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 first action required by Chapter 1710 of the Ohio Revised Code is to have not less than 60% of the property owners within the District sign a petition that states they are interested in forming a SID. The first petition was accepted and approved by Columbus City Council by Ordinance No. 1233-2005, passed July 18, 2005.
The second action required by the Ohio Revised Code is to have not less than 60% of the property owners sign a petition to assess themselves for the services to be provided by the SID. The second piece of legislation also approved the Plan of Services for the SID and the inclusion of City owned property in said plan. This legislation was approved by Columbus City Council by Resolution 0018X-2006, passed March 13, 2006.
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 approved by Columbus City Council by Resolution No. 0068X, passed April 24, 2006. . A final piece of legislation, providing for the levy of assessment to property owners, was approved by City Council by Ordinance No. 1179-2006, passed July 10, 2006. 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 2008 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 the Department 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 $500,000 from assessments levied from property owners; and to declare an emergency. ($500,000)
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, 2006 through June 30, 2011; 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 February 2008, and
WHEREAS, this legislation is an emergency measure because the Discovery SID needs this money to operate its' organization and to fund its' initiatives in a timely manner; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to enter into a contract with the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. for the implementation of services, all 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 Development be, and he 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 2008 appropriation to the Discovery SID Fund 310, Object Level One 05, Object Level Three 5911, for the operations requirements set forth in the District Plan from assessments levied pursuant to Resolution No. 0068X-2006 an amount not to exceed $500,000 for assessments, penalties and fees.
Section 3. That all such sums set forth herein are hereby appropriated for such purposes.
Section 4. That necessary accounting and identification codes and fund numbers be assigned to such expenditures as the City Auditor shall determine.
Section 5. 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.