Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into an advance payment grant agreement with Our Community Group in support of multiple community events that strengthen economic mobility, wellness, and community connection for Columbus residents.
Our Community Group is a local non-profit that seeks to close gaps in communities of need by connecting individuals and families to resources, opportunities, and experiences that improve health, economic mobility, education, and overall quality of life.
The Our Food Truck Festival (July 4-5, 2026) is a free, family-friendly community event that supports local businesses and food vendors. The Brother to Brother Men’s Program and Summit (November 21, 2026) connects participants to employment, financial, mental health, and wellness resources. The Our Business Summit (October 3, 2026) engages entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners with workshops on focused on funding, marketing, operations, and more. This grant agreement will support program operations, outreach, workshop costs, partner engagement, and other supplies and services needed to successfully deliver each initiative.
Since the organization lacks the funding necessary to operate the program fully on a reimbursement basis, funds will be advanced to Our Community Group in support of their community events that support physical and economic wellbeing.
This ordinance also authorizes payment for eligible expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order to support events from this summer that were not able to be funded upfront due to a delay within the Office of the City Clerk in the preparation of this legislation.
Fiscal Impact: Funding ($20,000.00) is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is requested in order to ensure a timely issuance of grant funds in support of the events. If this legislation were to be 30-day legislation, the grant agreement could not be executed until November 18th at the earliest, which is days before the organization’s final program of three that this grant seeks to support.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into an advance payment grant agreement with Our Community Group in support of their community events that strengthen economic mobility and physical wellness for Columbus residents; to authorize an expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; to authorize the reimbursement of qualifying expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order; and to declare an emergency. ($20,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Our Community Group is a local non-profit that seeks to close gaps in communities of need by connecting individuals and families to resources, opportunities, and experiences that improve health, economic mobility, education, and overall quality of life; and
WHEREAS, Our Community Group provides culturally relevant programming designed to strengthen economic mobility, wellness, and community connection for Columbus residents; and
WHEREAS, this grant will provide support for community events that support small businesses, provide workforce development opportunities, and more for community members; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Clerk in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Clerk to enter into an advance payment grant agreement with Our Community Groups in support of their programming, to ensure the timely issuance of grant funds in support of the program, 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 City Clerk is hereby authorized to enter into an advance payment grant agreement with the Our Community Group in support of community events that strengthen economic mobility and physical wellness for Columbus residents, in the amount of $20,000.00, and that the City Clerk is authorized to reimburse qualifying expenses incurred prior to the creation of the purchase order.
SECTION 2. That per the action authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $20,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That funds shall be paid in advance to Our Community Group in order for the organization to have the resources necessary for the successful operation of their programs.
SECTION 4. 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 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.