Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the issuance of one-time hazard payments to full-time city workers who served the residents of Columbus as our frontline in working through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City of Columbus employs more than 9,000 full-time employees, thousands of whom experienced significant personal, financial, or physical hardship as a function of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the start of the pandemic, our essential workers faced new child care expenses, worked through unusual and demanding circumstances, and faced a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 by virtue of their necessary and ongoing service to the community.
The City of Columbus, through the American Rescue Plan, received significant federal resources intended to enhance our economic recovery, stability, and resiliency. Part of that recovery includes the recognition of our frontline workers who placed themselves, and often their families, at greater risk through their public service.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Recovery Fund, fund 2209.
Emergency action is requested in order to avoid any delay in providing payments to those employees who served at an increased risk and exposure to COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.
Title
To authorize the Mayor, or his designee(s), to issue one-time hazard payments to frontline city employees in an amount up to $1,000.00 per employee; to authorize the Auditor to transfer appropriations within the Recovery Fund in order to issue payments; and to declare an emergency. ($7,100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of City of Columbus employees experienced financial, social, and physical hardship because of the nature of their service to the city; and
WHEREAS, the work of those employees, especially those deemed essential by city leadership, has contributed to the resiliency and the recovery of our city in immeasurable ways; and
WHEREAS, it is the belief of this Council that the recogni...
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