Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the City of Columbus to accept and appropriate award funds plus cash match for U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) sub-award from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs.
JAG funds will support a year-long, citywide public safety and crime prevention pilot designed to offer free repair of vehicle headlights, taillights, license plate lights and turn signals for low-income Columbus residents. Fully operational automobile lights promote driver safety and prevent traffic code violations issued under vehicle safety and equipment chapters. Residents in households with annual incomes less than 130% of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible for free repair services.
The City will partner with Columbus State Community College Department of Engineering and Transportation Technologies to host 12-15 repair events in the college’s automotive shop/lab, order service supplies, and supervise auto-tech students to complete repairs. The City will work through neighborhood commissions and partner with Elements of Change (Columbus-based non-profit) to promote auto repair services to eligible households and recruit neighborhood residents to participate in events. We anticipate providing headlight, taillight, license plate light and turn signal repair services to 360 households through the pilot year. Grant funds will support service contracts with Columbus State Community College and Element of Change and a portion of program promotion expenses.
The Columbus Division of Public Safety will provide a cash match for the grant and the Columbus City Attorney’s Community Outreach Coordinator will coordinate all program and fiscal responsibilities associated with the grant funded pilot.
This ordinance authorizes the appropriation of grant funds ($25,000) and the transfer and appropriation of the city match funds ($25,000) to the grant project fund.
EMERGENCY ACTION: This ordinance is submitted as an emergency to ensure grant dollars are available to launch the pilot project in 2020.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the appropriation of $25,000 in U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant funds and transfers and appropriates a $25,000 city cash match to the grant project from the Department of Public Safety's general fund budget.
Award Period: November 1, 2020 - December 31, 2021
Federal award: 19-JAG-7000 JAG award = $25,000
Required cash match: City of Columbus, Department of Public Safety = $25,000
Total award plus City cash match = $50,000
Title
To authorize the Columbus City Attorney to accept a $25,000.00 federal U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant sub-award from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs supporting an innovative public safety and crime prevention program designed to provide free automobile headlight and taillight repair/replacement services for low income households; to authorize a transfer of $25,000.00 within the General Fund; to authorize the transfer of matching funds in the amount of $25,000.00 from the Columbus Department of Public Safety Director's Office General Operating Fund to the General Government Grants Fund; to authorize total appropriation of $50,000.00 in the General Government Grants Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($50,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' Office of Justice Policy and Programs has awarded the Columbus City Attorney's Office JAG funding in the amount of $25,000 to support a citywide public safety and crime prevention pilot designed to offer free repair of vehicle headlights, taillights, license plate lights and turn signals for low-income Columbus residents; and,
WHEREAS, the term of the grant is for the period November 1, 2020 through December 31, 2021; and
WHEREAS, grant acceptance requires matching funds in the amount of $25,000; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety Director's Office agrees to provide a cash match from the Division’s General Operating Fund; and,
WHEREAS, the City Attorney desires to accept said grant award; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Attorney's Office in that it is immediately necessary to accept the award, appropriate the grant funds, and transfer and appropriate the matching funds so that the services may commence, all for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; 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 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) sub award 19-JAG-7000 from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' Office of Justice Policy and Programs in the amount of $25,000 to support a citywide public safety and crime prevention pilot.
SECTION 2. That a transfer of $25,000 within the Department of Public Safety Director's Office General Operating Fund will serve as required grant match and is hereby authorized.
SECTION 3. That the transfer of $25,000, or so much thereof as may be needed, is hereby authorized from Fund 1000 Department of Public Safety Director's Office General Operating Fund, Division 3001, to Fund 2220 General Government Grants.
SECTION 4. 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 $50,000 is hereby appropriated to the Columbus City Attorney, Department 24 according to the attached accounting document.
SECTION 5. 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 6. 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 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.