Explanation
This ordinance amends section 501.11 of the Columbus City Codes to give the Director of Public Safety the authority to temporarily adjust expiration dates for all licenses defined under Columbus City Code Title 5 during the time a local State of Emergency exists as declared by the Mayor or Health Commissioner of the City of Columbus.
Under the current version of Title 5, licenses issued by the City of Columbus, Department of Public Safety Division of Support Services License Section expire on dates as established in code. Due to unforeseen circumstances, such as the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the License Section has been closed to the public in order to come into compliance with the Mayor’s State of Emergency and social distancing requirements. Therefore, licenses issued by the License Section that are due for renewal in accordance with expirations set in Code during the closure of the office are unable to be renewed. The Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services, License Section is requesting the ability to extend those licenses which expired during the closure of the office to yet unknown dates after the office either opens, develops an online renewal system, or the Mayor lifts the State of Emergency.
This legislation gives the Director of Public Safety the authority to temporarily adjust the expiration dates for all licenses that the License Section issues pursuant to Title 5, in emergency circumstances such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency action is requested in order to ensure that licenses due for renewal face no further delay and are renewed without lapsing.
Title
To amend section 501.11 of the Columbus City Codes to give the Director of Public Safety the authority to temporarily adjust the expiration dates for all licenses issued under Title 5 during the time a local state of emergency exists as declared by the Mayor or Health Commissioner of the City of Columbus; to repeal existing section 501.11 of the Columbus City Codes, and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety, Division of Support Services License Section is provided the authority to issue licenses as defined in Title 5 of the Columbus City Code; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Code currently defines expiration dates for the licenses listed in Chapter 501; and
WHEREAS, unforeseen circumstances, such as COVID-19, can cause the Mayor to declare a State of Emergency, closing all but essential city offices; and
WHEREAS, the License Section has been unable to conduct the necessary business with the public to renew licenses due to the office being closed; and
WHEREAS, the need to extend the expiration dates on licenses that have expired during the time of the State of Emergency has become evident; and
WHEREAS, the most efficient way to extend the expiration dates on licenses is to grant the Director of Public Safety the authority to temporarily adjust the expiration dates for all licenses under Title 5 while a local State of Emergency exists as declared by the Mayor or Health Commissioner of the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the proposed language will codify the authority of the Director of the Department of Public Safety to temporarily adjust expiration dates in the Columbus City Code to be used in the future for unknown circumstances resulting in the closure of City offices during a State of Emergency; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to amend City Code Section 501.11 to ensure that licenses due for renewal face no further delay, 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 section 501.11 of the Columbus City Codes is hereby amended, reading as follows:
Chapter 501.11- License Period.
(A) Where no license period is provided in the city codes, the license period for licenses issued by the section shall be a twelve (12) month period, commencing on April 1 and expiring on March 31 of the following year.
(B) The public safety director is granted the authority to temporarily adjust expiration dates for all licenses under this section while a local state of emergency exists, as declared by the mayor or heath commissioner of the City.
SECTION 2. That existing section 501.11 of the Columbus City Codes is hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. 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.