Explanation
BACKGROUND: In 2010, Columbus Public Health was awarded a grant from the Ohio Department of Health in the amount of $1,165,767.00 for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness program for the grant period through August 9, 2011. In March, 2011, Columbus Public Health received additional funds from the Ohio Department of Health for this grant in the amount of $1,054,751.00 for the period through July 30, 2011. Due to the time constraints of the grant, not all of the funds could be spent. The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize a refund of unused grant funds and interest income in an amount not to exceed $215,000.00 to the Ohio Department of Health.
The Public Health Emergency Preparedness program established the Franklin County and City of Columbus support network that would be required in the event of bioterrorism activity in the central region of Ohio. The total grant from the Ohio Department of Health was $2,220,518.00, of which $2,005,518.00 was utilized to support Emergency Preparedness Readiness in Central Ohio. Various contracts were awarded that supported the need for mass infrastructure and communication systems. The time period of the contracts was March 18, 2011 through July 30, 2011. When the contract period expired, several of the contractors' final invoices were less than their appropriated contract amount, and Franklin County Public Health was unable to utilize the entire amount they were allocated, all due to the short contract period. Furthermore, several of the projects proposed for this grant were cancelled because of time constraints and the inability to comply with the grantor's deliverables by the grant's end date of July 30, 2011. The interest that was earned on this grant is also being returned, as required by the Ohio Department of Health, and is included in the amount being refunded to the grantor.
This ordinance is submitted as an emergency to comply with the Ohio Department of Health GAPP Federal re...
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