Explanation
BACKGROUND
Ordinance 2097-2025 accepted the award of the grant from Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services (FCDJFS) for $799,999.30. This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Office of CelebrateOne to enter into contract with and create purchase orders with the vendors HALO Dream Inc, Amazon.com Services LLC DBA Amazon Capital Services Inc , Franklin County Historical Society DBA COSI and 4Imprint Inc. in the amount of up to $280,000.00, for the Office of CelebrateOne.
The Office of CelebrateOne is utilizing the funding from FCDJFS to fund the material needs of several different programs such as the Doula Discovery events which allow families to find someone they feel comfortable with before birth. Doula matching events help families build a personal connection with a doula of their choice. When families are able to build a connection with their doula from the beginning, they are more likely to remain engaged in services and feel supported throughout their pregnancy journey. The CelebrateOne Connectors Program, who perform the mission critical community outreach, providing access and references to a number of different resources. This ensures that the mission reducing infant mortality is progressed every day, one family at a time. These funds will provide tabling supplies for their continual community outreach events, as well as building diaper bags that will be utilized in a number of CelebrateOne community events, as a tangible resource to new and expectant mothers.
Due to the additional time, number and variety of different items included, it would be not be possible to successfully bid out and purchase the necessary items for these events within the pressing time constraints of the FCDJFS Grant, which ends June 30th 2026. The Office of CelebrateOne believes it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive the competitive bidding requirements of Chapter 329 for these purchases to allow the grant funds to be spent for their intended purposes and requests as such. The Office of CelebrateOne also requests waiver of the Chapter 329 requirement that the Director of Finance and Management enter into goods contracts exceeding $5,000 so that CelebrateOne may expedite its purchase of the various items due to the grant provisions (Grant ends June 30th 2026 and is reimbursable, requiring all purchases completed before that date).
HALO Dream Inc D365# 055374
4Imprint Inc. D365# 007782
Amazon.com Services LLC, DBA Amazon Capital Services Inc D365# 025625
Franklin County Historical Society DBA COSI D365# 006091
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds ($280,000.00) for this reimbursable grants approved purchase plan are budgeted and appropriated in the General Government Grant Fund(Fund 2200).
REQUEST FOR WAIVER OF FORMAL COMPETITIVE BIDDING REQUIREMENTS
Waiver of the formal competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Code Chapter 329, specifically the provisions of 329.18(a) and 329.19(d)(1), and waiver of the Chapter 329 requirement that the Director of Finance and Management enter into goods contracts exceeding $5,000 are requested so that the Office of CelebrateOne can expedite the purchase of the grantor approved materials before the end of June as required by the grant agreement as outlined in the bid wavier and to ensure that the awarded funds can be utilized throughout the City of Columbus, preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
Emergency action is requested to expedite the purchase a large number of different supplies to support several programs by the Office of CelebrateOne. Contract negotiations with the grantor and the City have caused extended delays in contract execution, leaving CelebrateOne with less than a month to complete all the purchases of materials utilizing grant funds. If these purchases are not made prior to June 30th the costs are unallowable under the provisions of the Grant.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Office of CelebrateOne to enter into contracts to purchase pregnancy tests, diapers, wipes, pack and plays, sleep sacks, safety kits, car seats, diaper bags, other childcare items, COSI memberships, tabling supplies and maternal wellness items with several vendors, including but not limited to, Amazon.com Services LLC, DBA Amazon Capital Services Inc, 4Imprint Inc., HALO Dream Inc., and Center of Science and Industry; to waive the competitive bidding provisions and a certain contracting requirement of Columbus City Codes Chapter 329; to authorize the expenditure of up to $280,000.00 from the General Government Grant Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($280,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Office of CelebrateOne was awarded a contract via Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services (FCJFS) and that grant was accepted and approved via Ordinance 2097-2025; and
WHEREAS, the Office of CelebrateOne received Grantor approval for utilizing the funds to purchase infant safety kits, diaper bags, pack and plays, cribs, pregnancy tests, COSI Memberships, sleep sacks and a number of other maternal & infant program materials; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 2097-2025 authorized and appropriated these expenses from the General Government Grant Fund(Fund 2220); and
WHEREAS, it is in the City's best interests to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329 and the Chapter 329 provisions requiring the Director of Finance and Management to enter into goods contracts exceeding $5,000 to procure these materials immediately due to the grant agreement requirements and timeline that end June 30th 2026; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Office of CelebrateOne, Mayors Office, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Office of CelebrateOne establish purchase orders for these materials to conform with time constraints for this reimbursable grant and utilize those funds for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Office of CelebrateOne be and is hereby authorized to enter into contract and establish purchase orders with several vendors, including but not limited to, Amazon.com Services LLC, DBA Amazon Capital Services Inc, Center of Science and Industry, HALO Dream Inc, and 4Imprint Inc, contingent upon all vendors being authorized to do business in the State of Ohio.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of up to $280,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in the General Government Grant Fund (Fund 2220), Dept 40-Div 4005 (Division of CelebrateOne), per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That City Council finds it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive the formal competitive bidding requirements and the provisions requiring the Director of Finance and Management to enter into goods contracts exceeding $5,000 of City Codes Chapter 329 and does hereby waive said requirements.
SECTION 5. 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 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.