Explanation
The purpose of this ordinance is to repeal Ordinance 1595-2023, ordaining Executive Order 2023-01 of the Mayor, which limited the hours of operations for mobile food vending during a period of enhanced safety operations in the Short North.
Title
To repeal ordinance 1595-2023, pertaining to Executive Order 2023-01 of the Mayor prohibiting mobile food vending operations in the Short North after 11:59 pm on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, Chapter 573 of the Columbus City Codes, as recently amended by Ordinance No. 1730-2023, establishes regulations and licensing requirements for mobile food vending operations within the City; and
WHEREAS, Chapter 573 establishes and defines Congestions Zones as a geographic area that has a combination of public right of way parking limitations, meter restrictions, vehicular traffic patterns, pedestrian density, and mobility issues, such that unrestricted access for mobile food vending constitutes a threat to public health and safety and authorizes the Director of Public Safety to create, designate, alter, or eliminate Congestion Zones; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 573, areas in the Short North neighborhood, as defined by the Victorian Village Commission and the Italian Village Commission, have been designated as a Congestion Zone; and
WHEREAS, it had been observed that the presence of mobile food vending operations within the Short North had increased motor vehicle and pedestrian congestion and caused large gatherings of people, most especially in the hours after 11:59 pm on weekends, increasing the potential threat to public health and safety; and
WHEREAS, the Short North neighborhood experienced actual incidents of violence including a fatal shooting on May 14, 2023 and two separate shooting incidents eight days prior, resulting in 10 people wounded and 11 firearms recovered; and
WHEREAS, on May 19, 2023, the Mayor, through Executive Order 2023-01, ordered the limiting of the time, place, and location of mobile food vending operations; and
WHEREAS, Council ordained the provisions of said order on May 22, 2023; and
WHEREAS, in the ensuing three weekends, the City conducted enhanced safety operations in the Short North, including increasing law enforcement presence, limiting parking, relieving pedestrian congestion, and other actions to prevent violence in the neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, these enhanced safety operations have resulted in a decrease in the threats to public health and safety such as to necessitate the immediate repeal of Ordinance 1595-2023; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor’s Executive Order states that it shall remain in effect until superseded by subsequent ordinance of the City Council; and
WHEREAS, that for the immediate preservation of the public peace, property, health, or safety, and for the reasons stated in the preamble hereof, this Ordinance is declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect upon signature by the Mayor; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That Council incorporates herein by reference the provisions of the recitals and finds the threats to public health and safety that resulted in passage of Ordinance 1595-2023 to have been mitigated by recent enhanced safety operations.
SECTION 2. That for the reasons provided in Section 1, Ordinance 1595-2023 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. That it is the intention of the Council that this Ordinance supersede Executive Order 2023-01 as provided for in the Order.
SECTION 4. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is 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.