Explanation
BACKGROUND:
This legislation authorizes an amendment to Ordinance No. 2944-2023, passed by Columbus City Council on November 20, 2023, to allow for a correction of the names of two organizations listed in Exhibit A.
Ordinance No. 2944-2023, passed by Columbus City Council on November 20, 2023, authorized the Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks to enter into 21 not-for-profit service contracts for the provision of congregate and home-delivered meals, adult day care, medical assessment, supportive services, homemaker, personal care, transportation, home repair, and legal services for the period January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.
Exhibit A included organizations with the names “The Legal Aid Society of Columbus” and “Ohio State Legal Services Association”. It recently came to the attention of COAAA that these non-profit agencies have undergone a merger in 2024 and are now operating under the name “Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio”. As such, COAAA requires a contract modification to continue the not-for-profit services contract for the remainder of the contract period.
Emergency Designation
All other information in Exhibit A remains the same. Emergency action is requested in to prevent delay in services to older adults and people with disabilities in the Central Ohio region.
Fiscal Impact
No additional expenditures are required.
Title
To amend Ordinance No. 2944-2023, passed by Columbus City Council on November 20, 2023, to allow for a correction of two names of the organizations in Exhibit A, from “The Legal Aid Society of Columbus” and “Ohio State Legal Services Association” to “Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio”; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 2944-2023, passed by Columbus City Council on November 20, 2023, authorized the Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks to enter into 21 not-for-profit service contracts for the provision of congregate and home-delivered meals, adult day care, medical assessment, supportive services, homemaker, personal care, transportation, home repair, and legal services for the period January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.
WHEREAS, Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 2944-2023 included an organization with the names “The Legal Aid Society of Columbus” and “Ohio State Legal Services Association”; and
WHEREAS, The not-for-profit agencies “The Legal Aid Society of Columbus” and “Ohio State Legal Services Association” have undergone a merger in 2024 under the name “Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio”. As such, COAAA requires a contract modification to continue the not-for-profit services contract for the remainder of the contract period; and
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Recreation and Parks requests that Ordinance No. 2944-2023 be amended in order to correct the organization names; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Recreation and Parks in that it is immediately necessary to amend Ordinance 2944-2023, passed by Columbus City Council on November 20, 2023, to reflect the merger of the two named not-for-profit entities "The Legal Aid Society of Columbus" and "Ohio State Legal Services Association" to "Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio" to prevent delay delivery of services to older adults and people with disabilities in the Central Ohio region, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; and now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That Exhibit A of Ordinance No. 2944-2023, passed by Columbus City Council on November 20, 2023, be amended to read as follows, with deletion stricken and new language in bold:
The Legal Aid Society of Columbus and Ohio State Legal Services Association amended to Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio.
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 which 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 veto same.