Explanation
BACKGROUND:
Need: The City of Columbus Division of Police has been awarded funding through the FY-2005 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act. The grant program provides funds to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science services. This competitive grant funding award is for the purchase of a ballistic comparison microscope and overtime costs to reduce the backlog of firearms casework and data entry onto the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). The City must act as a subgrantee to the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services according to the federal grant guidelines. Therefore, the Mayor is required to sign a subgrantee award to accept on behalf of the City. The official City program contact authorized to act in connection with this grant is Crime Lab Manager, Jami St. Clair.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is needed to make these funds available as soon as possible to begin the equipment purchasing process and have the overtime funding in place for use.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is not fiscal impact for the General Fund Account. All funds appropriated are reimbursable from the grant award.
Title
To authorize and direct the Mayor of the City of Columbus to accept a subgrantee award through the FY2005 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act via the State of Ohio, Office of Criminal Justice Services, to authorize Jami St. Clair as the official representative to act in connection with the subgrant, to authorize an appropriation of $89,985.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Division of Police to cover the costs of the FY05 Coverdell Competitive subgrant project and to declare an emergency. ($89,985.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Division of Police has been awarded funding through the FY05 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act competitive grant process for overtime costs of forensic lab personnel and the purchase of a ballistic comparison microscope; and
WHEREAS, reduction of the backlog of ballistic comparison cases and input onto the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) will increase the effectiveness of the current technology in the criminal justice system; and
WHEREAS, Crime Lab Manager Jami St. Clair has been identified as the official representative to act in connection with the FY2005 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act Competitive Subgrant and to provide information as required; and
WHEREAS, the grant funds need to be available as soon as possible for the equipment purchase and overtime work; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the Division of Police, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Mayor to accept a FY05 Paul Coverdell Competitive Subgrant for the Division of Police Crime Lab and to authorize an appropriation for overtime and lab equipment for the forensic lab personnel for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare, now therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Mayor of the City of Columbus be and is hereby authorized and directed to accept a FY05 Paul Coverdell Competitive Subgrant for equipment and overtime costs for the Columbus Police Crime Lab.
Section 2. That Crime Lab Manager Jami St. Clair is designated as the official program contact and authorized to act in connection with FY05 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act competitive grant and to provide any additional information required.
Section 3. 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 subgrant award period the sum of $89,985.00 is appropriated as follows:
DIV FD OBJ#1 OBJ#3 OCACD GRANT AMOUNT
30-03 220 01 1102 335032 335032 15,123.00
30-03 220 01 1121 335032 335032 1,361.00
30-03 220 01 1160 335032 335032 2,072.00
30-03 220 01 1171 335032 335032 219.00
30-03 220 01 1173 335032 335032 1,210.00
30-03 220 06 6697 335032 335032 70,000.00
Section 4. 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 5. That for 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.