Explanation
BACKGROUND: City Council approved Ordinance 2537-2020 to provide funding for barriers, PPEs, training, and crowd control devices and to upgrade public seating to promote physical distancing at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning March 1, 2020 and ending November 30, 2020. Instead, the Department wishes to provide funding for CARES Act eligible expenses beginning March 1, 2020 and ending December 31, 2020.
These services provided by Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority 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 allow FCCFA to fully utilize the necessary funding.
Title
To amend Ordinance 2537-2020, passed November 16, 2020, to amend the end date for eligible expenses from November 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, on November 16, 2020, Columbus City Council passed Ordinance 2537-2020 authorizing the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHEREAS, it is necessary to amend the end date for eligible expenses from November 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020; and
WHEREAS, no funding is required for this amendment; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to amend ordinance 2537-2020 to allow FCCA to fully utilize the necessary funding, 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 Section 1 of Ordinance 2537-2020, passed November 16, 2020, is hereby amended to read as follows:
That the Director of the Department of Development is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority to provide investment in PPEs, training, barriers, crowd control devices, and upgrades to public seating areas at the Greater Columbus Convention Center beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending November 30, 2020 December 31, 2020 in an amount up to $500,000.00.
SECTION 2. That all other Sections of Ordinance No. 2537-2020 remain the same.
SECTION 3. 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.