Explanation
The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) currently partners with Franklin County Public Health to create an air quality monitoring network that will measure air pollution neighborhood by neighborhood. MORPC has requested funding from Columbus City Council for air quality monitoring equipment. The goal is for MORPC to purchase, calibrate, and deploy sensors by the end of 2024, and they need upfront purchasing capital in order to meet that deadline.
MORPC's air quality monitoring partnership with Franklin County Public Health aims to shed light on environmental justice issues that historically under-served and disinvestment communities face. The project aims to collect more granular particulate matter data than is provided by the Ohio and federal EPA to take appropriate actions in such neighborhoods. MORPC collects data by using low-cost PurpleAir sensors, with the aim to deploy them in homes and businesses in historically marginalized communities. The project is slated to end in Spring of 2026 so a robust, 18-month data collection process is required to better understand and interpret the data. MORPC aims to use the collected data to make recommendations to neighbors, councils, and the city/county government on how we can better protect the air quality and subsequent health of people in Franklin County.
MORPC will lead in the deployments of sensors, as well as community outreach and data collection. Franklin County Public Health will assist with sensor placement and maintenance, as well as health outreach.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter a grant agreement with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission and to authorize an appropriation and expenditure of $10,000 from the Neighborhood Initiatives Subfund. ($10,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) currently partners with Franklin County Public Health to create an air quality monitoring network that will measure air pollution neighbo...
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