Explanation
Background:
The City of Columbus Department of Finance and Management is seeking to amend ordinance 2995-2023 to authorize the City to enter into an agreement with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO), formerly Legal Aid Society of Columbus (LASC). Ordinance 2995-2023 had authorized a Subrecipient Agreement with LASC, but through a recent merger with Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, there is a need to authorize the agreement with the new entity.
The grant funding, purpose, and nature of the agreement authorized by ordinance 2995-2023 remain the same. This amendment is intended strictly to account for the change in the organization authorized to enter the agreement and deliver on the Fair Housing Services Program as described in the Draft FY 2024 Annual Action Plan.
The Department of Finance and Management also seeks to appropriate Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and authorize an agreement with the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center for completion of necessary renovations to their food pantry at 14 W Lakeview Ave. The funding to be authorized for the agreement is $58,680.00.
Fiscal Impact: This ordinance amends Ordinance 2995-2023 with no fiscal impact to the funds authorized through it, and authorizes the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to appropriate and expend funds not to exceed $58,680.00 from CDBG funding (Fund 2248) for a Subrecipient Agreement with Clinton-Beechwold Community Resource Center. ($58,680.00)
Title
To amend ordinance 2995-2023 to authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to enter into a Subrecipient Agreement with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, and to authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to enter into a Subrecipient Agreement with Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center, and to appropriate and authorize the expenditure of $58,680.00 in CDBG funds (Fund 2248) for the Subrecipient Agreement with Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center; and to declare an emergency. ($58,680.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City previously passed Ordinance 2295-2023 authorizing the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to enter into a subrecipient agreement with Legal Aid Society of Columbus to deliver the Fair Housing Services Program; and
WHEREAS, Legal Aid Society of Columbus has completed a merger with Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, creating the new entity Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend Ordinance 2295-2023 to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into the agreement with the new entity; and
WHEREAS, the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center operates a food pantry at 14 W Lakeview Avenue, a building requiring essential renovations and repairs; and
WHEREAS, the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center successfully applied for funding for those repairs as part of the Department of Finance and Management’s Community Development Block Grant application process; and
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Finance and Management is the Responsible Entity for HUD Environmental Review Records and the City will complete Environmental Review Records for HUD programs in advance of committing funds; and
WHEREAS, it has become necessary in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management to authorize the Director to enter into Subrecipient Agreements with the organizations listed above; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate and authorize the expenditure of these funds and authorize these Subrecipient Agreements so that the Department of Finance and Management can prepare and execute Subrecipient Agreements and complete other necessary steps as quickly as possible following the commencement of the Fiscal Year on January 1, 2024 to comply with federal requirements, 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 from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, the sum of $58,680.00 is appropriated in Fund 2248 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. That the Director of the Department of Finance and Management is authorized to appropriate and authorize for expenditure $58,680.00 in funds from the Community Development Block Grant through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Subrecipient Agreement with Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center for the renovation of their food pantry at 14 W Lakeview Ave, in the total amount of $58,680.00.
SECTION 3. That Section 2 of Ordinance 2993-2022 be amended to change the name of The Legal Aid Society of Columbus to Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio.
SECTION 4. That the Director of the Department of Finance and Management may be required to transfer funding from one subfund to another within the Fund 2248, Community Development Block Grant Fund due to the availability of funding based on federal requirements of grants based accounting and account coding will be provided to the City Auditor.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and authorized for expenditure, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 6. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modification associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 7. 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.