Explanation
BACKGROUND: The City of Columbus Department of Public Safety received a $1.6 million Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Site-based Program (COSSUP) grant award from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Grant award period: October 1, 2023, through October 1, 2026.
COSSUP funding supports continued outreach services provided through the City’s Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team (RREACT). RREACT is an innovative outreach service operated by the Division of Fire to actively address the opioid crisis negatively impacting far too many Columbus residents.
RREACT outreach includes firefighters/paramedics, Crisis Intervention Team certified peace officers, a substance use case manager, a family case manager, and trauma specialist. RREACT proactively connects and builds relationships with opioid users to 1) forge treatment and recovery pathways for users, and 2) provide multi-sector social service navigation and trauma counseling for children and other caregivers in the home. This multi-disciplinary outreach team goes directly into communities to connect with individuals who survive overdose (after Narcan© administration) but then refuse EMS transport to the emergency room. At these follow up meetings, team members assess immediate health needs, provide resource referrals, and create opportunities for users and family/household members to link with harm reduction supplies, treatment programs, trauma services, and social benefit supports.
RREACT program activities include connecting overdose survivors with evidence-based harm reduction services and licensed treatment programs; addressing health care disparities and increase access to overdose prevention, treatment, and recovery resources for minority groups; connecting families with trauma specialists to rapidly respond to the needs of children impacted by drug overdose; implementing drug take-back campaigns in partnership with the DEA and local community organizations; expanding access to peer recovery and case management services for individuals with substance use disorder and justice involvement and their families; developing and implementing harm reduction and drug prevention campaigns for K-12 students within the vulnerable communities.
Grant funds support one family case manager, one trauma specialist, family and children support specialist, and overtime costs for firefighters/paramedics and peace officers to fill in when sworn RREACT staff are on vacation, sick and/or attending mandatory training. Grant funds also support continued program management and grant management, data analysis, project evaluation.
In order to achieve project deliverables, RREACT requests legislative approval to:
1) Enter into a $155,500.00 contract with Franklin County Family and Children First Council to continue family case management and trauma services. Such multi-system family case management and trauma services are only available through Franklin County Family and Children First Council.
2) Waive bidding requirements and enter into a $87,293.00 service contract with Village Venture, LLC to continue program management, grant management and data analysis. ~ Bid Waiver Form is included with ordinance attachments.
EMERGENCY ACTION: This ordinance is submitted as an emergency as to not delay program services and to allow the financial transactions to be posted to the City’s accounting system as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of $1,600,000.00 in Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Site-based Program (COSSUP) funds from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. This initiative does not generate any revenue nor require a City match.
Federal Award: October 1, 2023, through October 1, 2026
§ 15PBJA-23-GG-02325-COAP - $1,600,000.00 grant award
§ No City match required
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Safety to accept a $1,600,000.00 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Site-based Program (COSSUP) grant award from United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance; to authorize the appropriation of $1,600,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grants Fund 2220; to authorize the expenditure of $1,600,000.00; to authorize the Director of Public Safety to enter into a $155,500.00 contract with Franklin County Family and Children First Council for multi-sector family case management and trauma recovery services; to authorize the Director of Public Safety to enter into a $87,293.00 service contract with Village Venture, LLC to continue program management, grant management and data analysis; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of City Code; and to declare an emergency. ($1,600,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the City of Columbus a $1,600,000.00 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Site-based Program grant award; and,
WHEREAS, it is necessary to accept and appropriate these funds from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance to support ongoing implementation and evaluation of RREACT outreach activities; and,
WHEREAS, the City desires to accept said project award; and,
WHEREAS, the award period is October 1, 2023 through October 1, 2026; and,
WHEREAS, Columbus Public Safety received permission from BJA COSSUP to enter into a $155,500.00 service contract with Franklin County Family and Children First Council to provide ongoing multi-sector case management and trauma services to family members impacted by addiction and overdose; and,
WHEREAS, Franklin County Family and Children First Council is uniquely suited to provide said family case management and trauma services; and,
WHEREAS, Columbus Public Safety requests permission to waive competitive bidding and use $87,293.00 in BJA COSSUP funds to enter into contract with Village Venture, LLC to continue RREACT program management, grant management and data analysis services; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director 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 given the project start date of October 1, 2023, all for the immediate 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 Director of the Department of Public Safety is hereby authorized to accept a $1,600,000.00 Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Site-based Program grant from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance for continued RREACT outreach and program evaluation for the budget period of October 1, 2023 through October 1, 2026.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grants Fund No. 2220 the sum of $1,600,000.00 is hereby appropriated to the Columbus Division of Fire and Division of Police according to the attached accounting document for the budget period of October 1, 2023 through October 1, 2026.
SECTION 3. That, at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies, if applicable, may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originate in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 4. That the Director of the Department of Public Safety is hereby authorized to enter into a $155,500.00 contract with Franklin County Family and Children First Council, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 329 relating to not-for-profit organizations.
SECTION 5. That the Director of the Department of Public Safety is hereby authorized to enter into a $87,293.00 service contract with Village Venture, LLC to continue program management, grant management and data analysis.
SECTION 6. That this Council finds it is in the best interest of the City to waive the provisions of Chapter 329 of City Code relating to competitive bidding to permit the aforementioned service contracts.
SECTION 7. That for the aforesaid purposes, the expenditures of $155,500 for Franklin County Family and Children First Council, $87,293.00 for Village Venture, LLC and or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from grant project funds according to the attached accounting document.
SECTION 8. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized to transfer appropriations between object classes for the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Site-based Program grant as needed upon request by the Columbus Public Safety department.
SECTION 9. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
SECTION 10. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 11. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Sections shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Safety and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except upon voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 12. 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.