Explanation
Need: The City of Columbus Division of Police has been awarded a FY2007 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act grant. The grant will provide funds for training and travel costs for Columbus Police Department forensic lab personnel in need of new or updated forensic training. This funding will also provide for the purchase of up-to-date technical references used to train analysts on new technologies in DNA, drug identification, firearms, questioned documents, and as reference materials for use with casework. The City must act as a subgrantee to the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services according to the federal grant guidelines. Therefore, the Mayor is required to sign a subgrantee award to accept it on behalf of the City. The official City program contact authorized to act in connection with this grant is Crime Lab Manager, Jami St. Clair.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is needed to make the grant funds available in November, for upcoming training registration deadlines and to begin the process of purchasing the technical and reference materials for use as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There will be no fiscal impact for the General Fund account. All funds appropriated are reimbursable from the grant award.
Title
To authorize and direct the Mayor of the City of Columbus to accept a subgrantee award through the FY2007 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act via the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, to authorize Jami St. Clair, Crime Lab Manager, as the official representative to act in connection with the subgrant, to authorize an appropriation of $29,727.75 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Division of Police to cover the costs of the FY 2007 Forensic Sciences Improvement subgrant project and to declare an emergency. ($29,727.75)
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Division of Police has been awarded funding through the FY2007 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act for the training of forensic lab personnel and the purchase of laboratory technical and reference materials; and
WHEREAS, advancing technology has created a need for up-to-date training and additional technical and reference materials for the Columbus Police Crime Lab and City funds for these purposes are limited; and
WHEREAS, Crime Lab Manager, Jami St. Clair, has been identified as the official representative to act in connection with the FY2007 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act Subgrant and to provide additional information as required; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance is being submitted as an emergency measure because the grant funds need to be available as soon as possible for training registration and grant purchases; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the City of Columbus in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Mayor to accept a FY2007 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act Subgrant for the Division of Police Crime Lab and to authorize an appropriation for the specialized training and technical and reference materials for the forensic crime lab personnel for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare, now therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Mayor of the City of Columbus be and is hereby authorized and directed to accept a FY2007 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act Subgrant for specialized training and materials for the Columbus Police Crime Lab.
SECTION 2. That Crime Lab Manager, Jami St. Clair, is designated as the official program contact and authorized to act in connection with the FY2007 Paul Coverdell Forensic Sciences Improvement Act Grant Program, and to provide any additional information required.
SECTION 3. 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 during the subgrant award period the sum of $29,727.75 is appropriated as follows:
DIV FD OBJ#1 OBJ#3 OCACD GRANT AMOUNT
30-03 220 03 3330 338032 338032 17,900.00
30-03 220 03 3331 338032 338032 5,070.00
30-03 220 03 3332 338032 338032 6,757.75
SECTION 4. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 3 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 5. 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 and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.