Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Columbus Division of Police was awarded funding through the FY23 Sexual Assault Kit Funding Grant Program (SAK) through The State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services (OCJS). The City must be a subgrantee to the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to participate in this program according to the federal grant guidelines. Therefore, the Mayor is required to sign a subgrantee award to accept this grant on behalf of the City. This federally supported program seeks to reimburse state and/or local law enforcement to conduct investigations on sexual assault kit testing and related expenses. The Columbus Division of Police currently has 315 sexual assault kits awaiting transfer for laboratory analysis. This grant funding will allow the Columbus Division of Police to collaborate with The Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) that will allow 175 kits to be transferred to BCI for analysis, reporting and entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
The official city program contact authorized to act in connection with this $350,000.00 grant is Sergeant Kyle Fishburn. The grant award start date is May 1, 2024 and ends December 31, 2024.
In order to achieve project deliverables, we request legislative approval to:
1) Enter into a $350,000.00 contract with The Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation to transfer and process 175 backlogged sexual assault kits for analysis. These specific laboratory services are only available through the Laboratory Division of The Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The contract with BCI is necessary because specific laboratory services under the contract are not available through the City of Columbus.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is necessary to meet the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services processing deadline and to allow the financial transactions to be posted to the City’s accounting system as soon as possible for the grant award, as the grant start date was May 1, 2024.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes an acceptance of the $350,000.00 grant award and the appropriation of those funds from the Office of Criminal Justice Services to transfer and process sexual assault kits for The Columbus Division of Police. This is a new award for the City of Columbus. This initiative does not generate any revenue nor require a City match.
Title
To authorize and direct the Mayor of the City of Columbus, on behalf of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, to accept the FY23 Sexual Assault Kit Funding Grant Program award from the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services; to authorize an appropriation of $350,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund 2220; to authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into a $350,000.00 contract with The Attorney General’s Office, BCI, for specific laboratory services related to sexual assault cases; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes; and to declare an emergency. ($350,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Division of Police has been awarded funding through the FY23 Sexual Assault Kit Funding Grant Program from the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services for the transfer and processing of sexual assault kits; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to accept and appropriate these funds from The State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, as the Columbus Division of Police needs assistance with the transfer and processing of sexual assault kits; and,
WHEREAS, Sergeant Kyle Fishburn has been identified as the official city representative to act in connection with this FY23 Sexual Assault Kit Funding Grant Program and to provide information as required; and,
WHEREAS, the grant award period begins on May 1, 2024 and ends December 31, 2024; and,
WHEREAS, Columbus Public Safety received permission from OCJS to enter into a $350,000.00 service contract with The Attorney General’s BCI to provide laboratory services involving sexual assault cases.
WHEREAS, The Attorney General’s BCI is uniquely suited to provide such laboratory services; and,
WHEREAS, Columbus Public Safety requests permission to waive competitive bidding and use $350,000.00 of OCJS funds to enter into contract with The Attorney General’s BCI for said laboratory services related to sexual assault cases;
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Mayor to accept the award and appropriate award funds so services may commence and financial transactions can be posted in the City’s accounting system in advance of program deadlines, for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, and safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Mayor of the City of Columbus is hereby authorized and directed to accept a $350,000.00 FY23 Sexual Assault Kit Funding Grant for the transfer and processing of sexual assault kits.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grant Fund and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purposes during the grant period, the sum of $350,000.00 is appropriated upon receipt of an executed grant agreement in Fund 2220 General Government Grants in Object Class 03 Services, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the Director of the Department of Public Safety is hereby authorized to enter into a $350,000.00 contract with The Attorney General’s Office, BCI, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 329 relating to not-for-profit organizations.
SECTION 4. That for the aforesaid purposes, the expenditures of $350,000.00 for The Attorney General’s Office, BCI, and or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from grant project funds according to the attached accounting document.
SECTION 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated in an amount not to exceed the available cash balance in the fund.
SECTION 6. That City Council finds it in the best interests of the City to waive the competitive bidding requirements under the Columbus City Codes and does hereby waive the same.
SECTION 7. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 3 shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Safety; and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except by voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 8. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer appropriations between object classes for Division of Police FY23 Sexual Assault Kit Funding Grant Program as needed upon request by the Department of Safety, Division of Police.
SECTION 9. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.