Explanation
The City of Columbus received a two-year United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) 2024 Smart Prosecution- Innovative Prosecution Solutions grant. This ordinance accepts and appropriates $286,319.00 in BJA funds. This funding supports the collaborative, public safety and violence interruption work driven by the City Attorney’s Property Action Team (PAT).
PAT coordinates the work of the City Attorney’s Office, the Division of Police, Code Enforcement, Public Health, Sanitation and neighborhood gatekeepers to increase public safety and build trust in the justice system. This teams works together to address abandoned and deteriorating houses, unsafe apartments managed by negligent landlords, drug houses and/or businesses that turn an eye to unlawful to criminal activity in a just and resident-centered manner. The team focuses on three key components when working with owners to turn around high-risk properties: crime, physical safety/built infrastructure and neighborhood engagement. PAT is embedded in the Columbus City Attorney’s Office and staffed with nine attorneys working directly with prosecutors, police, code enforcement and judges and is highly successful in increasing police response/presence (addressing crime) and addressing compliance with environmental codes (improving physical/built safety). Affecting these two environmental components are critical to triaging immediate crime and safety needs. However, implementing long-term, public safety solutions requires working one-on-one with property owners, managers and residents in hot-spots to develop multi-year, safety and opportunity plans. BJA Innovative Prosecution Solutions funding allows PAT to hire a full-time Community Relations Director which enhances the team’s capacity to work strategically in community with property owners and residents to develop and implement action plans meeting the unique needs of residents in and around high-risk, nuisance properties.
Through the two-year award period, the PAT Community Relations Director will select an evidence-based community action planning tool/template and work with a minimum of three high-risk, high-density residential units to develop and implement Property Action Community Engagement Plans. In year two, the director will do surveys and interviews with residents and community members and review crime data in and around these properties to assess impact of implementing formal engagement plans.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of $286,319.00 in BJA 2024 Smart Prosecution- Innovative Prosecution Solutions funds from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. This initiative does not generate any revenue nor require a City match.
Federal Grant Program: BJA FY24 Smart Prosecution - Innovative Prosecution Solutions
§ Award number: 15PBJA-24-GG-01908-SMTP
§ Award amount: $286,319.00
§ Match requirement: None
§ Award period: October 1st, 2024 through September 30th, 2026
Title
To authorize the Mayor to accept an $286,319.00 BJA 2024 Smart Prosecution- Innovative Prosecution Solutions grant from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs for the City Attorney to hire a full-time Community Relations Director to help guide the Property Action Team’s public safety and violence interruption efforts; and to authorize the appropriation of $286,319.00 to the City Attorney's Office from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grants Fund 2220. ($286,319.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded the City of Columbus a $286,319.00 BJA 2024 Smart Prosecution- Innovative Prosecution Solutions grant; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to accept and appropriate these grant funds from the United States Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance to support the public safety and violence interruption efforts championed by the City Attorney’s Property Action Team; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor desires to accept this grant funding and appropriate funds to the Columbus City Attorney to fulfill grant requirements; and
WHEREAS, the award period is October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2026.
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City of Columbus is hereby authorized to accept $286,319.00 in grant funding from the United States Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance Smart Prosecution- Innovative Prosecution Solutions program to cover total compensation for a full-time Community Relations Director for the City Attorney’s Property Action Team through the duration of the two-year award period, October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2026.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grants Fund No. 2220, the sum of $286,319.00 is hereby appropriated to Columbus City Attorney (Division Code 2401) according to the attached accounting document for the budget period of October 1, 2024 through November 30, 2026 (final fiscal reports are due 90 days after the end of the formal grant period).
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon order of the City departments named above and that no order shall be drawn or money paid except upon voucher, the form of which shall be approved by the City Auditor.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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, if applicable, may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originate in accordance with all applicable grant agreements.
SECTION 6. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 7. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.