Explanation
This legislation authorizes the City Auditor to appropriate and reimburse the U.S Department of Justice for funds that were inadvertently drawn down from DOJ grant funds awarded to the Department of Public Safety in 2006. Ordinance 0356-2006, passed in March 2006, authorized the Mayor to accept and appropriate a total of $296,168 from The U.S Department of Justice for anti-gang initiatives. The funds were required to be requested on a reimbursement basis and only allowed the maintenance of a minimum level of cash-on-hand. However, the total amount of the grant was requested and deposited in the City's General Government Grant Fund. This legislation is to request an appropriation and reimbursement of the remaining cash balance back to the U.S Department of Justice. The refunded amount of $105,211.53, will in the future, be requested on a reimbursement basis to meet the requirement of the grant. This process will not change the total grant award and will not impact the mayor's anti -gang initiatives being pursued by the Departments of Public Safety and Public Service.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is necessary to enable the most expedient reimbursement to the U.S Department of Justice in order to avoid any penalties for excess withdrawal.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There will be no fiscal impact for the City General Fund Account. The funds awaiting appropriation and reimbursement to the Federal Government are in the General Government Grant Fund. Total expenditures so far within the fund is $190,956.47.
Title
To authorize an appropriation within the Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Grant Fund and to authorize the Director of Public Safety of the City of Columbus to reimburse excess funds to the U.S Department of Justice and to declare an emergency. ($105,211.53)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Department of Public Safety is a participant and recipient of funds through the Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program; and
WHEREAS, the city has received excess federal grant funds from the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance for anti-gang initiatives; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to reimburse the U.S Department of Justice as expediently as possible for the excess grant funds received in error; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists as it is immediately necessary to authorize an appropriation and reimbursement of grant funds from the City's General Government Funds in the most expeditious manner possible in order to avoid penalties for excess withdrawal, for the preservation of public health, peace, property, safety and welfare, now therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grant Fund and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purposes the sum of $105,211.53 is appropriated as follows:
DIV FD OBJ#1 OBJ#3 OCA GRANT
30-01 220 05 5512 316001 316001
Section 2. That monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 1 shall be paid upon order of the Director of Public Safety; 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 3. 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 an after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.