens of Quality Corp. ($600)
Rickenbacker Woods Foundation ($800)
Schumacher Place Civic Association ($600)
Scioto Southland Civic Association Inc ($808.25)
Sharon Woods Civic Association ($640)
Shepard Community Association Inc. ($800)
South Central Commons Blockwatch ($800)
South of Main Futures ($800)
SouthEast Broncos ($600; fiscal agent is Destination Life CDC)
Southern Orchards Civic Association ($400)
Strawberry Farms Community Association ($700; fiscal agent is Northland Alliance)
The RISE Center ($1,000)
University Community Association ($300)
Urban Aviators Society ($800)
Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program of Franklin County ($600)
Valley Green Community Block Watch ($800; fiscal agent is Lead the Way Learning Academy)
Village at Williams Creek Blockwatch ($800; fiscal agent is Lead the Way Learning Academy)
Walnut Hill Park Association ($800)
Williams Creek Blockwatch ($800; fiscal agent is Lead the Way Learning Academy)
Woodward Park Civic Association ($400; fiscal agent is Northland Alliance)
FISCAL IMPACT: $7,500.00 is available within the General Fund 1000 and the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund 100018. $27,580.25 is available within the General Fund of the Department of Neighborhoods.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency action is requested to prevent delays in the disbursement of grant funds as National Night Out will occur on August 4th, leaving a limited window within which to distribute funding to grantees in advance of their expected expenses and programming. Many grantees are small organizations that may not be capable of operating on a strictly reimbursement basis.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into advance payment grant agreements with 48 non-profit organizations in support of National Night Out; to authorize an expenditure from the General Fund and the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; to authorize expenditures for reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverage costs; and to declare an emergency. ($35,080.25)
Body
WHEREAS, National Night Out is an annual event intended to highlight safety programs within communities, raise the awareness of neighborhood community policing and enhance the relationship between neighbors; and
WHEREAS, community events associated with national Night Out in the past have included live music, porch light vigils, and cookouts; and
WHEREAS, The Director of the Department of Neighborhoods deems the use of grant funds authorized under this ordinance for food and non-alcoholic beverage as an allowable expense; and
WHEREAS, grants will consist of advance payments; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the city in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into advance payment grant agreements to avoid interruptions in the delivery of program services scheduled for August 4, 2026 which is primarily programmed by small local nonprofit organizations who may not have the funding to pay for goods and services in advance of the event without assistance from the City, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods is hereby authorized to enter into advance payment grant agreements with the 48 non-profit organizations listed in this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $7,500.00 or so much thereof as may be needed is authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives fund 1000, subfund 100018, in Object Class 05 - Grants per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $27,580.25 or so much thereof as may be needed is authorized in Fund 1000, Subfund 100010 Dept-Div 48-01, in Object Class 05 - Grants per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the use of said expenditures may be put toward reasonable food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses, not to exceed $15.00 per person, and that the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods hereby finds such food and non-alcoholic beverage expenses to be for a proper public purpose. No part of the expenditures shall be used toward alcohol expenses.
SECTION 5. 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 7. 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 legislation.
SECTION 8. 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.