Explanation
BACKGROUND: The City of Columbus received funding for the Ryan White Part A HIV Emergency Relief Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This grant requires Columbus Public Health (CPH) to assure quality medical care to eligible persons living with HIV or AIDS in Central Ohio (Franklin, Licking, Delaware, Morrow, Union, Madison, Pickaway and Fairfield counties). Ordinance 0913-2019, passed April 15, 2019, authorized the Board of Health to contract with certain vendors to provide HIV-related somatic medical care, medical case management services, non-medical case management services, mental health services, housing services, and emergency financial assistance. Contracts were awarded following an RFQ process according to bidding requirements of the City Code. The term of each contract is March 1, 2019, through February 29, 2020.
The HIV Care Part A grant’s purpose is to improve access to medical care for persons living with HIV or AIDS living in Central Ohio. The goal is that each client will achieve viral suppression, which improves their quality of life and reduces the risk of spreading the infection. This grant enhances medical services, both somatic and behavioral health and pays for HIV related doctor’s visits, mental health services, substance abuse services, and other services allowable by the grant. It also strengthens the case management and linkage to care (or patient navigation) elements.
In 2018, The Ryan White Part A program for the Central Ohio area served over 2,400 people living with HIV through several programs including outpatient/ambulatory medical care, mental health services, medical case management, early intervention services, housing services, non-medical case management, emergency financial assistance and medical transportation.
Initial funding for the contracts authorized by Ordinance 0913-2019 was based on each vendor’s estimate of its funding requirements for services allowable by the grant. Under the terms of the grant requirements, grant funds must be used during the grant period or they are forfeited, and the city as grantee may be subject to penalties related to future grants. In prior grant years, the city has reported carryover grant funds in amounts ranging from $364,116.85 to $412,904.00. In order to minimize the amount of unused funds, CPH tracks each vendor’s expenditures, and if it is apparent that a vendor will be unable to use all of its allocated funds within the grant contract period, CPH has reallocated those excess funds to another vendor and executed appropriate contract modifications in accordance with the requirements of City Code, including authorizing legislation for contract modification of $50,000.00 or greater. HRSA has tasked CPH to improve the efficiency of the reallocation of funds as necessary in order to minimize unused funds to the greatest extent possible and to maximize the available services and avoid potential penalties as future carryover funds may not be permitted by HRSA. The purpose of this ordinance is to request authorization to reallocate Ryan White Part A HIV Emergency Relief Grant Program funds and to allocate any additional funding awarded to CPH to modify and increase current service contracts or to enter into new contracts with other vendors that are identified by CPH as qualified to provide services allowable under the grant and that meet the federal requirements for this funding without the need for additional legislation and any related delays. This ordinance requests a waiver of the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329 to the extent that they are applicable.
This ordinance is submitted as an emergency in order to ensure that quality medical care continues to be available to eligible persons living with HIV/AIDS, and to ensure timely payment to providers.
FISCAL IMPACT: This contract is entirely funded by a grant award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration. Ordinance 0913-2019 authorized one ACPO in the amount of $3,012,777.00 to encumber funds using available grant appropriations for the above contracts. No additional appropriation or encumbrance is requested by this ordinance.
Title
To authorize the Board of Health to enter into new contracts or modify existing contracts to reallocate funds previously appropriated and encumbered by Ordinance 0913-2019 and any additional funds awarded to Columbus Public Health for services allowable under the Ryan White Part A Program for the provision of outpatient ambulatory care, non-medical case management, medical case management, mental health services, housing services, and emergency financial assistance for persons living with HIV or AIDS in Central Ohio with vendors that are identified by Columbus Public Health as qualified to provide services allowable under the grant and that meet the federal requirements for this funding; to authorize the Board of Health to accept any additional awards for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care grant program; to authorize the appropriation of any additional awards for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care grant program; to authorize the City Auditor to transfer appropriations between object classes for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care grant program; to waive competitive bidding of City Code Chapter 329; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the city received funding for the Ryan White Part A HIV Emergency Relief Grant Program (the Grant) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which requires Columbus Public Health (CPH) to assure quality medical care to eligible persons living with HIV or AIDS in Central Ohio; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 0913-2019, passed April 15, 2019, authorized the Board of Health to contract with certain vendors to provide HIV-related care and services allowable under the grant; and
WHEREAS, HRSA has tasked CPH to improve the efficiency of the reallocation of funds as necessary in order to minimize unused funds to the greatest extent possible in order to maximize the available services and to avoid potential penalties related to future grants; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to allow the Board of Health to enter into and modify contracts to reallocate funds previously appropriated and encumbered by Ordinance 0913-2019 and any additional funds awarded to Columbus Public Health for services allowable under the Grant with vendors that are identified by CPH as qualified to provide services allowable under the grant and that meet the federal requirements for this funding; and
WHEREAS, the City may receive additional funds awarded from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the support of the Ryan White Part A HIV Care grant program; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to accept and appropriate these funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the support of the Ryan White Part A HIV Care grant program; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to allow the City Auditor to transfer appropriations between object classes for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care grant program as needed upon request by the Columbus Public Health department.; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the city to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329 to the extent they are applicable; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of Columbus Public Health in that it is immediately necessary to enter into contracts in order to continue services without interruption 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 Board of Health is hereby authorized to enter into new contracts and modify existing contracts to reallocate previously appropriated and encumbered funds and any additional funds awarded to Columbus Public Health for services allowable under the Ryan White Part A HIV Emergency Relief Grant Program from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration with vendors that are identified by Columbus Public Health as qualified to provide services allowable under the grant and that meet the federal requirements for this funding.
SECTION 2. That the Board of Health is hereby authorized and directed to accept any additional grant awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the HIV Care Part A grant program for the period March 1, 2019 through February 28, 2020.
SECTION 3. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 any additional awarded funds are appropriated in Fund 2251 according to notification of award or grant agreement by the grantor.
SECTION 4. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 3 shall be paid upon the order of the Health Commissioner and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except upon voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 5. At the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 6. 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 7. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer appropriations between object classes for the Ryan White Part A HIV Care grant program as needed upon request by the Columbus Public Health department.
SECTION 8. That Council finds it in the City’s best interest to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code Chapter 329.
SECTION 9. That for 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.