Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Create Columbus Commission (CCC) was established in 2007 by former Mayor Michael B. Coleman, former Columbus City Council President Michael C. Mentel, and former Columbus Chamber of Commerce CEO Ty Marsh. Today CCC is funded through the City of Columbus and is accountable to its stakeholders, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and City Council President Zachary M. Klein.
The Create Columbus Commission is a board of young professionals (YP), appointed and funded by the Mayor and City Council President to serve as the community’s foremost thought leader on young professional interests, experiences, and priorities. Through strategic community building efforts and a targeted YP grants program, the CCC strives to make Columbus the next great American city and the nation’s number one place for YPs to live, work, and play.
The CCC believes that the City of Columbus will be better positioned to attract and retain talent if there are YPs at the decision making table co-creating a forward-thinking city with a vibrant, accessible, and integrated urban environment that is a magnet for talent.
In order to continue the implementation of said action plan, the City of Columbus will contract with the United Way of Central Ohio for operational support and the Columbus Foundation to administer the Create Columbus Young Professionals Grants Program. The mission of the Create Columbus grants program is to support initiatives by and for young professionals that make Columbus the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Each applicant can request any amount up to $10,000, keeping in mind the goal of the program is to provide strategic funding for innovative efforts with broad reach.
There are three goals of the YP Grants Program:
1. Encourage and support residents to launch innovative, community based initiatives with a specific young professionals component;
2. Provide strategic financial support for one-time costs for events, initiatives or programs that impact young professionals, and
3. Improve the young professional experience in the following areas: (1) Careers, (2) Culture, Arts, Sports, and Entertainment, (3) Neighborhoods, and (4) Transportation.
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into an agreement with the United Way of Central Ohio in the amount of $10,000 and the Columbus Foundation in the amount of $70,000 to continue the Create Columbus Young Professionals Grants Program, a component of the attraction and retention initiative. The Columbus Foundation will provide fiscal oversight of the grants program.
Emergency action is requested to allow the United Way and Columbus Foundation to establish this grant opportunity effective summer 2016.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funds for this contract are provided from the FY 2016 General Fund budget.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into an agreement with the United Way of Central Ohio and the Columbus Foundation to support the Create Columbus Young Professionals Grants Programming and operations; to authorize the expenditure of $80,000.00 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($80,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, The Create Columbus Commission (CCC) was established in 2007 by former Mayor Michael B. Coleman, former Columbus City Council President Michael C. Mentel, and former Columbus Chamber of Commerce CEO Ty Marsh; and
WHEREAS, Today CCC is funded through the City of Columbus and is accountable to its stakeholders, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and City Council President Zachary M. Klein; and
WHEREAS, the Young Professionals initiative has been very successful; and
WHEREAS, the United Way of Central Ohio, the Columbus Foundation and the City of Columbus desire to continue the Create Columbus Young Professionals Grants Program; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus will provide up to $80,000 to fund grants to qualified Young Professional initiatives and operational support for the Commission; and
WHEREAS, the United Way of Central Ohio and the Columbus Foundation will provide Fiscal Management of the Young Professionals Grants Program and operational support; 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 of the Department to enter into an agreement with the United Way of Central Ohio and Columbus Foundation to allow the United Way of Central Ohio and the Columbus Foundation to establish this grant opportunity effective summer 2016, 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 the Director of the Department of Development is hereby authorized to enter an agreement with the United Way of Central Ohio and the Columbus Foundation to support the Create Columbus Young Professionals Grants Program.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $80,000 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 General Fund in Object Class 03 Contractual Services per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That this contract is awarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of City Code Chapter 329 relating to not-for-profit service contracts.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated.
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 passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.