Background
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into a grant agreement with Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT) in support of the Equity Now Coalition.
The Equity Now Coalition’s work began on March 18, 2020 when President/CEO of the Columbus Urban League (CUL), Stephanie Hightower, convened a COVID-19 virtual meeting on March 18, 2020 with the immediate goal of sharing information to mitigate the pandemic’s disparate impact on Black and other People of Color (POC). The weekly COVID-19 Alliance meetings began on March 26, 2020. The urgent necessity for these virtual meetings was further exacerbated by the public death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. Mr. Floyd’s death, against the backdrop of the pandemic, set the stage for protests in every state in our nation and across the globe. These unprecedented times present a perhaps fleeting opportunity to make great strides toward equitable race and gender outcomes in the City of Columbus.
This funding will allow the Equity Now Coalition to further develop racially-equitable responses to the COVID-19 pandemic for the Black and other People of Color communities in Columbus including research work that will focus on building out the first two phases of ENC's data management platform and smart data dashboard for Central Ohio; continuing communications, outreach and engagement work including focus groups, a community survey; and building out ENC's outreach & engagement plan to sustain continuous feedback loops with community stakeholder groups.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the CARES Act fund.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid any delay in providing the resources necessary to the Equity Now Coalition to develop racially-equitable responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to enter into a grant agreement with Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT) in support of the Equity Now Coalition; to authorize the expenditure from the CARES Act fund; and to declare an emergency. ($153,594.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Equity Now Coalition is a coalition of more than 160 participants dedicated to developing racially equitable responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a perhaps fleeting opportunity to make great strides toward equitable race and gender outcomes in the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, this funding will allow the Equity Now Coalition to further develop racially-equitable responses to the COVID-19 pandemic for the Black and other People of Color communities in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, expenditure of CARES Act funding to support the Equity Now Coalition is necessary to address the need to craft racially-equitable responses to the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, such expenditure of funds has not been previously accounted for in the 2021 Budget; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists such that it is immediately necessary to authorize a grant agreement with Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT) to avoid any delay in providing the resources necessary to the Equity Now Coalition to develop racially-equitable responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and for the immediate preservation of the public health and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods is hereby authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Partners Achieving Community Transformation (PACT) in support of the Equity Now Coalition.
SECTION 2. That per the action authorized in Section 1 of this ordinance, the expenditure of $153,594.00, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized 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 for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared an emergency measure and shall take effect and be enforced from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.