Explanation
Background: This ordinance is to authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a purchase contract with Columbus City Schools (CCS) to acquire some or all of the following parcels and to expend up to a total of $2,015,000.00 from the CDBG Fund 2248, Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702, and Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund 7747 on these acquisitions. The funds would be used for acquisition, survey, title, and any associated costs.
PID # 010-033923 - Douglas Alternative Elementary School, 51 South Douglas Street
PID # 010-113466 - Stockbridge Elementary School, 3350 South Champion Avenue
For many years, the Columbus City Schools and Recreation and Parks have collaborated where possible on servicing the city’s youth and families. This collaboration includes programming, facilities, as well as strategic use of lands that both agencies own or manage that can offer long term recreational values for Columbus residents. In 2020, CCS will be divesting of former school sites around the city, and Recreation and Parks is seeking to acquire some or all of two of these properties for use as future neighborhood parks. Each of the properties were appraised in January of 2020.
The sites are located in communities identified by Recreation and Parks as key parkland deficit areas. By acquiring the properties, residents will have a unique opportunity for preserving greenspace in built-out neighborhoods and each of the properties provides close walkable access. The former Douglas Alternative School is located in Olde Towne East, and the four acre property is one of the largest remaining in the built-out neighborhood. The former Stockbridge Elementary School is located in the South Side, and the 11 acre property is directly adjacent to the city’s Stockbridge Park. The additional acreage will provide wider accessibility to the neighborhood, as well as critical park space for tree plantings, walking, and passive recreation.
Principal Parties:
City of Columbus Schools
889 East 17th Avenue
Columbus, OH 43211
Contact: Robert Mickley
rmickley@columbus.k12.oh.us
Emergency Justification: The properties to be acquired with these funds are listed by Columbus City Schools for sale and the Department wishes to acquire them before they are not available. CCS intends to sell the properties as soon as possible and are requiring a purchase contract from the Department as soon as possible.
Benefits to the Public: These acquisitions will provide quality neighborhood park space for future generations of the city. The sites are within rapidly growing areas of the city and preservation of potential key sites is one of the main missions of Recreation and Parks.
Community Input/Issues: The Department has conducted outreach for several years with the Olde Towne East and Far South communities regarding the need and potential for more accessible park spaces and recreational opportunities for their neighborhoods. Both communities are facing parkland deficits and support the acquisition of the former school sites.
Area(s) Affected: Near East (56), Far South (64)
Master Plan Relation: These acquisitions support the master plan by protecting the environmental health and resilience of the city while providing improved and equitable access to parks.
Fiscal Impact: $2,015,000.00 is budgeted and available from and within the CDBG Fund 2248, Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702, and Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund 7747 to meet the financial obligations of these acquisitions. $3,665,000.00 will be the total expenditure authorized due to a unique circumstance where CDBG funding is intended to purchase the Douglas Alternative Elementary School parcel. The required review that must be completed to release CDBG funds is ongoing and expected to be completed before closing. If all CDBG requirements are met, as approved by the Director if Finance and Management, the CDBG funding will be used to buy this parcel. If the CDBG funding is not approved to be released or not completed by the time of closing, this parcel will be purchased with the funding from the Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund 7747. $2,015,000.00 is the total not to exceed expenditure but it is necessary to authorize an additional $1,650,000.00 to accommodate this unique scenario. The funding that is not used for this parcel will be cancelled.
Title
To authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a purchase contract with Columbus City Schools (CCS) to acquire some or all of parcels PID # 010-033923, Douglas Alternative Elementary School, 51 South Douglas Street and PID# 010-113466, Stockbridge Elementary School, 3350 South Champion Avenue; to authorize the City Auditor to appropriate $1,650,000.00 within the CDBG Fund in accordance with the 2020 Annual Action Plan as approved by Council; to authorize the City Auditor to appropriate $1,650,000.00 within the Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund; to authorize the transfer of $2,015,000.00 between projects within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund and Permanent Improvement Fund; to amend the 2019 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 1326-2019; to authorize the expenditure of $3,665,000.00 from the CDBG Fund, Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund, and Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($3,665,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a purchase contract with Columbus City Schools (CCS) to acquire some or all of parcels PID # 010-033923, Douglas Alternative Elementary School, 51 South Douglas Street and PID# 010-113466, Stockbridge Elementary School, 3350 South Champion Avenue; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation of $1,650,000.00 within the CDBG Fund 2248 in accordance with the 2020 Annual Action Plan as approved by Council; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation of $1,650,000.00 within the Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund 7747; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of $2,015,000.00 between projects within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 and Permanent Improvement Fund 7747; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend the 2019 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 1326-2019; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Recreation and Parks Department in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a purchase contract with Columbus City Schools (CCS) in order to acquire the parcels before they are not available, thereby preserving the public peace, property, health, safety, and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Recreation and Parks Department be and is hereby authorized to enter into a purchase contract with Columbus City Schools (CCS) to acquire some or all of parcels PID # 010-033923, Douglas Alternative Elementary School, 51 South Douglas Street and PID# 010-113466, Stockbridge Elementary School, 3350 South Champion Avenue.
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 City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer the unencumbered balance in a project account to the unallocated balance account within the same fund upon receipt of certification by the Director of the Department administering said project that the project has been completed and the monies are no longer required for said project.
SECTION 5. That the appropriation of $1,650,000.00 is authorized within the CDBG Fund 2248 in accordance with the 2020 Annual Action Plan as approved by Council per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 6. That the appropriation of $1,650,000.00 is authorized within the Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund 7747 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That the transfer of $2,015,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between projects within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 and Permanent Improvement Fund 7747 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 8. That the 2019 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 1326-2019 is hereby amended as follows in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this ordinance and future projects.
Fund / Project / Project Name / Current / Change / Amended
Fund 7747; P747999-100000; Unallocated Balance (Carryover) / $456,530 / $1,227,842 / $1,684,372 (to match cash)
Fund 7702; P513000-100000; Acquisition - Misc. (SIT Supported) / $427,892 / $365,000 / $62,892
Fund 7747; P747999-100000; Unallocated Balance (Carryover) / $1,684,372 / ($1,650,000) / $34,372
Fund 7702; P513003-100000; Columbus City Schools Acquisitions 2020 (SIT Supported) / $0 / $365,000 / $365,000
Fund 7747; P513003-100000; Columbus City Schools Acquisitions 2020 (Carryover) / $0 / $1,065,000 / $1,065,000
SECTION 9. For the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $3,665,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the cost thereof, be and is hereby authorized from the CDBG Fund 2248, Recreation and Parks Bond Fund 7702, and Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund 7747 in object class 06 Capital Outlay per the accounting codes in the attachments to this ordinance. The expenditure of $1,650,000.00 is identified for the purchase of Douglas Alternative Elementary School from both the CDBG Fund 2248 and Recreation and Parks Permanent Improvement Fund 7747. The expenditure of $1,650,000.00 from CDBG Fund 2248 for Douglas Alternative Elementary School is only authorized if all CDBG review and comment requirements have been met prior to closing, as approved by the Director of Finance and Management. If all CDBG requirements for the release of these funds are not met prior to closing on this property, as approved by the Director of Finance and Management, the expenditure will be made from the Recreation and Parks Fund 7747.
SECTION 10. 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.