Explanation
Background: The Department of Development’s Land Redevelopment Division’s Land Bank Program and Housing Division’s Lead Safe Columbus Program will be partnering together to provide more grants for lead safe and healthy housing initiatives for Land Bank properties in the city, in an effort to support Celebrate One’s mission to reduce infant mortality. This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to modify and extend an existing lead testing contract with Franklin County Public Health. The additional $30,000 will assist applicants purchasing Land Bank properties with lead inspections, risk assessments of lead hazards, and work specifications for lead paint hazards in vacant structures owned by the City that will be sold for rehabilitation.
EMERGENCY JUSTIFICATION: Emergency action is requested in order to provide funds and resources to test properties for lead hazards.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding for this contract modification ($30,000) is budgeted within the 2017 Development Taxable Bonds Fund.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to modify and extend an existing lead testing contract with Franklin County Public Health for lead testing of Land Bank owned houses; to authorize the expenditure of $30,000.00 from the 2017 Development Taxable Bonds Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance Number 2161-93 was passed on October 25, 1993 and amended by 1325-98 on June 8, 1998, to authorize the adoption of a Land Reutilization Program under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5722; and
WHEREAS, the City owns hundreds of parcels acquired under the Land Reutilization Program and some of these properties contain lead hazards which will be tested for lead as part of the renovation; and
WHEREAS, since 2014, the City has invested time and resources to address and reduce the infant mortality rate in Franklin County through the collaborative effort called CelebrateOne; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, the City of Columbus Land Redevelopment office established a contract with Franklin County Public Health to conduct lead testing for vacant properties; and
WHEREAS, the City desires to modify the contract with Franklin County Public Health and authorize the expenditure of an additional $30,000; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate and expend funds and modify the contract with Franklin County Public Health for the improvement of existing City owned properties under the Land Reutilization Program, all for the immediate preservation of 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 Development is authorized to modify and extend the contract with Franklin County Public Health to conduct lead testing for vacant properties.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $30,000 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 7739 Development Taxable Bonds Fund in Object Class 06 Capital Outlay per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
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 the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 6. 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.