Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Justice, Unity, and Social Transformation (JUST) in support of the organization’s Community Serves program.
All JUST programs have the shared goal of building strong, foundational, community relationships, and turning community members into active participants, capable of uplifting themselves and their neighbors. Providing tools through training, such as their civic education course, can help community members better understand local politics, and give them the tools necessary to direct their questions and demands to those who can make a difference in their lives.
JUST’s Community Serves program is a bi-weekly event to bring resources directly to the people who need them by setting up in their neighborhood, creating easy access for the public. Community Serves provide free resources to those in need, and specifically people located in the Central/South Central Hilltop neighborhood. The vast majority of the residents served are living in abject poverty, many are houseless, and all are struggling to have their needs met. The median household income in this specific neighborhood is $27,000, which is nearly half the median of Columbus. Items provided include a hot meal, produce, books, clothes, hygiene products, and more. When an individual/family is in a time of crisis, they rely on communities to uplift them. However, that necessitates a healthy and cared for community. By providing direct aid to the community, JUST is able to fill the gaps left by the traumas that accompany poverty.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid any disruption in service associated with the Community Serves program.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Justice, Unity, and Social Transformation (JUST) in support of the organization’s Community Serves program; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($40,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, JUST programs have the shared goal of building strong, foundational, community relationships, and turning community members into active participants, capable of uplifting themselves and their neighbors; and
WHEREAS, JUST’s Community Serves program is a bi-weekly event bringing resources directly to the people who need them by setting up in their neighborhood, creating easy access for the public; and
WHEREAS, Community Serves provide free resources to those in need, and specifically people located in the Central/South Central Hilltop neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, items provided include a hot meal, produce, books, clothes, hygiene products, and more; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in that it is immediately necessary to authorize a grant agreement with JUST in order to avoid any disruption in service associated with the Community Serves program, all for the immediate preservation peace, property, health, and safety of the residents of the City; 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 Justice, Unity, and Social Transformation (JUST) in support of the organization’s Community Serves program.
SECTION 2: That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $40,000.00 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 $40,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4: That the execution of a grant agreement is contingent upon Justice, Unity, and Social Transformation (JUST) acquiring the corporate status necessary to enter into contracts with the City of Columbus as required by the Ohio Revised Code.
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 reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is 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.