| COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS For Immediate Release: July 25, 2011 For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 |
IMPROVING the city’s high-tech fleet: The city’s Fleet Management Division currently utilizes the Fleet Focus management system to bill, manage, monitor and analyze all maintenance related data within the division. The Fuel Focus system is an automated fuel management system that supports real time monitoring of receipt and usage of all fuels. The city currently has 16 monitored fueling sites in the City of Columbus. Of those, five have been upgraded to Fuel Focus hardware and software and are compatible with the Fleet Focus system. Finance Committee Chair Priscilla R. Tyson is sponsoring ordinance1167-2011, which will authorize the expenditure of $268,734.19 from the Fleet Management Bon Fund to upgrade the 11 remaining fuel sites to the Fuel Focus System. Fleet Focus gives the Fleet Management Division the ability to provide accountability by tracking an unlimited number of city-owned fleet equipment such as refuse trucks, fire apparatus, compost graders and various on-road vehicles to support the daily operational requirements of city government.
HELPING REVITALIZE EAST FRANKLINTON: Development Committee Chair Zachary M. Klein is sponsoring ordinance 0962-2011, to authorize the expenditure of $260,000 for the preparation of the East Franklinton Creative Community District Plan. The Creative Community Initiative for East Franklinton was announced during the Mayor’s 2011 State of the City address. This planning process will produce a plan to guide revitalization of East Franklinton as a place for the creative class to live and maintain their businesses. It builds upon city initiatives that are already underway or that have been completed in the neighborhood. It is also intended to harness current proposed projects, as well as future investments.
PROVIDING RESIDENTS ACCESS TO CITY SERVICES THROUGH MYCOLUMBUS: Residents will soon have city services at their fingertips through the use of updated technology. Administration Committee Chair A. Troy Miller is sponsoring ordinance 1184-2011 to authorize the expenditure of $39,600.00 from the Department of Technology Information Services Fund for the modification and extension of a contract with Webbed Marketing LLC, to promote the city's online resources to the public. The company will provide internet marketing services targeted at the new My Neighborhood web site, MyColumbus mobile application, and GreenSpot web site. They will also execute social media marketing campaigns to raise awareness and build excitement about city initiatives, in addition to measuring and benchmarking all city social media sites.
OFFERING AN ALTERNATIVE TO INCARCERATION: The Columbus City Council continues to support innovative ways for our local court system to rehabilitate non-violent offenders. Ordinance 1163-2011, sponsored by Public Safety & Judiciary Committee Chair Michelle M. Mills, authorizes the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to enter into a $159,376.00 contract with Alvis House for a work release program as an alternative for incarceration. Alvis House is a non-profit human services agency that provides re-entry and transitional assistance to individuals and families who have been affected by incarceration. The organization provides education, treatment, life skills, and other research-based programs that help clients rebuild their lives, strengthen their families and become contributing members of the community.
UPGRADING NEIGHBORHOOD STREET LIGHTS: The city of Columbus continues to improve neighborhoods and protect residents from crime. Councilmember Eileen Y. Paley, chair of the Public Utilities Committee, is sponsoring ordinance 1147-2011 to authorize the expenditure of $142,071.00 from the Electricity G.O. Bonds Fund for the 2011 Street Light Maintenance Contract Project. This project consists of the rehabilitation and/or replacement of various components of two street lighting circuits in the area between Livingston Avenue on the south, Mooberry Street on the north, South 18th Street on the west and Alum Creek Drive on the east. Frequent light outages have been reported and are due to the age of the system. The rehabilitation of these circuits will enhance the safety of the residents and their property while making housing in the area more attractive to current residents and potential buyers. This is the first phase of a $1 million total planned reinvestment in the city streetlight infrastructure that will upgrade 34 circuits improving the reliability of a total of 6,473 city streetlights.
PROVIDING HEALTH CARE TO NEW MOTHERS: Health, Housing & Human Services Committee Chair, Hearcel F. Craig is sponsoring ordinance 1175-2011 to authorize the Columbus Health Department to accept over $1 million in grant funding from the Ohio Department of Health to fund the Child & Family Health Services (CFHS) program. The program coordinates services among agencies that provide perinatal health care services to children and women of childbearing age. The program also includes public health nursing services and will run through June 30, 2012.
-30-
