Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the City Auditor to make the appropriation of revenue within the Utilities Agency Fund (Fund 341) for the Department of Public Utilities. The City of Columbus is participating in a green energy program called Eco Smart Choice (Ordinance 1967-2014) with American Municipal Power Ohio (AMP Ohio), an Ohio nonprofit corporation that functions as a wholesale power supplier and services provider for certain member municipalities that operate electric systems. Participation in Eco Smart Choice allows the Department of Public Utilities, Division of Power to offer its electric customers, including other City Departments and Divisions, a green energy option.
Customers will be given the option to have a certain percentage of energy they receive to be from green sources. Each month, Eco Smart Choice customers will pay a percentage of their power bill towards the use of green energy. This charge will appear as a separate line item on the customer bill and will be received and posted by the Department of Public Utilities, and the revenue will be deposited into the Utilities Agency Fund, Fund 341.
The Department of Public Utilities must remit the Eco Smart Choice payment to AMP Ohio each subsequent month. In order to properly receive, reconcile and remit payment, it is necessary to separate the incoming green energy revenue from the usual power revenue. This ordinance would, in perpetuity, appropriate the funds received into the Utilities Agency Fund (Fund 341) so that customers' green energy participation revenue would be easily tracked and forwarded to, AMP Ohio.
FISCAL IMPACT
This ordinance authorizes the appropriation in perpetuity for all revenue received within Fund 341 for Eco Smart Choice participation. As this program is just in its beginning stages, it is undetermined as to the amount each year that will be received.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION
The department requests emergency designation to make these funds available to the Department of Public Utilities as soon as practical as the Eco Smart Choice Program began in November 2014 and funds have been collected without disbursement to AMP Ohio.
Title
To authorize the City Auditor to appropriate any and all revenue received for Eco Smart Choice participation within the Utilities Agency Fund, Fund 341, for the Department of Public Utilities, Division of Power, and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation of funds in the Utilities Agency Fund, Fund 341, from all monies from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose for the Department of Public Utilities, Division of Power in perpetuity; and
WHEREAS, this appropriation will allow for planned expenditures to the Eco Smart Choice provider for amounts equal to the revenue received for Eco Smart Choice participation from Division of Power's customers in perpetuity; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Power, Department of Public Utilities, in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate said funds to permit expenditures to the green energy provider without delay to meet anticipated participation timelines, 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 all monies deposited into the Utilities Agency Fund, Fund 341, be and hereby are appropriated, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose in perpetuity to the Division of Power, Department-Division No. 60-07.
SECTION 2. That the monies appropriated in SECTION 1 shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Utilities and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
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 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.