Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio (WDBCO) in an amount up to $1,000,000.00 for the purpose of supporting the Employer Workforce Training Investment Program.
The Employer Workforce Training Investment Program seeks to increase skills of incumbent and newly hired workers in small to medium, minority owned, women owned, and veteran owned businesses within the city of Columbus. Assisting businesses with funding to support employees could help with retention and engagement and lead to stability as they recover from financial hits during the pandemic.
This program will provide increased flexibility for smaller businesses to support training and development of their workforce. Many small to medium size businesses do not have the revenue to provide employees with tuition reimbursement or training programs to increase skills. Smaller businesses are facing severe challenges due to COVID-19.
These services provided by WDBCO cannot be provided by existing city employees because these services are beyond the City’s current staffing capacity to provide.
Emergency legislation is requested in order to encumber funds in a timely manner so the WDBCO can expend the funds before the end of the year.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 018152 and contract compliance is pending.
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 (fund 2207, subfund 220703).
Title
To authorize the Director of Development to execute a grant agreement with Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio (WDBCO) in an amount up to $1,000,000.00 for the purpose of supporting the Employer Workforce Training Investment Program; to authorize an expenditure up to $1,000,000.00 from the CARES Act Fund; to authorize the payment of expenses starting March 1, 2020; and to declare an emergency. ($1,000,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Employer Workforce Training Investment Program seeks to increase skills of incumbent and newly hired workers in small to medium, minority owned, women owned, and veteran owned businesses within the city of Columbus to help with retention and engagement; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in lack of funding in small to medium sized businesses for skills training and development of their workforce and skills development and training are important for individual and business stability; and
WHEREAS, expenditure of CARES Act funding to assist with workforce training and development is necessary to address the economic downturn and business instability 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 enter into grant agreement in order to encumber funds in a timely manner so the WDBCO can expend the funds before the end of the year, such immediate action being necessary for the preservation of the public health, peace, property and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Development is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Workforce Board of Central Ohio for the purpose of supporting the Employer Workforce Training Investment Program beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending November 30, 2020 in an amount up to $1,000,000.00.
SECTION 2. That the agency identified in Section 1 seeking financial assistance to address an emergency economic need is awarded pursuant to Columbus City Codes, 1959 Section 329.29 and 329.30.
SECTION 3. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $1,000,000.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized in fund 2207, subfund 220703 (CARES Act Fund), Dept. 44-02 (Economic Development), in Object Class 03 (Services) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
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 its approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.