Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Development to modify a grant agreement with IMPACT Community Action Agency for the “Women’s Empowerment Initiative, Sojourn” program and to extend the agreement term to June 30, 2023. The current agreement term ends March 9, 2023.
Original Agreement $460,000.00 Ord. 3276-2021 PO313661
Modification No. 1 $ 0.00
Total Agreement Amount $460,000.00
On June 24, 2021, Columbus City Council passed Ordinance 1537-2021 to enter into a grant agreement with IMPACT Community Action Agency and provide $210,000.00 for its “Women’s Empowerment Initiative, Sojourn” program. On December 16, 2021, Columbus City Council passed Ordinance 3276-2021 to replace the auditor’s certificate number assigned to Ordinance 1537-2021 and add additional funding of $250,000.00 for the Neighborhoods Initiatives for IMPACT Community Action Agency’s “Women’s Empowerment Initiative, Sojourn” program.
During the 2022 program year, Impact encountered several challenges, including, but not limited to, staff transitions and mandatory training vendor changes. The transition of key staff members has resulted in a few programmatic schedule changes and has required Impact to pivot slightly from the original program schedule. With the extension, the additional time will allow for full staff on-boarding to the program responsibilities and tasks. This legislation will extend the agreement term to June 30, 2023.
According to Columbus, OH data, women are more likely than any other group to have attended some college or received an Associate’s degree. Despite these educational achievements, women are still the most likely to live in poverty, making up 24% of Columbus' poorest residents. The Coronavirus pandemic has put individuals, especially single female head of households, at an increased risk of falling deeper into poverty. To lift women out of poverty, public and private entities must join forces and implement solutions that address the myriad ways that structural and societal racism uniquely burden women. It is imperative that we are intentional about creating programs and services that alleviate such barriers. If not, the present trajectory perpetuates a lifetime of poverty for women and their children.
Emergency action is requested in order to continue services without interruption.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE: the vendor number is 001447 and expires on 11/17/2023.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Development to modify a grant agreement with IMPACT Community Action to extend the agreement term for the “Women’s Empowerment Initiative, Sojourn” program and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, due to staffing challenges, IMPACT had to modify the program schedule and was not able to complete the program as originally planned; and
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Development desires to extend the term of the grant agreement with IMPACT Community Action for the “Women’s Empowerment Initiative, Sojourn” program so the program can be completed; 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 modify a grant agreement in order to prevent interruption in services, thereby preserving 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 hereby authorized to modify a grant agreement with IMPACT Community Action to extend the agreement term for the “Women’s Empowerment Initiative, Sojourn” program.
SECTION 2. 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 approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.