Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Director of Development to enter into a grant agreement (as a beneficiary) with Young Men’s Christian Association (known as YMCA Central Ohio), in an amount up to $531,693.00 using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to provide operational support to mitigate financial hardships, to implement COVID-19 prevention and mitigation tactics, to provide premium pay for essential workers at the Van Buren Center, and to pay for expenses starting March 3, 2021.
Ordinance 1201-2021 authorized the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate approximately $187,030,138.00 of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as signed into law by the President of the United States on March 11, 2021.
YMCA of Central Ohio provides emergency shelter and wrap around services to homeless individuals. At the Van Buren Center, shelter staff have worked directly, in person, with people experiencing a housing crisis throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. They have risked the health and well-being of themselves and their families to keep our neighbors experiencing homelessness safe. As an essential worker in the city’s critical infrastructure to address the housing crisis, front line staff are eligible for premium pay under the ARPA guidelines.
Funding will also support additional cleaning services to mitigate and prevent COVID-19 at the Van Buren Center and will support retaining employees because of a decline in revenue due the public health emergency.
It is expected that the guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury will be modified while this grant is in effect and it is requested that the Director of Development be given the authority to modify the terms and conditions of the grant without seeking additional Council approval in order to align with the most current version of the laws, regulations, and guidance.
Emergency action is requested to address the impacts of the COVID-19 health emergency.
FISCAL IMPACT: Funding is provided to the City of Columbus from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress and signed into law March 11, 2021.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: the vendor number is 006085 and expires 1/14/2022.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to enter into a grant agreement with Young Men’s Christian Association, known as YMCA Central Ohio, in an amount up to $531,693.00 using federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, to provide operational support to mitigate financial hardships, to implement COVID-19 prevention and mitigation tactics, to provide premium pay for essential workers at the Van Buren Center, and to pay for expenses starting March 3, 2021; to modify the terms and conditions of the grant agreement as needed without seeking further City Council approval in order to align with the most current version of the laws, regulations, and guidance; to authorize the expenditure of up to $531,693.00 of ARPA funds; and to declare an emergency. ($531,693.00) (AMENDED BY ORD. 0340-2022; PASSED 2/7/2022)
Body
WHEREAS, YMCA of Central Ohio, provides emergency shelter and wrap around services to homeless individuals; and
WHEREAS, Van Buren Center shelter staff have worked directly, in person, with people experiencing a housing crisis throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. As an essential worker in the city’s critical infrastructure to address the housing crisis, front line staff are eligible for premium pay under the ARPA guidelines; and
WHEREAS, funding will also support additional cleaning services to mitigate and prevent COVID-19 at the Van Buren Center and will support retaining employees because of a decline in revenue due the public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in negative impacts on the city’s shelter system, such as exposing front line workers to COVID, requiring additional cleaning of the congregate setting, and declining revenues; and
WHEREAS, expenditure of ARPA funding to support organizations providing these services is necessary to alleviate the negative impacts caused by 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 in the usual daily operation of the Department of Development in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into a grant agreement with the YMCA of Central Ohio to address the impacts of the COVID-19 health emergency, such immediate action is necessary for the 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 Development is authorized to enter into a grant agreement (as a beneficiary) with Young Men’s Christian Association (known as YMCA Central Ohio), in an amount up to $531,693.00 using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, to provide operational support to mitigate financial hardships, to implement COVID-19 prevention and mitigation tactics, to provide premium pay for essential workers at the Van Buren Center, and to pay for expenses starting March 3, 2021; and to modify the terms and conditions of the grant agreement as needed without seeking further City Council approval.
SECTION 2. That for the purpose stated in Section 1, the expenditure of $531,693.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 2209 (Recovery), Dept-Div 44-01 (Administration), in object class 03 (Services) 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 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 5. 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 passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.