Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance appropriates monies within the Community Development Block Grant Fund (CDBG) to various departments and offices of the government of the City of Columbus for the twelve months ending December 31, 2020.
This legislation represents appropriation for the CDBG portion of the 2020 Action Plan, per Ordinance 2162-2019.
FISCAL IMPACT: This legislation totals $3,020,000, a portion of the 2020 CDBG programs. These amounts are supported by 2020 estimates of an entitlement award from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), housing and economic development loan repayments, unencumbered cash carryover, and other miscellaneous revenues. Due to the nature of CDBG funding and grants based accounting, the remaining sum in Fund 2248, Community Development Block Grant Fund, will be submitted for approval for appropriation at a later date.
This legislation is presented as an emergency for the effective implementation of 2020 CDBG programs and ongoing city operations.
Title
To authorize an appropriation of $3,020,000.00 in various divisions and object levels of the Community Development Block Grant Fund and to authorize an appropriation of $72,000.00 in Fund 2249 CDBG revolving loan fund to provide funding for approved programs; and to declare an emergency ($3,092,000.00).
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus expects to continue as a participating jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 2020; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council has approved the 2020 Action Plan (Ordinance 2162-2019), as required by HUD; and
WHEREAS, the balance of the 2020 Annual Action plan shall be appropriated as funds are obligated to specific activities; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate the aforementioned funds to begin implementation of 2020 programs and ongoing city operations, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; Now, Therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That from the unappropriated monies in the fund known as the Community Development Block Grant Fund, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources during the 12 months ending December 31, 2020, the sum of $$3,020,000 is appropriated in Fund 2248 Community Development Block Grant Fund, and $72,000 is appropriated in Fund 2249 CDBG revolving loan fund, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 2. 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 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 1 shall be paid upon the order of the respective department directors or elected officials for which the appropriations are made, except that small claims in amounts not to exceed two-thousand five-hundred dollars ($2,500.00) may be paid as authorized by Chapter 335 of the Columbus City Code as amended; and except that payments or transfers between departments, divisions or funds of the City may be made by the City Auditor; and except that payments for premiums for official bonds, depository commissions, employees’ hospitalization, life insurance, pensions, dental insurance and prepaid legal services, shall be made on the order and approval of the Director of the Department of Finance and Management or City Auditor; 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 4. That, except in the matter of payrolls providing for the payment of the salaries of officers and employees regularly employed by the City and extraordinary emergencies, no warrant shall be issued in liquidation of vouchers, unless the department contracting the expense shall have first obtained an order duly certified that there are sufficient funds appropriated to the credit of the proper funds from which the expenditure is to be made, which certificate must be obtained prior to the incurrence of the obligation, and the head of any department or division authorized to contract expenditures will be held personally responsible for any obligation incurred contrary to the provisions of this section. Except that such certificate shall not be issued for obligations pertaining to “Capital Outlay” in programs or activities funded by federal or state categorical grants without the prior approval of the Director of the Department of Finance and Management; such prior approval must be obtained before submission of any requisition for items coded as “Capital Outlay” to the Department of Finance and Management. The Director of the Department of Finance and Management will review such requests for conformity with the approved budget.
SECTION 5. That it is understood that this Council is not making specific appropriations for each item of every classification herein before contained but only for the classifications per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance. The itemized classification shall, however, constitute limitations on the powers of the several department heads as granted in Section 3, and no such officer shall make any expenditure for any other purpose in any amount beyond that of the particular classification; provided, however, that transfers may be made from one Object Level 1 to another, within any one department or division. Transfers of sums exceeding $100,000 shall be authorized only by ordinance of Council. Transfers of sums of $100,000 or less shall be approved by letter with the signatures of the head of the department, the Director of the Department of Finance and Management, the City Auditor and the Chairman of the Finance Committee.
SECTION 6. That the Director of the Department of Finance and Management may be required to transfer funding from one subfund to another within the Fund 2248, Community Development Block Grant Fund due to the availability of funding based on federal requirements of grants based accounting and account coding will be provided to the City Auditor.
SECTION 7. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to pay obligations of various departments pertaining to preceding years obligations from current appropriations up to a maximum of $25,000.00 per obligation.
SECTION 8. 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.