Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Saint Stephen Community Services Inc. in support of Christmas Cares/Union Shares.
Saint Stephen Community Services Inc. and the Central Ohio Labor Council, AFL-CIO are collaborating to support individuals and families through the distribution of holiday food baskets. Many of these individuals and families are facing food insecurity, especially around the holiday season. Christmas Cares/Unions Shares distributes an 80-100 pound food basket to those individuals and families who find themselves in a critical position due to situations such as stretched incomes, job lay-offs, evictions, family illnesses and the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Each year, St. Stephen’s serves over 2,400 households through the program.
Columbus City Council deems this expenditure and the distribution of food and meals to be a public purpose in that it helps to feed residents in underserved neighborhoods and who disproportionately experience food insecurity.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested to provide funding necessary to support St. Stephen’s in advance of the Christmas holiday.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Saint Stephen Community Services Inc. in support of Christmas Cares/Union Shares; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($48,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Saint Stephen Community Services Inc. and the Central Ohio Labor Council, AFL-CIO are collaborating to support individuals and families through the distribution of holiday food baskets; and
WHEREAS, Christmas Cares/Unions Shares distributes food baskets to those individuals and families who find themselves in a critical position due to situations such as stretched incomes, job lay-offs, evictions, and family illnesses; and
WHEREAS, each year, St. Stephen’s serves over 2,400 households through the program; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Clerk's Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a grant agreement in order to provide funding in advance of the Christmas holiday; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Saint Stephen Community Services Inc. in support of Christmas Cares/Union Shares.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to appropriate $48,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $48,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the actions authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That Columbus City Council deems this expenditure and the distribution of food and meals to be a public purpose in that it helps to feed residents in underserved neighborhoods and who disproportionately experience food insecurity.
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 6. 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 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.