Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant in the amount of $30,000 from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services and to appropriate from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund. This grant will support a contract with Dr. Christopher Lowenkamp in providing a pilot domestic violence risk assessment that incorporates statistically significant predictors of recidivism as gleaned from his recent review of the ODARA and DVRNA tools. Over the course of the project period (calendar year 2023), this project would produce the tool, facilitate staff training to implement the tool on a pilot basis on approximately 500 cases, conduct an analysis of the results of the study, prepare a staff training manual for the tool and prepare a final report summarizing the efforts and outcomes.
Emergency Legislation is requested so the grant funds can be used as close to the start date as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT $30,000.00 will be expended from the General Governmental Grant Fund.
Title
To authorize and direct the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant award from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services; to appropriate $30,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to provide a pilot domestic violence risk assessment; and to declare an emergency. ($30,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to provide the Department of Probation and Pretrial Services with the best possible tools to facilitate the domestic violence program; and
WHEREAS, a grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services in the amount of $30,000.00 has been awarded; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Franklin County Municipal Court, in that it is immediately necessary to accept the aforementioned grant to continue probationary services in the area of domestic violence and to appropriate the necessary funds for the program, thereby preserving 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 Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant in the amount of $30,000.00 from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services.
SECTION 2. Funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated. That from the unappropriated balance in the general government grant fund, fund 2220, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and appropriated for any other purpose during the months ending December 31, 2023, the sum of $30,000.00 is appropriated to the Franklin County Municipal Court according to the account codes in the attachment.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court 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 4. At the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grant is hereby authorized, and any unused City match monies may be transferred back to the City fund from which they originated in accordance with all applicable grant agreements
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.