Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Columbus Association of the Performing Arts (CAPA) in an amount up to $300,000.00 for the purpose of providing funding for health and safety equipment and to maintain essential staff.
CAPA is a leader of the creative class in central Ohio. CAPA owns and/or operates 10 theatres in Columbus, providing both hard and soft infrastructure that is vital to many of Columbus’ arts organizations. CAPA theatres are the rehearsal and performance home for many organizations, including the Columbus Symphony, BalletMet, CATCO, and Opera Columbus. In addition, CAPA provides critical administrative services to seven arts organizations, such as accounting, marketing, and development. By providing these services at below-market rates, their partner organizations save millions of dollars and benefit from CAPA’s staff expertise and efficacy, while CAPA increases staff efficiencies and fulfills their mission.
Additionally, CAPA continues to provide a variety of services for the community, even during the pandemic. CAPA employed many visual artists to paint murals in June at the front of the Ohio Theatre, to inspire and give hope to people in our community. Through their virtual ApART Together series they are showcasing dozens of talented local performers. Their online education programs are providing workshops and classes for free to all Columbus City School students and the young participants in the City’s Recreation and Parks after-school programs. And their theatres continue to serve as the home of Columbus performing organizations, such as the “Columbus Symphony at Home” concerts, which are being recorded in the Ohio Theatre.
CAPA has a long record of solid financial management, with most organizational revenue coming from earned income (e.g., ticket sales and theatre rentals), but with the pandemic, 90% of their revenue has vanished. In 2018-2019 (their last full fiscal year), CAPA’s budget totaled over $24 million, and their economic impact was $94 million.
The investment in health and safety equipment (e.g. PPEs, sanitation supplies, enhanced air filters, sneeze guards, cleaning supplies, etc.) and operating support for essential staff to maintain the theatres and provide critical support to their partner organizations will allow CAPA to provide a space where live events can be held and done so safely and comfortably, both during and after the pandemic ends. The reopening of the live entertainment economy will help lead the region back to recovery.
These services provided by CAPA cannot be provided by existing city employees because these services are beyond the City’s current staffing capacity to provide.
Emergency legislation is requested in order to encumber funds in a timely manner so CAPA can expend the funds before the end of the year.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 004286 and contract compliance is pending.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is provided to the City of Columbus from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress and signed into law March 27, 2020, and available in the Department of Development’s CARES Act budget (fund 2207, subfund 220703).
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to execute a grant agreement with Columbus Association of the Performing Arts in an amount up to $300,000.00 for the purpose of providing funding for health and safety equipment and operating support to maintain essential staff; to authorize an expenditure up to $300,000.00 from the CARES Act Fund; to authorize the payment of expenses starting March 1, 2020; and to declare an emergency. ($300,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, CAPA is a leader of the creative class in central Ohio and CAPA owns and/or operates 10 theatres in Columbus, providing both hard and soft infrastructure that is vital to many of Columbus’ arts organization; and
WHEREAS, CAPA continues to provide artistic opportunities to the artists, residents, and students in central Ohio during the pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant reduction in live entertainment events, reduction in CAPA revenue, and reduction of tax revenue to the city; and
WHEREAS, expenditures of CARES Act funding for health and safety equipment (e.g. PPEs, sanitation supplies, enhanced air filters, sneeze guards, cleaning supplies, etc.) and operating support for essential staff to maintain the theatres and provide critical support to their partner organizations and art opportunities throughout the region will allow CAPA to provide a space where live events can be held and done so safely and comfortably, both during and after the pandemic ends, is necessary to address the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditures of funds has not been previously accounted for the 2020 budget; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into grant agreement with CAPA in order to encumber funds in a timely manner so CAPA can expend the funds before the end of the year, such immediate action being necessary for the 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 Department of Development is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Columbus Association of the Performing Arts (CAPA) in an amount up to $300,000.00 for the purpose of providing funding for health and safety equipment and to maintain essential staff beginning March 1, 2020, and ending November 30, 2020.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $300,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby authorized in fund 2207, subfund 220702 (CARES Act Fund), Dept. 44-01 (Administration), in Object Class 03 (Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. 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 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 ordinance.
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 approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.