Explanation
In March of 2007, the City Attorney established the Culture of Prostitution Initiative in order to develop non traditional approaches to address street prostititution in the City of Columbus. As part of this initiative, the City Attorney created the John Education Program in July of 2007 to educate persons who have solicited the services of prostitutes on facts and statistics about prostitution, health, family, and community consequences of prostitution, and sex addition. Participants in this program also hear the testimony of former prostitutes and the effect that engaging in prostitution has had on their lives.
In January of 2009, the Prostitution Diversion Program was created to serve individuals who have been charged with criminal offenses stemming from providing or offering to provide sex for hire. To qualify as a candidiate for the prostitution diversion program, individuals must have no more than two prostitution related charges and/or convictions on their criminal record and no mor than one drug offense charge and/or conviction. The goal of this program is to encourage participants to discontinue the prostitution lifestyle by connecting them with area resource providers and organizations that can assist with housing, employment readiness, drug addiction counseling, and sexual and physical health information and testing.
The purpose of this legislation is to give the City Attorney the authority to impose and collect administrative fees in accordance with a schedule to be established by the City Attorney for the administrative costs that are incurred in connection with this programs as well as to provide for testing for sexually transmitted diseases for individuals charged with prostitution related offenses. Administrative fees will be collected from participating individuals, except that the City Attorney could waive such fees in appropriate circumstances at his discretion. The fees imposed will be collected by the City Attorney and deposited with the Columbus City Treasurer in a Special Revenue Fund that has been established by the City Auditor.
Emergency Designation: This ordinance has been submitted as an emergency measure in order to facilitate funding for these programs at the earliest possible date.
Title
To authorize the City Attorney to impose, collect and remit to the City of Columbus administrative fees in connection with the "Culture of Prostitution Initiative Fund"; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the City Attorney, through the Zone Intiative Unit, created the John Education Program and the Prostitution Diversion Program as part of the Culture of Prostitution Initiative in an effort to manage the problem of street prostitution in the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, there are significant administrative costs and expenses in connection with such programs; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary and advisable to authorize the City Attorney to impose, collect, and remit to the City Treasurer such fees in accordance with a schedule to be established by the City Attorney to offset the administrative costs and expenses of the John Education Program and the Prostitution Diversion Program; and
WHEREAS, such collections will be deposited to the following account: Department 24-01; Fund No. 223; Sub-Fund No. 308; OCA Code 223308 titled Culture of Prostitution Initiative Fund; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City to support the funding of the City Attorney's Culture of Prostitution Initiative and for preservation of the public peace, health, safety, and welfare of the City; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
Section 1. That the City Attorney be and hereby is authorized and directed to impose, collect, and remit to the Columbus City Treasurer administrative fees in accordance with a schedule to be established by the City Attorney, as the same may be amended from time to time, for individuals who participate in the John Education Program and the Prostitution Diversion Program as part of the City Attorney's Culture of Prostitution Initiative.
Section 2. That the City Attorney shall collect and remit all such fees imposed to the Columbus City Treasurer, which shall be deposited to the the following special revenue fund: Department 24-01; fund 223; sub-fund 308; OCA Code 223308.
Section 3. That all monies recieved by the City from such sources and deposited in said Fund from time to time are hereby deemed to be appropriated and authorized to be expended for purposes relating to the John Education Program and the Prostitution Diversion Program.
Section 4. That no more than $25,000 shall be maintained in this special Culture of Prostitution Initiative Fund at any one time with any excess monies reverting to the General Fund.
Section 5. That from such Fund, the City Attorney is hereby authorized to maintain a petty cash fund in the amount of $1,000 and to expend therefrom such sums as he deems necessary for the purposes hereinabove set forth.
Section 6. For the reasons set forth in the preamble hereof, which is incorporated by reference herein, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force immediately after passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.