Explanation
This ordinance authorizes an appropriation within the Public Safety Initiatives subfund in support of a sixth APPS Cap City Nights Festival in the Wedgewood neighborhood.
In February 2018, Columbus City Council committed $500,000 in funding to support community safety initiatives. In addition to supplementing the Police recruiting classes in an effort to stem neighborhood violence, Council funding is intended to enhance the city's violence intervention program, build, empower, and unify neighborhood leaders, enhance collaboration between human services providers, and provide additional youth employment opportunities.
The Applications for Purpose, Pride, and Success (APPS) program was created in 2011. Its mission is to reduce crime and violence by increasing protective factors in the lives of Columbus youth and young adults (ages 14-23) through proven prevention and intervention strategies. Those strategies include offering safe and constructive alternatives to violence, youth mentorship, linkage to necessary services, and providing long-term support for future goal attainment.
One component of APPS program includes the Cap City Nights Festivals. The summer festivals are a prevention strategy that aims to foster safe and healthy community relationships by bringing together neighborhood residents, worshipers, service providers, and business owners. Festival activities encourage relationship building among families and neighbors, thereby strengthening community ties and empowering the community to work together to reduce violence while creating a platform of trust to produce positive change. Festivals are themed, highlighted with free food, live entertainment and a host of games and activities for the entire family. In 2018, there are currently 5 planned events.
This ordinance provides funding for the execution of a sixth Cap City Nights Festival, to be held in the Wedgewood neighborhood on Saturday, August 4th.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Public Safety Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to immediately provide Recreation and Parks with the resources necessary to plan and execute a sixth Cap City Nights Festival.
Title
To authorize an appropriation within the Public Safety Initiatives subfund in support of a sixth APPS Cap City Nights Festival in the Wedgewood neighborhood; and to declare an emergency. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the mission of the Applications for Purpose, Pride, and Success (APPS) program is to reduce crime and violence by increasing protective factors in the lives of Columbus youth and young adults (ages 14-23) through proven prevention and intervention strategies; and
WHEREAS, Cap City Nights Festivals are a prevention strategy that aims to foster safe and healthy community relationships by bringing together neighborhood residents, worshipers, service providers, and business owners; and
WHEREAS, festival activities encourage relationship building among families and neighbors, thereby strengthening community ties and empowering the community to work together to reduce violence while creating a platform of trust to produce positive change; and
WHEREAS, as part of its commitment to build, empower, and unify community leaders, Columbus City Council deems it an effective use of funds to support the planning and execution of a sixth Cap City Nights Festival, to be held in the Wedgewood neighborhood on August 4th, 2018; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of the city in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate funds to Recreation and Parks in order to avoid any delay in planning the event; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $30,000.00 in the Public Safety Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100016, to the Department of Recreation and Parks per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. 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 legislation.
SECTION 3. 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.