Columbus City Council has approved a number of additional appropriations, including $80,000 to cover overtime costs for the Columbus Fire Department.
The council approved the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate funds from the city’s general fund, the transit COVID fund and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) COVID fund. Ordinances require two readings to be fully approved. The council’s next meeting is Oct. 4.
The appropriation from the city’s general fund is for $80,000 to cover overtime expenses at CFD due to, as the ordinance described it, an “unexpected high number of open positions.”
City Director of Finance, Operations and Risk Jamie Brinegar said that there were, at one point, six positions open within the department at the same time. Injuries and illness also played a role in the need for overtime.
“About two weeks ago at Board of Works, we swore in six new firefighters, so we are hoping by the end of this year we’re all caught up and next year we won’t have this issue,” he said.
The ordinance also appropriates $400,000 from the city’s transit COVID fund to purchase paratransit vans. Department of Public Works Director Bryan Burton said these are for the city’s Call-a-Bus program, which provides service to individuals who are unable to access the city’s fixed routes.
“It’s a very important part of the transit program,” said Councilman Tom Dell.
“They stay very busy,” Burton agreed. “So we have four of them that run pretty much every day. Three for sure, most of the time four, depending on our staffing. … They are heavily used.”
He estimated that it will take at least two years for the new vans to be delivered, at which point they will replace vehicles that will be ready for retirement by that time.
The ordinance also appropriates $30,000 from the city’s Community Development COVID funding to help Turning Point Domestic Violence Services with facility improvements. Assistant Director of Community Development Robin Hilber explained that the nonprofit is relocating its offices to a new building and plans to renovate its existing shelter to add capacity and more ADA compliance.
