Explanation
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize the Director of the Department of Finance, on behalf of Columbus City Council, to enter into a non-profit service contract with The Ohio State University College of Social Work in support of the Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County initiative.
Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County was created in 2016 and is a joint effort between the City of Columbus, Franklin County, and The Ohio State University College of Social Work to assesses the age-friendliness of the Columbus area and develop strategic plans to guide the City's and Central Ohio's efforts to promote a high quality of life for all residents, as well as to link aging residents with services provided by the City, County, OSU, and community partners.
In the coming years, Age-Friendly will continue to work to increase resiliency, mobility, and inclusion among older adults in the community. It will decrease barriers to participation through increasing accessibility in the built environment, access to technology and internet, translation and interpretation services, and other potential barriers that arise. Council is proposing funding for programs and staff time that will help accomplish these goals, as well as allowing Age Friendly to serve as a central access point for community engagement for the City of Columbus Departments of Public Service, Public Health, Recreation and Parks, Safety, Vision Zero, and others as needed. By providing engagement, data, and connection to hard-to-reach community members, Age-Friendly will help increase resident/community informed city policy. Additionally, the Age-Friendly community engagement will be utilized to support the goals set forth by various Departments of the City of Columbus. Age-Friendly intends to accomplish the following:
• Create, deploy, and analyze a community-wide assessment tool
• Produce and publish community findings report
• Create and publish community engagement report that details participation, inclusion, cross-department engagement, and alignment with current City of Columbus priorities
• Address emerging community challenges through community-informed responsive programs
Columbus City Council desires to support this program by authorizing the Director of the Department of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with The Ohio State University for $100,000.00 with funding from the Neighborhood Initiative subfund. The Franklin County Office on Aging is also providing funding for the initiative. These services are specialized and cannot be provided by the City.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency action is requested in order to immediately provide the funds necessary to assist residents in need.
FISCAL IMPACT: Total appropriation is $100,000.00 and is available within the Neighborhood Initiative subfund.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Finance, on behalf of City Council, to enter into a non-profit service contract with The Ohio State University College of Social Work for the Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County initiative; to authorize an appropriation and an expenditure of $100,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiative subfund, and to declare an emergency. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the goal of Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County is to provide easy access to services, amenities and opportunities for aging residents in the City and County; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a non-profit service contract with The Ohio State University College of Social Work for the Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County initiative, as well as allowing Age Friendly to serve as a central access point for community engagement for the City of Columbus Departments of Public Service, Public Health, Recreation and Parks, Safety, Vision Zero, and others as needed; and
WHEREAS, $100,000.00 is available in the Neighborhood Initiative subfund for appropriation and expenditure to provide for this need; 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 enter into contract with The Ohio State University College of Social Work so that Age-Friendly Columbus will have the ability to offer services for older residents as soon as possible, for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1: That the Director of the Department of Finance is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with The Ohio State University College of Social Work in support of the Age-Friendly Columbus initiative. This contract is entered into pursuant to the non-profit service contract provisions of Chapter 329.
SECTION 2: That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $100,000.00 within the Neighborhood Initiative subfund, fund 1000-100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3: That the expenditure of $100,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1 of this ordinance, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiative subfund per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4: That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is 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.