Explanation
Background: This legislation authorizes the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Greater Hilltop Shalom Zone in an amount up to $200,000.00 as part of the city’s Youth and Community Empowerment Grant program.
This Youth and Community Empowerment Grant program shall assist Columbus neighborhoods with engaging youth and families in positive experiences and job readiness. The funds are to be distributed to key community partners with a proven track record of community engagement and data-backed outcomes. The funds provided by the city shall be distributed via "mini-grants" to grass root and community based organizations with this same goal: positive experiences for our youth and families and job readiness.
As a key community partner, the Greater Hilltop Shalom Zone will distribute grants of a minimum amount of $10,000 and no more than $25,000 to organizations predominately or wholly in their geographic boundary, targeting one-of-two areas: Youth/Family engagement and workforce development. Cost accrued to administer these funds should not exceed 15% of each agency's overall grant amount.
This funding will be used to provide assistance to qualified organizations as well as associated administrative costs for expenses starting March 1, 2020.
The services included in this contract cannot be provided by existing city employees because these services are beyond the City’s current staffing capacity to provide.
Emergency Designation: Emergency action is requested to ensure that the organizations can begin providing additional services as soon as possible.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 020715 and their contract compliance is in progress.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is provided to the City of Columbus from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress and signed into law March 27, 2020, and available in the Department of Development’s CARES Act budget allocation (fund 2207, subfund 220701).
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to execute a grant agreement with Greater Hilltop Shalom Zone in an amount up to $200,000.00 as part of the city’s Youth and Community Empowerment Grant program; to authorize an expenditure up to $200,000.00 from the CARES Act Fund; to authorize the payment of expenses starting March 1, 2020; and to declare an emergency. ($200,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the need for additional services to support positive experiences for our youth and families and job readiness; and
WHEREAS, these grants will support new approaches as well as the work of grassroots partners to empower youth and families in the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of CARES Act funding to provide programming that will support positive experiences for our youth and families and job readiness is necessary to address challenges caused by schools not holding in person classes and increased unemployment caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditure of funds has not been previously accounted for in the 2020 Budget; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a grant agreements with Greater Hilltop Shalom Zone so they can begin providing additional services as soon as possible, for the public health, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That the Director of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Greater Hilltop Shalom Zone in an amount up to $200,000.00 as part of the city’s Youth and Community Empowerment Grant program, effective March 1, 2020.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $200,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2207 (CARES Act), Dept Div 44 01 (Administration), in object class 03 (Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That this contract is awarded in accordance with the relevant provisions of City Code Chapter 329 relating to not for profit service contracts.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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 passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.