Explanation
Background:
This legislation authorizes the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate a $20,106.56 U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant subaward from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs (2022-JAG-2000). Award dollars fund a portion of total compensation for the Columbus City Attorney’s Blueprint for Safety Director to continue leadership of the county-wide Blueprint for Safety Interagency Domestic Response initiative through December 31th, 2024. This position was previously supported with a federal U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Office on Violence Against Women grant, and the city and county see value in continued investment in this role. This grant, plus an investment from the City Attorney’s general fund, will fund this position through the end of 2024, and will be fully funded through contributions from the county and the city in 2025.
According to the Ohio Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, 1 in 5 Ohio households have experienced intimate partner violence and these impacted households also report significantly higher rates of poor physical health, stroke, asthma, depression, binge drinking and unlocked firearms in the home. This emphasizes that households experiencing violence not only deal with the immediate impact of physical injuries and the emotional turmoil resulting from the ongoing controlling behavior of their abusers but are more also more likely to struggle with poor physical, mental and behavioral health across their lifetimes--chronic conditions that impact their ability to work, engage with support systems and thrive in their daily lives. Domestic violence impacts victims, household members, colleagues, employers and schools. Domestic violence touches everyone.
The Blueprint for Safety initiative is organized with a multi-disciplinary team at its foundation working together to deploy a coordinated response to domestic violence crimes. This team has done system mapping, policy reviews and focus groups to inform process improvements, communication & data sharing practices and training for justice professionals and victim service providers. These collaborative actions allowed them to streamline justice services, close system gaps and create seamless linkages between justice and provider systems allowing professionals to work in concert to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable. Blueprint efforts support the needs of victims and justice professionals with the end goal of improved individual and public safety.
|
Award # |
JAG Award |
City Attorney Contribution |
|
2022-JAG-2000 |
$20,106.56 |
$20,106.55 |
Emergency Action
The grant previously funding this position ends September 30th, 2024. Therefore, emergency action is required to ensure funds are available to cover staff expenses through the end of the year.
Title
To authorize the City Attorney to accept a $20,106.56 U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant subaward (2022-JAG-2000) from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs to continue implementation of the county-wide Blueprint for Safety Interagency Domestic Response initiative through December 31, 2024; to authorize the appropriation of $20,106.56 in the general government grant fund; and to declare an emergency. ($20,106.56)
Body
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' Office of Justice Policy and Programs has awarded the Columbus City Attorney's Office grant funding in the amount of $20,106.56 to continue implementation of the Blueprint for Safety Interagency Domestic Violence Response initiative; and
WHEREAS, the term of grant funding is for the period October 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024; and
WHEREAS, the City Attorney desires to accept the aforementioned grant award; and
WHEREAS, the grant previously funding the Blueprint for Safety Director ended September 30th, 2024. Therefore, emergency action is required to ensure funds are available to cover staff expenses through the end of the year, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; and NOW THEREFORE.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
SECTION 1. That the City Attorney is hereby authorized to accept a $20,106.56 U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant subaward (2022-JAG-2000) from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs to continue implementation of the county-wide Blueprint for Safety Interagency Domestic Response initiative through December 31, 2024
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grants Fund number 2220, and from all monies estimated to come into said Fund from any and all sources during the grant period, the sum of $20,106.56 is hereby appropriated to the Columbus City Attorney, Department 24 according to the attached accounting document.
SECTION 4. That funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That funds appropriated shall be paid upon order of the City Attorney 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 6.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 7. 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 may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 8. 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.