Council Approves Funding to Support Nonprofits Providing Shelter Options
The Atlanta City Council approved legislation Monday to ratify an executive order directing the City’s chief financial officer to allocate up to $1.5 million for nonprofit and philanthropic communities providing individual shelter options with supportive services for persons experiencing homelessness (Legislative Reference №20-O-1332). The legislation is in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which represents a health risk to homeless populations because of congregate living environments, limited access to preventative measures, and higher likelihood for underlying health issues.
Other items approved Monday include:
• Legislation authorizing the city of Atlanta to accept food and food service donations in support of the City’s efforts to show appreciation and recognize its frontline employees working during the COVID-19 pandemic in a total not to exceed $20,000 through Dec. 31, 2020 (Legislative Reference №20-R-3914).
• Legislation authorizing the mayor or her designee to enter into contractual agreements with project sponsors in an amount not to exceed $33,317,352 for services related to grant funding from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Legislative Reference №20-O-1331). The ordinance ratifies services that benefit the health, safety and welfare of residents included in the City’s 2015–2019 Consolidated Plan, which covers grant funding from the Community Development Block Grant, the Emergency Solutions Grant, the HOME Housing Investment Partnership Program, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).
• A resolution requesting that the commissioner of the Atlanta Department of Transportation close select streets and/or traffic lanes, which are yet to be determined, to motorized vehicular traffic and open them to pedestrians and cyclists (Legislative Reference №20-R-3913). The legislation is aimed at safely shifting certain underutilized streets and traffic lanes for use by pedestrians and cyclists to provide Atlanta residents with a greater ability to spend time outside and use the public right-of-way responsibly amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Council members introduced several items for consideration in committee meetings next week, including:
• An ordinance amending the City’s Code of Ordinances to prohibit the organization of and participation in street racing exhibitions and to set penalties for violations.
• A resolution to accept the final recommendations of the Task Force for Accessibility and Inclusion.
• A resolution directing the City’s chief financial officer to provide a monthly update on revenue collections through the close of Fiscal Year 2021.
• An ordinance to authorize the City to forgive rent payments by tenants who lease space at the City of Atlanta Neighborhood Centers to mitigate adverse effects suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• An ordinance ratifying Executive Order №2020–83 authorizing the chief financial officer to amend the Fiscal Year 2020 budget by adding to anticipations and appropriations in the amount of $88.4 million awarded to the City pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
• An ordinance waiving for a period of one year the provisions of Chapter 138, Section 234A8 application fee for right-of-way dining permits.
• An ordinance to create the Airport CARES Act Grant Fund and amend the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget by adding to anticipations and appropriations the proceeds of the Federal Aviation Administration Grant Agreement in the amount of $338.5 million for the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act Grant.
