Explanation
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch to accept a Grant Award and continue a program by the Columbus Division of Police to reduce the social distance between Central Ohio Teens and Law Enforcement through structured and established methods.
Funds from the grant will be used for the Teens and Police Service Partners (TAPS) Academy in Columbus. The TAPS Program was initially established in 2013 with funds from the FY12 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Grant, through the Franklin County Commissioners. This ordinance authorizes the acceptance of the funding of the program for at-risk juveniles at four middle and high schools between ages 13 to 17 years old who have shown a propensity toward making bad decisions. These youths will receive intensive mentoring by Police Officers trained in the TAPS Academy curriculum developed by the Houston Police Department. The Academy will provide a structured environment that is geared to mentor through an academic and humanitarian approach, with strong emphasis on interaction and conversation. The academic approach will stress an established curriculum designed to address topics such as Anger Management, Bullying, Avoiding Gang Life, Avoiding Narcotics, Conflict Management/Resolution, Team Building, Truancy, How to Respond to an Active Shooter, Safe Driving, Combating Alcohol and Drug abuse, etc. The grant period is from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. This legislation is needed to authorize the acceptance of the grant award, and to appropriate the grant funds.
Emergency Action is requested in order to receive the funds and initiate the program as soon as possible prior to the beginning the school year for Columbus City Schools.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of $303,298.00 within the General Government Grant Fund in an agreement with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch to pay for the cost of running the TAPS Academy by Columbus Police Officers. There are no matching funds to this grant.
Title
To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch, to accept a Grant award to pay for the cost of running a mentorship program by the Columbus Division of Police; to authorize the appropriation of $303,298.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund; and to declare an emergency. ($303,298.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, has been awarded grant funding through the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch to pay personnel and other costs associated with the mentorship of youths by Columbus Police Officers; and,
WHEREAS, the Director of the Department of Public Safety is required to enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch in order to accept this award; and,
WHEREAS, Subha Lembach of the Franklin County Juvenile Court shall be responsible for monitoring compliance to the terms of this agreement, and Robert Stewart of Columbus Public Safety shall be responsible for the implementation of the program; and,
WHEREAS, this legislation is needed to process the grant acceptance documents and set up the city appropriation of the grant award; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Division of Police, Department of Public Safety, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to accept a grant and enter into an agreement with the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, and for the City Auditor to appropriate the grant funds, making them available to begin a mentorship program by the Division of Police, thereby preserving the public peace, property, health, safety, and welfare; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Director of the Department of Public Safety be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant in the amount of $303,298.00 from, and enter into a grant agreement with, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations and Juvenile Branch.
SECTION 2. 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 purpose during the project period, the sum of $303,298.00 is appropriated in Fund 2220 General Government Grants per the Account Codes in the attachment to this ordinance. The fully-executed agreement is attached to this legislation.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 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 4. 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 5. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated.
SECTION 6. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared 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.