Columbus City Council approved a broad package of ordinances during Regular Meeting No. 59, moving funding and contracts across public works, utilities, housing and procurement.

The council passed engineering contracts for dewatering improvements at the Jackson Pike and Southerly Water Reclamation Plants, authorized smart-lighting LED conversions for South Side corridors and approved a $2,000,000 encumbrance to cover refuse-tipping fees. The council also approved an internal transfer ordinance as part of the third-quarter financial review to realign general-fund appropriations.

On housing and homelessness, council approved HOME-ARP subrecipient agreements to create a Core Team pilot for outreach and supportive engagement, and authorized up to $10 million in affordable-housing bond funding to the Central Ohio Community Land Trust for permanently affordable ownership projects. The Department of Development said the land-trust funds will target infill and middle-housing opportunities for households up to roughly 120% of area median income.

Other passed items included software and professional-services contracts (including a B2Gnow supplier-diversity system subscription), a contract modification for Moody Nolan on the new Municipal Court building, and emergency appropriations to support home- and community-based services funded from state and county grants.

The council acted on many items by unanimous or near-unanimous roll-call votes after committee reports; routine consent-agenda items were approved and several ordinances were advanced on emergency designations or by waiving second reading where noted.

Next steps: Several items declared emergency were implemented immediately; other measures requiring subsequent implementation steps will be administered by the relevant departments (public utilities, development, parks, finance) according to the ordinances' terms.