The city of Columbus will provide funding to help a local nonprofit pay for a facility improvement.
The Columbus Board of Works has approved a sub-recipient agreement with Foundation For Youth for modernization of an elevator belonging to the organization. According to a memo from Assistant Director of Community Development Robin Hilber, the city would like to use up to $115,000 from its annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation for this purpose.
Hilber told the board that CDBG funds can be used to help public facilities. Past examples have included replacing and rehabbing exterior doors at Columbus Child Care Center and replacing patio railings at Sycamore Place.
She noted in her memo that while FFY’s elevator is currently operable, it has had some “operational difficulties” in the last year and is in need of an upgrade.
“It’s very unreliable,” she told the board. “And unfortunately, they can’t get replacement parts. So they would like to modernize that elevator.”
According to Hilber’s memo, the city of Columbus receives an approximately $325,000 CDBG allocation each year, which must be used to meet at least one of the following objectives: “benefit low and moderate income individuals; eliminate slum and blight; or meet a need having a particular urgency, which is a detriment to the health and safety of the general public.”
Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon said that the city worked with the Administrative Resources association to make sure that the elevator project was an appropriate use of funds.
“We think it’s a really good use because of the population that FFY serves,” she added.
