Explanation
Background:
The Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm project, located at 116 N. Wheatland Avenue, is transforming a City of Columbus Land Bank property in the Hilltop into a farm and neighborhood facility. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased food insecurity for many Columbus residents. The Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm provides education opportunities and healthy foods to low- and moderate- income families. Resources provided to Hilltop residents at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm aid in the community’s response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ordinance 1902-2021 authorized the Department of Neighborhoods to appropriate and expend $1,500,000.00 of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) through the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement.
This ordinance is needed to authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to modify the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement to increase City funding support as well as revise the agreement’s schedule and budget. Budget and schedule revisions will allow the City to support additional Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm elements.
Fiscal Impact: This ordinance authorizes an appropriation and expenditure of up $3,000,000.00 through a modification to an existing subaward agreement. The funding is provided by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, the City’s Revolving Loan Fund (2249), and anticipated 2022 Program Income (Fund 2248) ($3,000,000.00).
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to modify the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement to increase CDBG funding support by $3,000,000.00 and to amend the subaward’s budget and project schedules; to authorize the transfer of $723,133.00 from the City’s Revolving Loan Fund (2249) to the City’s Community Development Block Grant Fund (2248); to authorize the appropriation of anticipated Program Income and CDBG funding from Community Development Block Grant Fund (2248) in the amount of $776,867.00; to authorize the expenditure of $3,000,000.00 from the Community Development Block Grants Fund (2248); and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the City is supportive of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm’s mission to expand healthy food access and programs for families living in the Hilltop community; and
WHEREAS, through the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm the Envision Hilltop plan will be advanced and the community will benefit from the development of a new neighborhood facility which will provide Hilltop residents with access to healthy, fresh food and space for ongoing community engagement. These services are especially critical as the community continues to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
WHEREAS, the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, a 501.(C)(3) nonprofit entity, is a Subrecipient of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds through a Department of Neighborhoods’ Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement with the purpose of carrying out eligible CDBG and CDBG-CV activities including the construction of a new neighborhood facility; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to modify the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement to provide additional CDBG funding support for the construction of various elements at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm located at 116 N. Wheatland Avenue; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation of $723,133.00 of Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund (2249) for the transfer of the funds to the City’s Community Development Block Grant Fund (2248); and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the transfer of $723,133.00 of Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund (2249) to the Community Development Block Grant Fund (2248); and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation of $1,532,148.00 of CDBG funds and CDBG Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds (CDBG-CV) within the CDBG Fund 2248; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the appropriation of $744,719.00 of anticipated Program Income from within the CDBG Fund 2248; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $3,000,000.00 from within the CDBG Fund 2248; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus will complete all Environmental Review Record requirements before modifying the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction CDBG subaward agreement; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Neighborhoods in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods to modify the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement with the Mid-Ohio Food Bank D.B.A. The Mid-Ohio Good Collective in order to allow for immediate support to the Mid-Ohio Wheatland Farm development to meet construction timelines and CDBG expenditure deadlines, thereby advancing the public health, and welfare; now therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Department of Finance and Management is hereby authorized to appropriate $723,133.00 from the City’s Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund (2249) for the transfer to the City’s Community Development Block Grant Fund (2248), per the accounting codes attached.
SECTION 2. That the Department of Finance and Management is hereby authorized to transfer $723,133.00 from the City’s Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund (2249) to the City’s Community Development Block Grant Fund (2248), per the accounting codes attached.
SECTION 3. That the appropriation of $744,719.00 of anticipated Program Income from within the CDBG Fund 2248, the transferred $723,133.00 from the Revolving Loan Fund 2249 and $32,148.00 from the Community Development Block Grant Fund (2248) ($1,500,000.00) is hereby authorized per the accounting codes attached, for the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement modification.
SECTION 4. That the appropriation of $1,500,000.00 of CDBG-CV from CDBG Fund 2248 is hereby authorized for the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement modification, per the accounting codes attached.
SECTION 5. That the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods is hereby authorized to modify the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement to provide an additional $3,000,000.00 of funds (Fund 2248) as well as revise the agreement’s schedule and budget in support of construction activities related to the development of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm.
SECTION 6. That the expenditure of $3,000,000.00 from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Fund (2248) is hereby authorized per the accounting codes attached for the Mid-Ohio Food Collective Wheatland Farm Market Building Construction subaward agreement modification.
SECTION 7. 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 8. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modification associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 9. 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.