Explanation
Background:
This legislation will authorize the City Attorney to accept an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant award from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Office of Homeland Security and Justice Programs and will further authorize the transfer and appropriation of matching funds required by the grant award. This is a one time grant that requires a 25% match from City funds.
This grant partially funds a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate who serves the Franklin County community within the City Attorney's Prosecution section. The DV Victim Advocate works with victims of domestic violence, stalking in their initial court appearances frequently within days of the incident, assists them with obtaining emergency protection orders and supports them throughout the prosecution process. In addition this grant will fund the design and implementation of a database that will allow the integration of three existing databases used by the Domestic Violence, Stalking and Intake units of the City Attorney's Office. These databases are used to maintain records and statistics on victims and suspects as well as to generate reports.
Emergency action is requested to allow for the earliest possible commencement of the grant program.
Fiscal Impact:
The required matching funds of $25,887.00.00 are included in the City Attorney's General Fund Budget.
Project period: 05/01/09 - 07/31/10
Federal Share: $ 77,661.00
City Match: $ 25,887.00
Total Grant: $103,548.00
Title
To authorize the acceptance of the Witness Assistance Program (WAP) Database Project & Domestic Violence Advocate, ARRA-VAWA-901 grant from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Office of Homeland Security and Justice Programs; to authorize the appropriation of these grant funds in the amount of $77,661.00; to authorize the transfer and appropriation of matching funds required by the acceptance of the grant in the amount of $25,887.00; to authorize the expenditure of $103,548 from said funds; and to declare an emergency. ($103,548.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Office of Homeland Security and Justice Programs, has awarded the City of Columbus, City Attorney's Office, a grant in the amount of Seventy-seven Thousand Six Hundred Sixty-one Dollars ($77,661.00) for the Witness Assistance Program Database Project & Domestic Violence Advocate, ARRA-VAWA-901 grant for the period of May 1, 2009 through July 31, 2010; and
WHEREAS, the acceptance of this grant requires the City supply matching funds in the amount of Twenty-five Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-seven Dollars ($25,887.00); and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the City in that it is necessary to immediately accept and appropriate the grant funds and transfer and appropriate the matching funds in order that the services supported may commence as soon as possible and for the preservation of the pubic health, peace, property, safety and welfare, and, 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 to accept the Witness Assistance Program Database Project & Domestic Violence Advocate, ARRA-VAWA-901 grant in the amount of Seventy-seven Thousand Six Hundred Sixty-one Dollars ($77,661.00) from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, Office of Homeland Security and Justice Programs.
SECTION 2. That the amount of Twenty-five Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-seven Dollars ($25,887.00) is hereby transferred as follows:
FROM: department 2401, general fund, fund number 010, organizational cost account 240564, object level three 1101, $20,125.00 and from organizational cost account 240101, object level three 3336, $5,762.00.
TO: department 2401, general fund, fund number 010, organizational cost account 240564, object level one 10, object level three 5501.
FROM: department 2401, general fund, fund number 010, organizational cost account 240564, object level one 10, object level three 5501.
TO: department 2401, Witness Assistance Program Database Project & Domestic Violence Advocate grant fund, grant number 249271, fund number 220, organizational cost account 249271, object level three 0886.
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 purpose during the project award period the sum of One Hundred Three Thousand Five Hundred Forty-eight Dollars ($103,548.00) is appropriated as follows: department 2401, Assistance Program Database Project & Domestic Violence Advocate grant, grant number 249271, fund number 220, organizational cost account 249271, object level three 1100 the amount of $20,125.00 and object level three 3336 the amount of $83,423.00.
SECTION 4. That the expenditure of One Hundred Three Thousand Five Hundred Forty-eight Dollars ($103,548.00), or so much thereof as may be necessary, from the City Attorney's Office, department 24-01, grant number 249271, fund number 220, organizational cost account 249271, object level three 1100 $20,125.00 and object level three 3336 $83,423.00, for the aforesaid purposes is hereby authorized.
SECTION 5. 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.