Explanation
BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the amendment of Ordinance No. 1797-2025, passed by Columbus City Council on July 14, 2025, which authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement in the amount up to $500,000.00 with The Refuge, Inc. for the purpose of constructing a residential facility within the Hilltop community. An amendment is required to update the scope of the grant to construct a mental health clinic at the previously identified site, rather than a residential facility. This amendment will also increase the amount of the grant to $1,000,000.00 and allow expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order, beginning January 1, 2025.
The Refuge, founded in 1999 and based in The Hilltop, is a leading faith-based addiction recovery organization and the provider of The Refuge Residential Addiction Recovery Program. The Refuge provides the City of Columbus with a highly effective, efficient, and turnkey partnership opportunity providing for the ongoing, simultaneous impacting of the Westside across all three of City Council’s Funding Priorities - Stronger Neighborhoods, Good Paying Jobs and Pathways Out of Poverty. The Refuge program does this through a uniquely and holistic approach to Addiction Recovery with unmatched addiction recovery outcomes that are among the best in the nation. The organization does so with a particular focus in Franklinton and The Hilltop, a neighborhood listed as the area with the highest level of poverty in the Rise Together blueprint.
The proposed project involves the new construction of a mental health clinic in The Hilltop Neighborhood on Columbus’ Westside. The building site is on The Refuge’s existing property, which is wholly-owned by The Refuge.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 028976 and expires 10/17/2027.
Fiscal Impact: Additional funding in the amount of $500,000.00 is available in 2025 Capital Improvement Budget, Development Taxable Bond fund. An amendment to the 2025 Capital Budget is required to establish sufficient budget authority for the project.
Title
To amend Ordinance No. 1797-2025, passed by Columbus City Council on July 14, 2025, to change the scope of the project and revise the amount of the authorized grant to $1,000,000.00; to amend the 2025 Capital Improvement Budget; to authorize the City Auditor to transfer funds within the Development Taxable Bond Fund; to authorize the additional expenditure of up to $500,000.00 from the Development Taxable Bond Fund; and to allow expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order. ($500,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the need exists to amend Ordinance No. 1797-2025, passed by Columbus City Council on July 14, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the ordinance authorized the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement in the amount up to $500,000.00 with The Refuge, Inc. for the purpose of constructing a residential facility within the Hilltop community; and
WHEREAS, an amendment is required to update the scope of the project and the amount of the grant to $1,000,000.00, and to allow expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order; and
WHEREAS, an amendment to the 2025 Capital Improvement Budget is needed to establish sufficient authority for this project; and
WHEREAS, authorization is requested for the transfer and expenditure within the Development Taxable Bond Fund in an amount up to $500,000.00; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. Section 1 of Ordinance No. 1797-2025 is hereby amended to update the amount of the grant with The Refuge, Inc. to $1,000,000.00 and to allow expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order, beginning January 1, 2025, as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Development be and is hereby authorized to enter into a Grant Agreement in an amount up to $500,000.00 $1,000,000.00, with The Refuge, Inc. for the purpose of constructing a residential facility for their Residential Addiction Recovery Program constructing a mental health clinic, to allow expenses incurred prior to the purchase order, starting January 1, 2025, and to advance funding per a predetermined schedule.
SECTION 2. That the existing Section 1. of Ordinance No 1797-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. Section 2 of Ordinance No. 1797-2025 is hereby amended to revise the amount of the grant with The Refuge, Inc. and to amend the 2025 Capital Improvement Budget as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
SECTION 2. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $500,000.00 $1,000,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized in fund 7739 (Development Taxable Bonds), Project 200020-100000 (The Refuge - Capital Campaign), Dept. 44-01 (Administration), in Object Class 06 (Capital Outlay) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance and to amend the 2025 Capital Improvements Budget as follows to establish sufficient authority for this this project:
Fund / Project / Project Name / C.I.B. / Change / C.I.B. as Amended
7739 / P440105-100000 / Confluence Village Public Infrastructure (Unvoted Carryover) / $569,364.00/ $500,000.00 / $69,364.00
7739 / P200020-100000 / The Refuge (Unvoted Carryover) /$500,000.00/ $500,000.00/ $1,000,000.00
SECTION 4. That the existing Section 2. of Ordinance No 1797-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 5. That Ordinance No. 1797-2025 is hereby amended to include authorization of the transfer of funds and to re-number each subsequent ordained section:
SECTION 3. That the transfer of $500,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized within Fund 7779 (Affordable Housing Bond fund), Dept-Div 44-10 (Housing) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That the Background of Ordinance No. 1797-2025 is hereby amended to revise scope and the amount of the grant with The Refuge, Inc. to $1,000,000.00 and to allow expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement with The Refuge, Inc. in an amount up to $500,000.00 $1,000,000.00 for the purpose of constructing a residential facility mental health clinic within the Hilltop community.
The Refuge, founded in 1999 and based in The Hilltop, is a leading faith-based addiction recovery organization and the provider of The Refuge Residential Addiction Recovery Program. The Refuge provides the City of Columbus with a highly effective, efficient, and turnkey partnership opportunity providing for the ongoing, simultaneous impacting of the Westside across all three of City Council’s Funding Priorities - Stronger Neighborhoods, Good Paying Jobs and Pathways Out of Poverty. The Refuge program does this through a uniquely and holistic approach to Addiction Recovery with unmatched addiction recovery outcomes that are among the best in the nation. We do so with a particular focus in Franklinton and The Hilltop, a neighborhood listed as the area with the highest level of poverty in the Rise Together blueprint.
The proposed project involves the new construction of a 13,700 sq. ft. residential facility mental health clinic in The Hilltop Neighborhood on Columbus’ Westside. The building site is on The Refuge’s existing property, which is wholly-owned by The Refuge.
Grant funding will be advanced to The Refuge, Inc for expenses incurred in the development of the project.
EMERGENCY: Emergency action is requested to ensure funds are available for construction prior to the end of the current year.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding is available with the Development Taxable Bonds Fund, 7739.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: The vendor’s contract compliance is pending.
SECTION 7. That the existing Background of Ordinance No 1797-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 8. That the Title of Ordinance No. 1797-2025 is hereby amended to revise scope and the amount of the grant with The Refuge, Inc. to $1,000,000.00 and to allow expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order as follows with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
To authorize the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement with The Refuge, Inc in an amount up to $500,000.00 $1,000,000.00 for the purpose of constructing a residential facility for their Residential Addiction Recovery Program mental health clinic; to authorize the expenditure of $500,000.00 $1,000,000.00 from the Development Taxable Bond Fund; to advance funding per a predetermined schedule; to authorize expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order; and to declare an emergency. ($500,000.00) ($1,000,000.00)
SECTION 9. That the existing Title of Ordinance No 1797-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 10. That the third Whereas statement of Ordinance No. 1797-2025 is hereby amended to revise the scope and amount of the grant with The Refuge, Inc. with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement in the amount of $500,000.00 $1,000,000.00 with The Refuge, Inc. for the purpose of constructing a residential facility for their Residential Addiction Recovery Program mental health clinic; and
SECTION 11. That the existing third Whereas statement of Ordinance No 1797-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 12. That the fourth Whereas statement of Ordinance No. 1797-2025 is hereby amended to revise the amount of the grant with The Refuge, Inc. with additions underlined and deletions struck through:
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer and expenditure within the Development Taxable Bond Fund in an amount up to $500,000.00 $1,000,000.00; and
SECTION 13. That the existing fourth Whereas statement of Ordinance No 1797-2025 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 14. That this grant agreement is awarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of City Code related to awarding grant agreements.
SECTION 15. 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 16. 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 legislation.
SECTION 17. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 18. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.