Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept five grants totaling $255,000 from the Bureau of Criminal Justice, and to appropriate from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund. These grants will partially subsidize salaries and fringe benefits for one person in each of the five specialized dockets: Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH), Learning to Identify and Navigate Change (LINC), Recovery Court, Helping Achieve Recovery Together (h.a.r.t.), and the Military and Veteran Service (MAVS) program.
FISCAL IMPACT
$255,000.00 will be expended from the General Government Grant Fund.
Emergency legislation is requested so that the grant funds can be utilized immediately to pay salaries which will stop payments of such salary from the general fund, resulting in savings to the City.
Title
To authorize and direct the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept five grants totaling $255,000.00 from the Bureau of Criminal Justice for the purpose of partially subsidizing salaries and fringe benefits for one person in each of the five specialized dockets; to appropriate $255,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court; and to declare an emergency. ($255,000)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the city's best interest that the Franklin County Municipal Court continue to receive support for the specialized dockets; and
WHEREAS, grant monies from the Bureau of Criminal Justice, in the amount of $255,000, are available to provide for salaries and benefits of one person in each of the specialized dockets; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the city in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept the aforementioned grant funding that will partially subsidize salaries and fringe benefits for one person in each of the Court's five specialized dockets, allowing salary payments from the general fund to stop resulting in savings to the City, 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:
SECTION 1. That the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court be and is hereby authorized to accept five grants totaling $255,000 from the Bureau of Criminal Justice.
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 twelve months ending June 30, 2025, the sum of $255,000 is appropriated to the Franklin County Municipal Court, department number 2501 as follows and according to the account codes in the attachment:
Grant 25, $55,000 Drug Court
Grant 25, $55,000 Drug Court (Opiates)
Grant 25, $45,000 Veterans
Grant 25, $55,000 Mental Health
Grant 25, $45,000 Human Trafficking
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 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.