Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the appropriation and expenditure of up to $1,000,000.00 and the Director of Development to enter into a contract with the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. in an amount up to $1,000,000.00.
In 2003 the Discovery District Development Corporation asked Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation to initiate an effort to work with Discovery District property owners to create a Special Improvement District (SID) on the east side of downtown. Property owners were surveyed and overwhelmingly were in support of seeing a proposal to create a SID. The SID was created for an initial five year period, was very successful and reauthorized in 2010 and again in 2015.
In 2020, a one petition process was initiated in which property owners representing at least 60% of the front feet within the District signed that they were interested in reauthorizing the SID and they approved of the Plan for Services delineating the services to be provided by the SID. The petition was accepted and approved by Columbus City Council’s Ordinance No. 0808-2020, passed May 4, 2020.
Subsequently, two additional Resolutions were approved by the City Council; 0068X-2020 on May 18, 2020 and 0101X-2020 on June 29, 2020. The final action as required by Chapter 1710 of the Ohio Revised code to reauthorize the SID, Ordinance 1893-2020, was approved by the City Council on September 14, 2020. Each assessment is to be returned to the SID for operational requirements as set forth in the Plan for Services.
This legislation disburses assessments to be collected in fiscal year 2021 to be returned to the SID.
Emergency action is requested to continue services without interruption.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funds for this expenditure will be received from the levy of assessments to be collected from property owners in the Discovery Special Improvement District. These funds are deposited into and expended from Discovery SID Fund (Fund 3310).
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: This vendor’s vendor number is 001286 and is valid until 2/20/22.
Title
To authorize the appropriation and expenditure of up to $1,000,000.00 from the Discovery SID fund; authorize the Director of Development to enter into a contract with the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus in an amount up to $1,000,000.00; and to declare an emergency. ($1,000,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, City Council approved in 2020 the reauthorization and implementation of a plan for services for the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. for a period of 5 years from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2025; and
WHEREAS, City Council has also levied assessments in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 1710 for such purposes, which funds are in the process of collection and are required by law to be distributed to the District by the City; and
WHEREAS, the assessment funds collected by the County and forwarded to the City for disbursement will be available in March 2021 and September 2021; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development, Economic Development Division, in that it is immediately necessary to appropriate and expend said funds to allow for continuation of services without interruption, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; and NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. 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 ended December 31, 2021, the sum of $1,000,000.00 is appropriated in Fund 3310 (Discovery SID), Dept-Div 44-02 (Economic Development), in object class 05 (Other)
Section 2. That the expenditure of $1,000,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 3310 (Discovery SID), Dept-Div 44-02 (Economic Development) in object class 05 (Other) per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
Section 3. 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 4. That the Director of Development is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. for an amount up to $1,000,000.00.
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 passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.