Explanation
In 2017, the City of Columbus negotiated Memorandum of Understanding #2017-02 between the Columbus Board of Health and the Ohio Council 8, AFSCME Local 2191, Ohio Council 8, AFSCME Local 1632 and CWA to provide funding for the Ohio AFSCME Care Plan. This plan provides a hearing aid benefit for these employees. Per this agreement, payments are to be made annually on June 1st and December 1st. The payment is $3.00 per covered employee. The city assumes no other role in this plan. The first payment was made in December, 2017 and was funded through the administrative sub fund of the Employee Benefits Trust Fund; the more appropriate subfund is the medical subfund. At that time, however, the cost for this new coverage was not known and therefore, not budgeted in the medical subfund. At this time, it is necessary to appropriate $25,000 from the unappropriated balance of the Employee Benefits Trust Fund, medical subfund, to allow the Department of Human Resources to pay costs associated with both the June, 2019 and December, 2019 payments for the provision of hearing aid insurance.
Fiscal Impact: Funds are currently available and budgeted in the Employee Benefits Trust Fund, medical subfund. This ordinance allows payments to be made on June 1, 2019 and December 1, 2019, per the negotiated agreement.
Emergency action is respectfully requested to allow payments to be made per the city’s contractual obligation and so financial transactions are posted in the City’s accounting system as soon as possible. Up to date financial posting promotes accurate accounting and financial management.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Human Resources Department to enter into contract with Ohio AFSCME Care Plan for the provision of the hearing aid insurance program negotiated for AFSCME and CWA employees; to authorize the expenditure of $25,000.00 from the employee benefits trust fund; and to declare an emergency. ($25,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, funds for this expenditure are currently available and designated for this purpose in the Employee Benefits Trust Fund, medical subfund, and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of Human Resources Department in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to expend funds to ensure continuity of service for the hearing aid program for qualified city employees, thereby preserving the public peace, health, safety and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Human Resources Department is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Ohio AFSCME Care Plan for the provision of the hearing aid insurance program negotiated for AFSCME and CWA employees.
SECTION 2. That the expenditure of $25,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be expended from the employee benefits trust fund, fund 5502 in object class 03 Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance:
Department 4602/ Fund 5502/ Subfund: 550206/ Program: RM007/ Amount: $25,000.00
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 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 is passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.