Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes the transfer of $500,000.00 from the Department of Finance's City-wide account to the Department of Public Safety for the purposes of administering the Business District Safety Enhancement Program. Through this program, the Department of Public Safety will work in conjunction with the Division of Police and neighborhood business groups, the Short North Alliance and Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, to develop plans to appropriately deter crime and improve safety in Columbus’ business districts. The Short North Alliance and Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District are not-for-profit entities.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Columbus experienced a significant up-tick in violent crime throughout the community, notably in densely populated and visited business districts. In 2022 the City of Columbus funded the Business District Safety Enhancement Program which resulted in a significant reduction of crime. There is a need for a continuation of this funding from the City of Columbus to supplement safety enhancements in business districts throughout the City of Columbus. These organizations will utilize this funding in support of their violent crime interdiction programs, which utilize law enforcement personnel serving in a special duty capacity, educational campaigns, and community outreach workers in an effort to prevent and address violent crime in their respective districts.
This neighborhood safety program is part of a much larger community investment strategy employed by the City to provide safe and resilient communities. The City of Columbus has utilized a community wide approach under a number of assistance programs including summer youth safety programming in the amount of 16 million in 2022 as well as numerous Neighborhood Safety Grants. The City will make additional neighborhood safety investments in subsequent ordinances.
Short North Alliance, FID: xx-xxxxxxx, CC# CC-008394
Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, FID: xx-xxxxxxx, CC# CC-006946
Emergency Justification: Emergency action is requested so that necessary funds can be provided to these organizations so that immediate steps can be taken to make safety enhancements in their business districts and the surrounding community since all existing funding has been disbursed and the requested funding will allow continuation of the Safety Enhancement Programs.
Fiscal Impact: $500,000.00 is budgeted and available within the Department of Finance's General Fund budget to be transferred to Public Safety for distribution to organizations responsible for maintaining the health, safety, and welfare of residents and visitors in Columbus' business districts. $250,000.00 will be provided to the Short North Alliance and $250,000.00 will be provided to the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into a grant agreements with the Short North Alliance and Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District for the purposes of administering the Business District Safety Enhancements Program; to authorize the transfer of $500,000.00 within the General Fund, from the Department of Finance to the Department of Public Safety; to authorize the expenditure of $500,000.00 from the General Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($500,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into grant agreements with the Short North Alliance and Capital Crossroads Special Improvement to administer the Business District Safety Enhancement Program; and
WHEREAS, the transfer of funds is necessary in order to properly align appropriation with projected expenditure; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $250,000.00 from the General Fund with the Short North Alliance; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the expenditure of $250,000.00 from the General Fund with the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a negative impact on the economic health and safety of the Columbus Downtown business district and other business districts throughout Columbus; and
WHEREAS, an expenditure of funding is necessary to ensure that Columbus business districts remain safe for residents, business owners, employees, patrons, and visitors as our community continues to grapple with the uptick in violent crime attributed in part to the COVID-19 public health emergency; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to enter into grant agreements with the Short North Alliance and Capital Crossroads Special Improvement, so that necessary funds can be provided to these organizations so that immediate steps can be taken to make safety enhancements in their business districts and the surrounding community since all existing funding has been disbursed and the requested funding will allow continuation of the Safety Enhancement Programs, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare of Columbus residents and visitors; NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Public Safety is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Short North Alliance, for an amount up to $250,000.000, to administer the Business District Safety Enhancement Program.
SECTION 2. That the Director of the Department of Public Safety is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, for an amount up to $250,000.000, to administer the Business District Safety Enhancement Program.
SECTION 3. That the amount of $500,000.00 or so much as may be necessary, is hereby authorized to be transferred within the General Fund, fund 1000-100010 from Finance and Management to the Department of Public Safety per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. That for the purposes stated in Sections 1 and 2 above, the expenditure of $500,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized in Fund 1000 General Fund in object class 05 per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 5. That these contracts are awarded pursuant to Columbus City Code Section 329.30, regarding the awarding of not-for-profit service contracts estimated to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00); and
SECTION 6. 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 and to make any accounting changes necessary to ensure that this contract is properly accounted for and recorded accurately on the City's financial records.
SECTION 7. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, the City Auditor shall establish such account codes as necessary.
SECTION 8. 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.