Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant in the amount of $750,000.00 from the federal Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, and to appropriate the total amount of the grant from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court.
This funding is provided through the Adult Drug Court and Veterans Treatment Courts: Adult Drug Court award. This funding will support and enhance the Franklin County Municipal Court Adult Drug Courts and Veteran’s Treatment Specialized Docket programs by providing an additional Probation Officer to the HART Program; contract for Peer Support Specialists to the be assigned to each Drug Court and the Veteran’s Court; mindfulness programming; and MAT case flow in OCSS.
Emergency Legislation is requested so that the grant funds can be utilized as soon as possible so there is no interruption in critical services.
FISCAL IMPACT
$750,000.00 will be expended from the General Government Grant Fund.
Title
To authorize and direct the Administrative Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant award from the federal Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance; to appropriate $750,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court in order to support and enhance the Franklin County Municipal Court Adult Drug Courts and Veteran’s Treatment Specialized Docket programs; and to declare an emergency. ($750,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the city's best interest that the Franklin County Municipal Court receive funding to support and enhance the Adult Drug Courts and Veteran’s Treatment Specialized Docket programs; and
WHEREAS, grant monies from the federal Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, in the amount of $750,000.00 are available to provide support services; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Franklin County Municipal Court in that it is immediately necessary to authorize and direct the Administrative Judge to approve the acceptance of this grant so that the grant funds can be used as soon as possible so there is no interruption in critical services; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Administrative Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant in the amount of $750,000.00 from the federal Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
SECTION 2. Funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated. That from the unappropriated balance in the general government grant fund, fund 2220, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and appropriated for any other purpose during the months ending September 30, 2026, the sum of $750,000.00 is appropriated to the Franklin County Municipal Court.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court 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 4. At the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grant is hereby authorized and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble herein, which are 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 passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither vetoes nor approves the same.