ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council approved several pieces of legislation through immediate adoption during Tuesday’s remote meeting in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council approved a resolution introduced by councilmembers Andrea L. Boone and Cleta Winslow ratifying Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ executive order to allocate up to $7 million in funds for the purpose of providing emergency assistance to those affected by COVID-19. Additional co-sponsors were Marci Collier Overstreet, Carla Smith, Joyce Sheperd, Antonio Brown, Michael Julian Bond, Andre Dickens, Jennifer Ide, Dustin Hillis, and Natalyn Archibong.
The total funds, which will come from the general fund uncommitted fund balance, may be utilized as follows:
- $1 million for emergency assistance to children’s food programs.
- $1 million for emergency assistance to senior food programs.
- $1 million for emergency assistance to homeless preparedness and response activities.
- $1.5 million to support the city’s small business continuity.
- $1 million for the emergency purchase of technology necessary to execute the City’s institution of full telework deployment for all non-essential employees and to support city-wide business continuity.
- $1.5 million to assist the City’s partners in the financial industry to provide emergency assistance to employees and hourly wage earners of businesses engaged with the city of Atlanta whose incomes are adversely impacted.
The total funds may be transferred to assist with any of these efforts without specific limitation.
“Our vote to ratify the mayor’s executive order is a critically important step forward for us as a city as we deal with this pandemic,” Councilmember Boone said. “These funds will go toward providing emergency assistance to children and seniors in our community, our homeless population and small businesses. It will also help ensure our City’s technology system for teleworking continues to work properly. This is a smart and needed response for the city of Atlanta.”
The Council also approved a resolution introduced by councilmembers Andre Dickens and Marci Collier Overstreet authorizing the mayor or her designee to execute amendments to all Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport concessions and/or consolidated rental car lease agreements with all concessionaires and car rental companies effective March 1, 2020 for a period of four months ending on June 30, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This action is being taken to assist employees who may experience a potential reduced hours of work and loss in wages. Additional co-sponsors were Council members Natalyn Archibong, Michael Julian Bond, Antonio Brown and Jennifer Ide.
“The Mayor and I acted quickly to draft legislation that passed unanimously today suspending rent from March 1st through June 30th for airport concessionaires and car rentals so they may stay open and pay their employees while sales are low due to extremely reduced air travel,” councilmember Dickens said.
Other items approved include:
• A resolution by Council members Amir Farokhi and Dustin Hillis requesting that the governor enact a concurring ban on the operation of bars and restaurants at an occupancy in excess of 50 people or such number and time period as the CDC may recommend in the future. Additional co-sponsors were councilmembers Natalyn Archibong, Jennifer Ide, Antonio Brown, Michael Julian Bond, and Joyce Sheperd.
• A resolution by councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet supporting the mayor of the city of Atlanta in implementing initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the well-being of Atlanta Public Schools employees, students and other families impacted by school closures during this public health emergency. Council members Jennifer Ide, Andrea Boone, Andre Dickens, Amir Farokhi, Michael Julian Bond, Carla Smith, Cleta Winslow, Natalyn Archibong, Joyce Sheperd, and Antonio Brown were additional co-sponsors.
• A resolution by councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet urging the state of Georgia, Georgia Power, and the Atlanta business community to partner with the City of Atlanta to pledge assistance to Atlanta public school families and other city residents who may be impacted by the school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Co-sponsors to the legislation were Council members Jennifer Ide, Andrea Boone, Andre Dickens, Amir Farokhi, Michael Julian Bond, Carla Smith, Cleta Winslow, Natalyn Archibong, Joyce Sheperd, and Antonio Brown.
• A resolution by councilmember Carla Smith authorizing the mayor or her designee to enter into Amendment No. 3 of Cooperative Purchasing Agreement FC10408 with Convendis Technologies Inc. utilizing Georgia statewide contract number SWC70768 pursuant to City Code Sections 2-1192, emergency procurement and 2-1292, emergencies resulting in potential increased costs, for the purpose of adding additional funding for on-call IT services on behalf of the Department of Atlanta Information Management in an amount not to exceed $2.5 million.
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