COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR ORDINANCE NO. 210432, AS AMENDED
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Authorizing the City Manager, or the City Manager’s designee, to contract and remit payment for the provision of hotel, motel and other livable space arrangements for unhoused persons in Kansas City; designating requisitioning authority; appropriating $1,836,468.00 from the unappropriated fund balance of the General Fund; and recognizing this ordinance as having an accelerated effective date.
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WHEREAS, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines homelessness as a public health issue; and
WHEREAS, Kansas City is the hometown to as many as 1700 people in the houseless community, according to Project Homeless Connect Kansas City, with 370 people under the age of 18; and
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the public health issue by exponentially increasing job loss and financial struggle, particularly in communities of color and for those living at or near the poverty threshold as established by the United States’ Department of Health and Human Services; and
WHEREAS, the intersecting and sometimes competing costs of housing and health create an undue burden on our city’s poorest and most vulnerable residents; and
WHEREAS, the reduction of travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an influx of available hotel rooms in the city; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has expressed concerns over the living conditions for persons experiencing homelessness in Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Resolution No. 210316 the City Manager has identified ways to extend and expand hotel, motel, and other livable spaces arrangements for unhoused persons in Kansas City; and
WHEREAS, through Ordinance No. 210392 adopting the City’s stimulus spending plan, RecoverKC, the City Council authorized $2,200,000.00 of the City’s American Rescue Plan - Local Fiscal Recovery Funds be used for these purposes; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the sum of $1,836,468.00 is hereby appropriated from the Unappropriated Fund Balance of the General Fund to the following account:
22-1000-552037-B-619080 Shelter for the Homeless $1,836,468.00
Section 2. That the Director of Housing and Community Services is designated as requisitioning authority for Account No. 22-1000-552037.
Section 3. That the City Manager, or the City Manager’s designee, is hereby authorized to contract and remit payment for the provision of hotel and motel spaces for unhoused persons and services to aid unhoused persons in seeking permanent housing through July 15, 2021, from funds appropriated to account nos. 22-2585-552037-B and 22-1000-552037-B.
Section 4. In no event shall the City Manager, or the City Manager’s designee, neither let a new contract, nor renew or amend any existing contract to provide hotel and motel spaces for unhoused persons for a term ending after July 15, 2021, without Council authorization and corresponding appropriation.
Section 5. This ordinance does not authorize and in no event shall the City Manager, or the City Manager’s designee, spend any appropriation on pallet homes or any other temporary shelter facilities until authorized by Council by separate ordinance.
Section 6. That this ordinance, appropriating money, is recognized as an ordinance with an accelerated effective date as provided by Section 503(a)(3)(C) of the City Charter and shall take effect in accordance with Section 503 of the City Charter.
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I hereby certify that there is a balance, otherwise unencumbered, to the credit of the appropriation to which the foregoing expenditure is to be charged, and a cash balance, otherwise unencumbered, in the treasury, to the credit of the fund from which payment is to be made, each sufficient to meet the obligation hereby incurred.
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Tammy L. Queen
Director of Finance
Approved as to form and legality:
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Joseph Guarino
Assistant City Attorney