Explanation
Mayor Ginther’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is that every child is ready for kindergarten. Addressing early childhood learning means bringing awareness and resources to a critical learning stage in childhood development. Children who come to school ready to learn are more likely to succeed academically and in life.
Children who participate in high-quality early childhood education experiences significantly improve their early literacy, language, and math skills. Ample evidence shows that children who enter school unprepared fall further and further behind. Students who get a poor start in their earliest years are likely to struggle in high school and, subsequently, fail to graduate.
In 2017, the Mayor convened the Hilltop Early Childhood Partnership to address the lack of quality early learning options in the Greater Hilltop Area. One of the recommendations of the Partnership was the development of a new early learning facility in the Hilltop to increase capacity. Design for the new facility is currently underway.
Developing an early learning center is not something the Department of Education, or the City itself, has ever done. The new facility will host numerous providers, each with different needs and operational goals. Therefore, developing a financially appropriate operating structure is crucial for the initiative’s success.
Because of this, the Department of Education is now requesting the authority to contract with Mollard Consulting to provide to the City a Facility Operations Analysis for the new facility. This analysis will answer key operations, management, and funding questions.
The Department is currently engaged with Mollard on a contract to operationalize programming needs for the new facility. And in 2019, the Department of Education contracted with Mollard Consulting to assist us in determining what wraparound programs and services were needed for Hilltop children to be successful.
Because of their intimate knowledge of this project, the Department requests to waive competitive bidding.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes an expenditure of $26,000.00 from the 2020 Department of Education’s General Fund operating budget.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency designation is requested to ensure the funding and contracts are established in time for the start of the program.
Title
To authorize the Director of Education to enter into a contract with Mollard Consulting to provide a Facility Operations Analysis for the new early learning facility in the Hilltop; to authorize the expenditure of $26,000.00 from the general fund; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the City Code; and to declare an emergency. ($26,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, children who have the opportunity to attend a high-quality early learning program are better prepared for school and for life; and
WHEREAS, children who come to kindergarten ready to learn are more likely to pass the third grade reading test and ultimately, to graduate; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor’s vision for Columbus, America’s Opportunity City, is that children are ready for kindergarten; and
WHEREAS, the Hilltop Early Childhood Partnership recommended the creation of a new early learning facility to increase capacity; and
WHEREAS, having a Facility Operations Analysis is crucial for the success of this initiative; and
WHEREAS, as Mollard Consulting is intimately familiar with the project, having worked on two other related initiatives, the Department requests to waive competitive bidding; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Education in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Education to enter into contract with Mollard Consulting and to expend such funds in time for the start of the program, all for the preservation of public health, peace and property and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Education is authorized to enter into a contract with Mollard Consulting to provide a Facility Operations Analysis for early childhood education for the new early learning facility in the Hilltop.
SECTION 2. That this Council finds it is in the best interest of the City to waive the relevant provisions of City Code Chapter 329 relating to competitive bidding to permit the aforementioned contract.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $26,000.00, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized to be expended from the General Fund as follows:
(see attachment 0914-2020)
Div.: 42-01 | Fund: 1000 | SubFund: 100010 | Obj. Class: 03 | Main Acct: 63050 | Program: ED001 | Amount: $26,000
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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 10 days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.