Explanation
This ordinance authorizes Columbus City Council to enter into contract with Reading Holiday Project, Inc. to renew and expand support of the Barbershop Books program.
Barbershop Books seeks to reduce the achievement gap by providing child-friendly reading spaces in neighborhood barbershops. In 2016, Columbus City Council and Columbus City Schools partnered to purchase 150 books and create 10 reading spaces in neighborhood barbershops. In 2017, Council and Columbus City Schools worked together to add 21 new barbershops to the program, providing those shops with books, training, and a child-friendly reading space. (One barbershop dropped out in 2016/17 creating a grand total of 30 shops.)
According to barber evaluation surveys in 2016, 73% of boys were “never reading” in their shops before the program. After the Barbershop Books program, barbers report that 91% either see boys reading daily or almost every day in their shops.
This funding request would pay for renewal subscriptions for all 30 shops, purchase replacement bookshelves, and fund a refresher training conducted by Mr. Alvin Irby (Founder of Barbershop Books) for current barbers and community liaisons.
Emergency Designation: Emergency action is requested to ensure that funding is available to continue the program uninterrupted to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Columbus.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize Columbus City Council to enter into contract with Reading Holiday Project, Inc. to renew and expand support of the Barbershop Books program; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, and to declare an emergency. ($26,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Barbershop Books seeks to reduce the achievement gap by providing child-friendly reading spaces in neighborhood barbershops; and
WHEREAS, in 2017, Council and Columbus City Schools worked together to add 21 new barbershops to the program, providing those shops with books, training, and a child-friendly reading space; and
WHEREAS, 91% of survey respondents indicate seeing boys reading daily or nearly every day in their shops, compared to 73% indicating that boys were “never reading” prior to program implementation; and
WHEREAS, this funding will pay for renewal subscriptions for all 30 shops, purchase replacement bookshelves, and fund a refresher training for current barbers and community liaisons; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of Council, in that it is necessary to ensure that funding is available to continue the program uninterrupted 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 Columbus City Council is hereby authorized to enter into contract with Reading Holiday Project, Inc. to renew and expand support of the Barbershop Books program.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $26,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council, in Object Class 03 - Contractual Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $26,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the actions authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, in Object Class 03 - Contractual Services, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That this contract is awarded pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 329 that relate to not-for-profit service contracts.
SECTION 5. 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 6. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is 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.