Explanation
BACKGROUND: Columbus Public Health has been awarded a grant from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to continue a partnership with Equitas Health and Columbus Public Health for a harm reduction program, called Safe Point. The funds will allow a modification to the existing contract with Equitas Health to continue to provide harm reduction services. This ordinance is needed to accept and appropriate $100,000.00 in grant monies to help supplement the Safe Point Program for the period of October 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019.
Harm reduction services provided by Equitas Health allow clients who are at high-risk of accidental overdose death to access the lifesaving drug, Naloxone. During 2017, Safe Point provided services to 3,139 individual clients. A total of 1,315 lives were known to have been saved from Naloxone that was acquired at the Safe Point program. Clients who participate in the Safe Point program are provided access to many types of care that address both their active substance use disorder as well as other social determinants of health. Throughout 2017, Safe Point provided 1,518 referrals for Alcohol and Drug Treatment, 1,029 linkages to medical care, and 472 referrals for behavioral or mental healthcare services.
Emergency action is requested in order to ensure Columbus has a harm reduction program through 12/31/2019.
FISCAL IMPACT: The grant program is fully funded ($100,000.00) by the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and does not require a City match.
Title
To authorize and direct the Board of Health to accept a grant from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to supplement the Safe Point program in the amount of $100,000.00; to authorize the appropriation of $100,000.00 in the Health Department Grants Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($100,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, $100,000.00 in grant funds have been made available through the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to supplement the Safe Point program for the period of October 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to accept and appropriate these funds from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to supplement the Safe Point program; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of Columbus Public Health in that it is immediately necessary to accept these grant funds from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and to appropriate these funds to Columbus Public Health for the immediate preservation of the public health, property, safety and welfare, and to avoid a delay in client services; Now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Board of Health is hereby authorized and directed to accept a grant award of $100,000.00 from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners to supplement the Safe Point program for the period of October 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the Health Department Grant Fund, Fund No. 2251, and from all monies estimated to come into said Fund from any and all sources and unappropriated for any other purpose during the grant period, the sum of $100,000.00 and any eligible interest earned during the grant period is hereby appropriated upon receipt of an executed grant agreement to the Health Department, Division No. 5001, as indicated in the ordinance attachment.
SECTION 3. 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 4. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Health Commissioner, 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 5. That 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 6. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is 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.