Explanation
This ordinance modifies an existing grant agreement with Columbus Urban League originally ordained via ordinance 0472-2021 and increases the funding amount to support additional programming.
Ordinance 0472-2021 continued the Right to Recover program, a Council initiative to provide income replacement to low-income residents afflicted with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Since its creation in late 2020, the program has provided assistance to almost a thousand Columbus residents, and while the city’s positivity rate has declined significantly, the need remains to provide these types of social supports in order to achieve complete recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This ordinance extends the use of existing funds remaining from ordinance 0472-2021 until December 31, 2021.
In addition, the grant agreement will be modified to include new provisions to serve as incentives for vaccination. There is empirical data that suggests a significant degree of vaccine hesitancy, or a resistance to acquiring the vaccine because of fears of the short-term adverse effects sometimes associated with the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy is especially high within low-income minority communities. However, improving vaccination rates is demonstrably the fastest, most effective means by which to slow the spread of COVID-19 within the community, particularly within those communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the spread of the virus.
The modified grant agreement will provide Columbus Urban League with the funding necessary to incentivize full vaccination for low-income residents.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to immediately modify the grant agreement and deploy vaccine incentives.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to modify a grant agreement with Columbus Urban League originally authorized under ordinance 0472-2021; to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund; and to declare an emergency. ($275,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Right to Recover program is a Council initiative to provide income replacement to low-income residents afflicted with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis; and
WHEREAS, since its creation in late 2020, the program has provided assistance to almost a thousand Columbus residents; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance modifies an existing grant agreement with Columbus Urban League to administer the Right to Recover program; and
WHEREAS, there is empirical data that suggests a significant degree of vaccine hesitancy, or a resistance to acquiring the vaccine because of fears of the short-term adverse effects sometimes associated with the COVID-19 vaccine; and
WHEREAS, improving vaccination rates is demonstrably the fastest, most effective means by which to slow the spread of COVID-19 within the community, particularly within those communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the spread of the virus; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Finance and Management in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to modify the existing grant agreement with Columbus Urban League in order to rapidly deploy the resources needed to provide vaccination incentives; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the expiration date for any Auditor’s Certificate or purchase order associated with the grant agreement authorized by ordinance 0472-2021 is hereby extended to December 31, 2021.
SECTION 2. That the Director of Finance and Management is hereby authorized to modify the grant agreement with Columbus Urban League authorized by ordinance 0472-2021.
SECTION 3. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $275,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to the Department of Finance and Management in Service-03 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That per the action authorized in Section 2 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $275,000.00 or so much thereof as needed within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund is hereby authorized per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. 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 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.