Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the City Clerk to enter into a grant agreement with Winbush Enterprise Inc. (WEI), in support of their WEI Pardon/Re-entry Initiative. The program seeks to engage at least 100 restored residents in Franklin County to reach two specified goals:
• To encourage participants to use their minds to remove barriers and connect with resources aimed to improve their social and economic conditions to reduce recidivism;
• To reduce the rate of recidivism and/or new charges committed by 75 of the 100 participants through role-play and team building to increase self-knowledge, and personal responsibility, and gain respect for themselves through submission of either the Ohio Governor’s Expedited Pardon Project (OGEPP) paperwork or the traditional pardon, record sealing, and expungements of records.
Fiscal Impact: The funding of $20,000.00 is available within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund.
Title
To authorize the City Clerk to enter into a $20,000.00 grant agreement with Winbush Enterprises Inc. in support of their WEI Pardon/Re-entry Initiative; and to authorize an appropriation and expenditure within the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund. ($20,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, at any given time there are approximately 50,000 individuals incarcerated at Ohio’s state correctional institutions; and
WHEREAS, an average of 20,000 of these individuals are released annually into Ohio’s communities; and
WHEREAS, restored citizen are faced with many barriers to re-entering society; and
WHEREAS, creating pathways for successful re-entry is of the utmost importance; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Clerk is authorized to enter into a grant agreement with Winbush Enterprises, Inc., in support of their WEI Pardon/Re-entry Initiative, in an amount not to exceed $20,000.00.
SECTION 2. That the City Auditor is authorized and directed to appropriate $20,000.00 in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, to Columbus City Council per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $20,000.00 or so much thereof as may be needed pursuant to the action authorized in SECTION 1, is hereby authorized in the Neighborhood Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100018, per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 4. 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 5. 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 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.