Explanation
BACKGROUND: Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the city of Columbus has been awarded $7,403,500 from the U.S. Department of Energy as a formula allocation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). Funds will be used to develop, promote, implement and manage programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; reduce total energy usage; improve energy efficiency; and create and retain jobs. The city of Columbus will address these goals with the following EECBG activities:
· Revolving loan funds to implement energy efficiency retrofits for businesses
· Bike infrastructure improvements
· Energy efficient retrofit for the Central Safety building
· Energy efficient lighting at Columbus fire stations
· Participate with the State of Ohio to retrofit the Center of Science and Industry
· Retrofit the Cultural Arts Center with energy efficient lighting
· Retrofit the city's pedestrian signal heads with energy efficient LED technology
· Retrofit homes for low-income households in the Columbus power area with energy efficient lighting and appliances.
Ordinance 0868-2009 authorized the city to apply for and accept the grant. This ordinance will implement the EECBG program by appropriating monies within the General Government Grants fund to various departments and offices of the government of the city of Columbus.
FISCAL IMPACT: This legislation totals $7,403,500 for the 2009 EECBG programs. Costs will be reimbursed to the city by the U.S. Department of Energy as expended.
This legislation is presented as an emergency for the effective implementation of 2009 EECBG programs to address energy inefficiencies in the city of Columbus.
Title
To authorize an appropriation of $7,403,500.00 in various divisions and object levels of the General Government Grant Fund, to provide Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding for approved programs; and to declare an emergency ($7,403,500.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the city of Columbus has been awarded $7,403,500.00 from the U.S. Department of Energy for the implementation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant programs; and
WHEREAS, ordinance 0868-2009 authorized the city to apply for and accept the grant; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the various departments of the city, in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate the aforementioned funds, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; Now, Therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That from the unappropriated monies in the fund known as the General Government Grant Fund, Fund No. 220, Grant # 459106, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources, there be and hereby is appropriated to the following divisions the following sums:
Dept/Div OCA OL 01 Amount
4402 499107 03 $1,100,000
449106 01 31,843
$1,131,843
4550 459108 03 $ 490,000
459109 01 102,679
459109 06 2,496,853
459110 01 23,691
459110 06 1,083,254
459121 05 144,000
$4,340,477
4501 459107 01 $ 104,157
5101 519106 06 $ 205,373
5911 599206 01 $ 314,330
599206 06 1,257,320
$1,571,650
6007 609106 03 $ 50,000
Grand Total $7,403,500
SECTION 2. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 1 shall be paid upon the order of the respective department directors or elected officials for which the appropriations are made, except that small claims in amounts not to exceed Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) may be paid as authorized by Chapter 335 of the Columbus City Code, 1959, as amended; and except that payments or transfers between departments, divisions or funds of the City may be made by the City Auditor; and except that payments for premiums for official bonds, depository commissions, employees' hospitalization, life insurance, pensions, dental insurance and prepaid legal services, shall be made on the order and approval of the Director of the Department of Finance and Management or City Auditor; and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except upon voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 3. Except in the matter of payrolls providing for the payment of the salaries of officers and employees regularly employed by the City and extraordinary emergencies, no warrant shall be issued in liquidation of vouchers, unless the department contracting the expense shall have first obtained an order duly certified that there are sufficient funds appropriated to the credit of the proper funds from which the expenditure is to be made, which certificate must be obtained prior to the incurrence of the obligation, and the head of any department or division authorized to contract expenditures will be held personally responsible for any obligation incurred contrary to the provisions of this section. Except that such certificate shall not be issued for obligations pertaining to "Capital Outlay" in programs or activities funded by federal or state categorical grants without the prior approval of the Director of the Department of Finance and Management; such prior approval must be obtained before submission of any requisition for items coded as "Capital Outlay" to the Department of Finance and Management. The Director of the Department of Finance and Management will review such requests for conformity with the approved budget.
SECTION 4. That it is understood that this Council is not making specific appropriations for each item of every classification herein before contained but only for the total for each department and subdepartment, as shown in the final column. The itemized classification shall, however, constitute limitations on the powers of the several department heads as granted in Section 3, and no such officer shall make any expenditure for any other purpose in any amount beyond that of the particular classification; provided, however, that transfers may be made from Object Level 1 to another, within any one department or division. Transfers of sums exceeding $25,000.00 shall be authorized only by ordinance of Council. Transfers of sums of $25,000.00 or less shall be approved by letter with the signatures of the head of the department, the Director of the Department of
Finance and Management, the City Auditor and the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to pay obligations of various departments pertaining to preceding years obligations from current appropriations up to a maximum of $25,000.00 per obligation.
SECTION 6. 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.