Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Division of Police has been awarded a FY2015 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Act grant of $23,453.70. This is a federal grant program from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. The Division of Police has been awarded a Forensic Science Improvement Act grant annually since 2003 to fund forensic lab personnel training, lab equipment purchases and overtime costs to process casework. The City must be a subgrantee to the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to participate in this program according to the federal grant guidelines. Therefore, the Mayor is required to sign a subgrantee award to accept this grant on behalf of the City. The official City contact authorized to act in connection with this grant is Crime Lab Manager, Jami St. Clair. The grant program provides funds to improve forensic crime lab activities. This FY2015 award will fund training and travel costs for forensic lab personnel to attend new and/or updated forensic training and the purchase of CPD Crime Lab equipment.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency legislation is needed to make the grant funds available as quickly as possible for upcoming training registration deadlines. The grant award period started October 1, 2015.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of a grant in the amount of $23,453.70 from the Federal government for training for the City's Crime Lab personnel and the purchase of CPD Crime Lab equipment. The City was awarded Forensic Science Improvement Act grant funds of $45,628.07 in 2012, $14,470.25 in 2013 and $21,713.39 in 2014. 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 FY2015 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act via the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services; to authorize Jami St. Clair, Crime Lab Manager, as the official city representative to act in connection with the subgrant; to authorize an appropriation of $23,453.70 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Division of Police to cover the costs of the subgrant project; and to declare an emergency. ($23,453.70)
Body
WHEREAS, the Division of Police was awarded funding through the FY2015 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act for the training of forensic crime lab personnel and the purchase of CPD Crime Lab equipment; and
WHEREAS, advancing technology and new Crime Lab employees have created a need for up to date and additional forensic science training; and
WHEREAS, Crime Lab Manager Jami St. Clair has been identified as the official representative to act in connection with this FY2015 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act Subgrant and to provide information as required; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance is being submitted as an emergency measure because the grant funds need to be made available as quickly as possible to register for training opportunities during the grant award period which started October 1, 2015; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the Public Safety Department, Division of Police, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Mayor to accept a FY2015 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act Subgrant for the Division of Police Crime Lab and to authorize an appropriation for the grant activities 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 FY2015 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act Subgrant for specialized training for the Columbus Police Crime Lab personnel and the purchase of CPD Crime Lab equipment.
SECTION 2. That Crime Lab Manager Jami St. Clair is designated as the official program contact and authorized to act in connection with the FY2015 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 $23,453.70 is appropriated as follows:
DIV FUND OBJ LV#1 OBJ LV#3 OCA# GRANT# AMOUNT
3003 220 03 3330 331511 331511 $10,860.00
3003 220 03 3331 331511 331511 $ 5,450.00
3003 220 06 6697 331511 331511 $ 7,143.70
This appropriation is effective upon receipt of the fully-executed agreement.
SECTION 4. Funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated.
SECTION 5. 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 6. That at the end of the grant period, any repayment of unencumbered balances required by the grantor 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 7. 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.