Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk is seeking approval from Council to initiate a remote booking and bond-out service for the purpose of providing county law enforcement agencies the option to book and bond-out non-violent misdemeanor defendants at their local police station in lieu of transporting the defendant to the Franklin County jail; thus, saving police and their political jurisdiction: arrest turn around time; transport and jail booking costs (each day in jail costs the arresting police agency approximately $70 per day), and free up jail space for more dangerous offenders.
This ordinance authorizes the Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk to institute a remote booking and bond-out service; to allow up to a $35 fee assessed per defendant; to establish a fund for the deposit of this fee; to authorize an appropriation of cash within this fund; and to authorize an expenditure of those funds received.
Emergency Designation: This ordinance is being submitted as an emergency measure to free-up additional space in the Franklin County jail and to bring relief to the jail-overcrowding problem at the earliest possible date.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance establishes a special fund for the receipt of up to a $35 fee per defendant and authorizes the appropriation and expenditure of cash received within this fund for any processing expenditures incurred.
Title
To authorize and direct the Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk to enter into contract with political subdivisions in Franklin County for the purpose of instituting a remote booking and bond-out service; to authorize the Clerk to charge up to a $35 fee for each defendant booked; to establish a special fund for the purpose of depositing monies received from participating political subdivisions; to appropriate an amount up to, but not to exceed, the cash in the fund not encumbered for any other purpose within the special purpose fund; to authorize the expenditure of those funds received and limited for the purpose of expenditures incurred by the Clerk's office to provide this service; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the remote booking and bond-out service will provide political subdivisions in Franklin County and their respective law enforcement agencies with the option to book and bond-out non- violent misdemeanant defendants at the police station in lieu of transporting the defendant to the Franklin County jail; and,
WHEREAS, this service will allow police officers to return to duty faster after making an arrest of a non-violent misdemeanor defendant; and,
WHEREAS, this service will save on transportation and police officer out of service costs to and from the Franklin County jail for booking and bonding out; and
WHEREAS, this project will save the community supporting the arresting officer approximately $70 per day per defendant jail charge which is assessed back to the arresting agency and its political subdivision; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Clerk in that it is immediately necessary to authorize this project so that additional space in the Franklin County jail will be available to bring relief to the jail overcrowding problem at the earliest possible date, thereby preserving 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 Franklin County Municipal Clerk is authorized to enter into contract with qualified political subdivisions in Franklin County for the purpose of instituting a remote booking and bonding-out service.
Section 2. That the Clerk is authorized to charge each participating political subdivision a fee of no more than $35 per defendant for the remote booking and bond-out service.
Section 3. That the City Auditor is authorized and directed to create a special fund for the purpose of depositing monies received for the remote booking and bonding out of non-violent misdemeanant defendants.
Section 4. That an amount up to, but not to exceed, the cash in the fund not encumbered for any other purpose is hereby appropriated within the special purpose fund, Fund 227, subfund 5, oca 227005, object level three, object level 1 -03: 2201, 3336.
Section 5. That fees collected for the Remote Booking fund are intended to be used for the procurement of hardware and services for installation, update, and maintenance of the Remote Booking program; including , but not limited to audio visual equipment, internet, phone and fax lines, computer hardware and software, and other peripherals. Such services may be provided by employees or staff of the Clerk's office and, in such circumstances, fees could be expended for employee or staff expenses as properly documented.
Section 6. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take in 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.