Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a grant agreement with the Ohio Public Works Commission for the 2020 Clean Ohio Conservation Fund Round 14, Stockbridge Urban Forest Project. This ordinance will also authorize the appropriation of the grant and matching funds. The grant amount is $636,000.00 and the local match amount is $425,000.00.
This ordinance will also authorize the City Attorney to spend the grant and matching funds to acquire and accept in good faith certain fee simple title and lesser real estate located 3350 South Champion Avenue (PID# 010-113466, Stockbridge Elementary School) in order for the Recreation and Parks Department to timely complete the Stockbridge Urban Forest Project.
In March of 2020, the Department applied for Clean Ohio Funds to acquire green spaces in the Far South community to acquire the former Stockbridge Elementary School property from the Columbus City Schools. (Ordinance 0432-2020). In July of 2020, the Department received notice that the grant was approved and this ordinance will allow the Director to enter into the grant agreement, accept the funding, and provide the matching funds.
The Stockbridge Urban Forest Project will commence once the acquisition of the former Stockbridge Elementary School property in the city’s Scioto Southland community is completed. The property is adjacent to Stockbridge Park and will provide an additional 11 acres to the parkland. Columbus City Schools offered the property for sale and this was a unique opportunity to provide more park space and natural area in a heavily built out neighborhood with a significant deficit in green space. The Urban Forest Project will be the city’s first pilot project to restore urban tree canopy on a large scale to one of the city’s most hard hit communities for trees. To accomplish this, the Department has prepared a plan to raze the school, eliminate the hardscape, remediate the soil, and reforest much of the former school property into a young, vibrant inner city tree planting. Almost 10,000 native trees of mixed sizes will be planted along with a 1 mile walking path. The result will be a unique case study of transforming an unusable neighborhood property into a significantly activated 21 acre park and natural area. A future ordinance will authorize the contract(s) and encumbrance(s) required to complete the site improvements, once the property is fully acquired.
Principal Parties:
Ohio Public Works Commission
65 E. State Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Jennifer Kline, 614-752-8118
Contract Compliance Number, Tax ID: 005089, 31-1334820
Expiration Date: N/A (State of Ohio Agency)
Emergency Justification: An emergency is being requested for this authorization as it the Department must sign the grant agreement and complete the acquisition by September 30, 2020.
Benefits to the Public: This project is within a rapidly urbanizing area of the city. Preservation of key natural sites is one of the main missions of Recreation and Parks, helping to protect the city’s high quality waterways, greenway corridors, ravines, and urban forests. Conservation of this site proposed in this Clean Ohio project relies heavily upon outside funding assistance to achieve these benefits.
Community Input/Issues: During the past decade, residents in this community, and the city at large, have expressed strong priority for more protected stream corridors, headwater tributaries, access to nature, walking paths, and urban forest conservation. This project received support from the area commission and the owners are willing sellers.
Area(s) Affected: Far South (64)
Master Plan Relation: This grant will support the Recreation and Parks Master Plan by protecting the environmental health and resilience of the city’s waterways; providing long term protection corridors for walking and biking and outdoor experiences. Improved and equitable access to trails and greenways.
Fiscal Impact: This ordinance will authorize the acceptance and appropriation of $636,000.00 in grant funds within the Recreation and Parks Grant Fund 2283. This ordinance will also authorize a grant match of $425,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702. $425,000.00 is budgeted and available from and within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 to meet the financial obligations of the grant match. There is a total of $1,061,000.00 available for the acquisition and project. Furthermore, Ordinance 1543-2020 authorized the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a purchase agreement with Columbus City Schools (CCS) to acquire Stockbridge Elementary School for the amount of $340,000.00. This ordinance will allow for the funding authorized in 1534-2020 to be expenditure corrected in order to utilize grant and match funding for this acquisition. A future ordinance will authorize the contract(s) and encumbrance(s) required to complete the site improvements, once the property is fully acquired.
Title
To authorize the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a grant agreement with the Ohio Public Works Commission for the 2020 Clean Ohio Conservation Fund Round 14, Stockbridge Urban Forest Project and accept a grant in the amount of $636,000.00 with a local match of $425,000.00; to authorize the City Attorney to expend City funds in the amount of $340,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Grant Fund and Voted Bond Fund to acquire and accept in good faith certain fee simple title and lesser real estate located at 3350 South Champion Avenue; to authorize the appropriation of $636,008.00 in the Recreation and Parks Grant Fund 2283; to authorize the amendment of the 2019 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance; to authorize the transfer of $425,000.00 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund; to authorize the fiscal corrections related to Ordinances 1543-2020 and 1617-2018 as described herein this ordinance; and to declare an emergency. ($1,061,008.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Ohio Public Works Commission has awarded the city of Columbus a grant for the 2020 Clean Ohio Conservation Fund Round 14, Stockbridge Urban Forest Project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize and direct the Director of Recreation and Parks to accept a grant in the amount of $636,000.00 and enter into a contract with the Ohio Public Works Commission for the 2020 Clean Ohio Conservation Fund Round 14 - Stockbridge Urban Forest Project; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation of $636,008.00 to the Recreation and Parks Grant Fund; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the City Attorney to spend City funds in the amount of $340,000.00 from the Recreation and Parks Grant Fund and Voted Bond Fund to acquire and accept in good faith certain fee simple title and lesser real estate located at 3350 South Champion Avenue; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize that the 2019 Capital Improvements Budget Ordinance 1326-2019 be amended in order to provide sufficient budget authority for this legislation and future projects; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of $425,000.00 within the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the fiscal corrections related to Ordinances 1543-2020 and 1617-2018 as described herein this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Recreation and Parks Department that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to accept the grant and enter into an agreement with the Ohio Public Works Commission in order to complete the acquisition by September 30, 2020, all for the preservation of public peace, property, health, welfare, and safety; NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of Recreation and Parks is authorized and directed to accept a grant in the amount of $636,000.00 and enter into a contract with the Ohio Public Works Commission for the 2020 Clean Ohio Conservation Fund Round 14, Stockbridge Urban Forest Project.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020, the sum of $636,008.00 is appropriated to the Recreation and Parks Grant Fund 2283 per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance. Appropriation effective upon receipt of executed grant agreement.
SECTION 3. That Ordinance 1543-2020 authorized the Director of Recreation and Parks to enter into a purchase agreement with Columbus City Schools (CCS) to acquire Stockbridge Elementary School as the first component of the overall project. This ordinance will allow for the funding authorized in 1534-2020 to be expenditure corrected in order to utilize the grant and match funding identified in this ordinance for this acquisition.
SECTION 4. That Ordinance 1617-2018 authorized the Director of Recreation and Parks to accept a grant and enter into a grant agreement with the Ohio Public Works Commission for the 2018 Clean Ohio Conservation Fund Round 12 Project in the amount of $348,680.00. This ordinance will authorize an additional $8.00 in order to correct the previously authorized amount to the correct grant total of $348,688.00.
SECTION 5. That the City Attorney is authorized to acquire in good faith and accept certain fee simple title and lesser real estate (PID# 010-113466) located at 3350 South Champion Avenue (collectively, “Real Estate”) in order for the Recreation and Parks Department to timely complete the Stockbridge Urban Forest Project. (“Public Project”).
SECTION 6. That the City Attorney, in order to exercise the authority described in Section Five (5) of this ordinance, is authorized to spend up to, Three Hundred Forty Thousand and 00/100 U.S. Dollars ($340,000.00.) or as much as may be necessary, from the Recreation and Parks Voted Bond Fund 7702 according to the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 7. That the transfer of $425,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized between projects within the Recreation and Parks Bond Fund 7702 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 7702; P510124-100000; Davis Center Renovation (Voted Carryover) / $2,464,250 / ($340,000) / $2,124,000
Fund 7702; P512000-100000; New Development (SIT Supported) / $295,972 / ($85,000) / $210,972
Fund 7702; P510917-512000; Stockbridge Urban Forest Grant Match (Voted Carryover) / $0 / $340,000 / $340,000
Fund 7702; P510917-512000; Stockbridge Urban Forest Grant Match (SIT Supported) / $0 / $85,000 / $85,000
SECTION 9. 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 10. 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 11. 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 12. 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 13. 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.