Explanation
The City of Columbus and Franklin County need to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement as a special condition for the City to receive Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Subgrantee Awards from Franklin County. The City of Columbus and Franklin County are entering into the agreement to provide for the administration of the sub-grant awards in order to expeditiously acquire and pay for the grant-funded services and equipment while providing an appropriate audit trail for the expenditures. The objective of the Urban Area Security Initiative Program is to enhance local emergency, prevention and response agencies' ability to prepare for and respond to threats of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Grant funds are designed to address the unique needs of large urban areas and can be used for equipment, training, exercises and planning. Multiple City agencies and projects are expected to receive subgrant awards including but not limited to the areas of police, fire, support services and health. The Intergovernmental Agreement must be approved by the City of Columbus and Franklin County for the sub-grant processing to be completed and prior to the expenditure of project funding.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is necessary to meet federal grant deadline and permit subgrantee award processing at the earliest possible times.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact for the General Fund Account. The Agreement permits Franklin County to make the federal sub-grant expenditures.
Title
To accept an Intergovernmental Agreement executed between representatives of the City of Columbus and Franklin County as a special condition for receiving Urban Area Security Initiative (USAI) Sub-grantee awards from the county; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Government of the United States of America has created funding resources through the Urban Area Security Initiative program to assist local agencies' ability to prepare for and respond to threat of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction; and
WHEREAS, representatives of the City of Columbus and Franklin County need to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement to provide for the administration of the Urban Area Security Initiative federal funding available to the City of Columbus through Sub-grantee awards; and
WHEREAS, federal grant deadlines and the need to expedite sub-grantee processing require that the agreement be completed at the earliest possible time so this ordinance is being submitted as an emergency measure; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual and daily operation of the City of Columbus in that it is immediately necessary to accept and enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement for the Urban Area Security Initiative Program for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety and welfare, now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCILS OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That Columbus City Council, in the best interests of the City of Columbus, hereby recognizes and accepts the Intergovernmental Agreement for the Urban Area Security Initiative Program, a copy of which is attached hereto, executed between representatives of the City of Columbus and Franklin County.
Section 2. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part thereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from the after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.