Explanation
BACKGROUND: Columbus Public Health has been awarded additional funds from the Ohio Department of Health. This ordinance is needed to accept and appropriate $1,839,752.00 in additional grant funding to fund the COVID 19 Contact Tracing Grant Program for the period of May 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020.
The Ohio Department of Health has distributed over $12 million in funds to local health departments to be used specifically for contact tracing activities.
Emergency action is requested to allow the financial transaction to be posted in the City’s accounting system as soon as possible to bolster the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
FISCAL IMPACT: The grant program award ($1,839,752.00) is fully funded by the Ohio Department of Health and does not generate revenue.
Title
To authorize and direct the Board of Health to accept additional funds from the Ohio Department of Health for the COVID 19 Contact Tracing Grant Program in the amount of $1,839,752.00; to authorize the appropriation of $1,839,752.00 to the Health Department in the Health Department Grants Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($1,839,752.00)
Body
WHEREAS, $1,839,752.00 in additional grant funds have been made available to the Health Department through the Ohio Department of Health for the COVID 19 Contact Tracing Grant Program; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to accept and appropriate these funds from the Ohio Department of Health for the support of the COVID 19 Contact Tracing Grant Program; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in that it is immediately necessary to accept this grant from the Ohio Department of Health to prevent, prepare for, and respond to a public health emergency in central Ohio and 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 the Board of Health is hereby authorized and directed to accept an additional grant award of $1,839,752.00 from the Ohio Department of Health for the period May 1, 2020 through December 30, 2020.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the Health Department Grants Fund, Fund No. 2251, and from all monies estimated to come into said Fund from any and all sources for the period ending December 30, 2020, the sum of $1,839,752.00 and any eligible interest earned during the grant period is hereby appropriated to the Health Department Grants Fund per accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Health Commissioner, and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 4. At the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused city match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 5. 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 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.