Explanation
This ordinance authorizes Columbus City Council to enter into a grant agreement with New Directions Career Center in support of agency stability and sustainability.
New Directions Career Center (NDCC) provides an effective career development and employment placement program with wrap-around and barrier reducing support services for unemployed and underemployed, low-income women who reside in Columbus and Franklin County. Programs include career readiness training and counseling. Individual services include employment placement, landlord mediation, benefit applications, emergency financial assistance, financial counseling, and priority access and linkages to community resources such as food, furniture, utilities, and housing.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for services has more than tripled - in Q2, NDCC provided 391 individual services. Since COVID-19 has hit, 70% of NDCC’s clients have been single mothers struggling with job loss and increased expenses. Over 90 clients who reached out to NDCC in the past three months are experiencing unemployment, furloughs, loss of income, or the need to change positions in order to accommodate childcare and family health needs.
Simultaneously, NDCC’s revenue has been critically impacted: multiple planned fundraisers have been cancelled, and NDCC’s fee-for-contract services have been reduced as other human services organizations have been similarly impacted. Funding to close the revenue gap caused by COVID-19 ensures that NDCC’s essential career readiness, counseling, and placement services coupled with supportive wrap-around services continue to meet the present and increasing demand for Central Ohio residents.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the CARES Act fund.
Emergency action is requested in order to provide NDCC with the resources necessary to sustain agency operations and services to residents.
Title
To authorize Columbus City Council to enter into a grant agreement with New Directions Career Center; to authorize a transfer of appropriations and an expenditure within the CARES Act fund; and to declare an emergency. ($138,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, New Directions Career Center provides an effective career development and employment placement program with wrap-around and barrier reducing support services for unemployed and underemployed, low-income women who reside in Columbus and Franklin County; and
WHEREAS, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for services has more than tripled; and
WHEREAS, over 90 clients who reached out to NDCC in the past three months are experiencing unemployment, furloughs, loss of income, or the need to change positions in order to accommodate childcare and family health needs; and
WHEREAS, at the same time, NDCC’s revenue has been critically impacted, with the cancellation of multiple planned fundraisers and a loss of fee-for-contract services; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing an increased demand for services among Columbus and Franklin County residents and human service agencies working to meet those needs have been impacted by unforeseen and unbudgeted costs. As a result, many residents and nonprofit human service providers are experiencing economic instability; and
WHEREAS, expenditure of CARES Act funding will be used to provide assistance to NDCC for eligible expenses and losses caused by, or in response to, 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 City in that it is immediately necessary to authorize City Council to enter into a grant agreement with NDCC to provide the resources necessary to sustain agency operations and services to residents, for the preservation of the public health, safety and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That Columbus City Council is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with New Directions Career Center in support of agency stability and sustainability.
SECTION 2: That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer appropriations within in the CARES Act fund, fund 2207, subfund 220702, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $138,000.00 or so much thereof as may be necessary is hereby authorized in the CARES Act fund, fund 2207, subfund 220702, in Object Class 03 (Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. Funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance 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 its approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.