Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Administrative Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant in the amount of $76,409.00 from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and to appropriate the same amount from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund.
This grant will fund the salaries and fringe benefits of five probation officers and a supervisor who will provide pretrial assessments and supervision to defendants in custody awaiting arraignment in the Municipal Court. With regard to charge severity, pre-trial services will be limited to those defendants appearing in Municipal Court arraignment for a minor misdemeanor, criminal misdemeanor and/or OVI. The program will not include the following charge categories: Traffic, Felony (conducted by Common Pleas pre-trial program), and Domestic Violence. Aggregate data from CY2014 suggests the pre-trial pilot program could potentially provide screening services for close to 800 individuals over the 18-month performance period with a sub-set of that population eligible to receive pre-trial supervision and case management services.
The amount of this grant is a temporary amount as an amendment to the grant should be coming next quarter. There was a delay in the State's budget and they gave a provisional amount to get started with until their budget is approved.
Emergency Legislation is requested so that the grant funds can be used as close to the start date of July 1 as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT $76,409.00 will be expended from the General Government Grant Fund.
Title
To authorize and direct the Administrative Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant award from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction; to appropriate $76,409.00 from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court; and to declare an emergency. ($76,409.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the city's best interest that the Franklin County Municipal Court receive support for this enhanced probationary services for defendants awaiting trial; and
WHEREAS, grant monies from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, in the amount of $76,409.00are available to provide for salaries and benefits for six employees; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the daily operation of the City in that it is immediately necessary to accept and appropriate the grant award and to transfer and appropriate the matching funds in order that the services supported may commence at the beginning of the grant period and for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; and, now therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Administrative Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant in the amount of $76,409.00 from the State of Ohio, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
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 220, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and appropriated for any other purpose during the twenty four months ending June 30, 2019, the sum of $76,409.00 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 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 herein, which are 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 passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither vetoes nor approves the same.