Explanation
This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Development to execute a grant agreement with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio (WDBCO), in the amount up to $400,000.00 of CARES Act funds, to support some renovations of the Columbus-Franklin County OhioMeansJobs Center (Job Center) to allow for increased physical distancing and improved sanitation in response to COVID-19, with a contract term start date of March 1, 2020.
Ordinance 2534-2020 authorized 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.
During discussion of drafting the agreement, it was discovered that the department’s commitment to supporting some renovation of the Job Center to allow for increased physical distancing and improved sanitation in response to COVID-19 was not included in the original ordinance. Additionally, the agreement authorized under Ordinance 2534-2020 is terminated as of November 30, 2020, and the Employer Workforce Training Investment Program has not yet been implemented so those expenses would not be eligible as CARES Act expenses under current federal guidelines.
Because of these issues, it is necessary to put forth a new ordinance to fund the COVID-19 related renovations from CARES Act funds. A separate ordinance will be put forth to fund the Employer Workforce Training Investment Program.
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 CARES Act funds before the end of the year.
Contract Compliance: the vendor number is 018152 and contract compliance expires 11/19/2022.
Fiscal Impact: Funding in the amount up to $400,000.00 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 the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio in an amount up to $400,000.00 for the purpose of supporting some COVID-19 related renovations at the Columbus-Franklin County OhioMeansJobs Center; to authorize an expenditure up to $400,000.00 from the CARES Act fund; to authorize the payment of expenses starting March 1, 2020; and to declare an emergency. ($400,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City Council approved Ordinance 2534-2020 authorizing 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; and
WHEREAS, during discussion of drafting the agreement, it was discovered that the department’s commitment to supporting some renovation of the Columbus-Franklin County OhioMeansJobs Center (Job Center) to allow for increased physical distancing and improved sanitation in response to COVID-19 was not included in the original ordinance, the contract authorized under Ordinance 2534-2020 expires on November 30, 2020, and the Employer Workforce Training Investment Program is not an eligible expense due to timing of the program (under current federal guidelines); and
WHEREAS, this ordinance funds the COVID-19 related renovations from CARES Act funds, with the contract term start date of March 1, 2020; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in community organizations needing to renovate spaces to change flow of people and to install hard surfaces that can be easily cleaned in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, expenditures of CARES Act funding is needed to provide funding for some renovations to increase social distancing and improved sanitation caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditures of funds have 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 CARES Act 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 Development is authorized to execute a grant agreement with the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio in an amount up to $400,000.00 for the purpose of supporting some COVID-19 related renovations at the Columbus-Franklin County OhioMeansJobs Center, to authorize the payment of expenses starting March 1, 2020.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose as stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $400,000.00, 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 3. 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 4. 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 5. 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.