Explanation
This legislation modifies the Special Revenue Environmental Fund, which was created in 2003, to cover the costs of litigating public nuisance abatement actions in the Environmental Division of the Franklin County Municipal Court. The Special Revenue Environmental Fund is funded by earmarked fines paid by persons convicted of violating any housing, building, zoning, health, safety, fire air pollution or sanitation ordinance of the Columbus City Codes; and currently has a maximum allotment of $250,000. The cost of litigating public nuisance abatement actions in Franklin County Environmental Court has risen since the creation and subsequent modifications of the Special Revenue Environmental Fund. Specifically, the City Attorney’s Office has significantly increased the amount of litigation relating to large, multi-family apartment complexes. These cases last much longer and require much larger expenditures than the majority of cases filed by the City Attorney’s Office. It has been deemed necessary and appropriate to modify the Special Revenue Environmental Fund from a maximum allotment of $250,000 to a maximum allotment of $500,000 to cover the costs of litigating public nuisance abatement actions to include litigation related to large, multi-family apartment complexes.
Title
To authorize the Auditor to modify the Special Revenue Environmental Fund from a maximum allotment of $250,000.00 to a maximum allotment of $500,000.00 to cover the costs of litigating public nuisance abatement actions to include litigation related to large, multi-family apartment complexes.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus created the Special Revenue Environmental Fund in 2003 to cover the costs of litigating public nuisance abatement actions in Franklin County Environmental Court; and
WHEREAS, the Special Revenue Environmental Fund is funded by earmarked fines paid by persons convicted of violating any housing, building, zoning, health, safety, fire air pollution or s...
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