Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes an agreement with the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), State of Ohio, for the FFY 2020 Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Regional Coordinators Grant, and appropriates funds to cover the costs of the program. A drug recognition expert or drug recognition evaluator (DRE) is a police officer trained to recognize impairment in drivers under the influence of drugs other than, or in addition to, alcohol. In the Spring of 2017, the State of Ohio appointed (5) DRE Regional Coordinators assigned to oversee DRE call-out activities and reporting, and to provide expert witness testimony, DRE training, DRE re-certification classes, and DRE re-certification audits for their assigned regions, as well as attend OTSO DRE meetings and the annual International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference on Drugs, Alcohol, and Impaired Driving. The State of Ohio recognized the need to minimize the fiscal burden to law enforcement agencies covering costs for a state-appointed DRE Regional Coordinator. So, the 2020 grant is awarded to the City of Columbus Division of Police to cover up to 500 overtime hours and costs associated with the State of Ohio Region 6 DRE Regional Coordinator state-assigned duties. Region 6 covers all DREs in Franklin, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway, Madison, Delaware, and Morrow counties.
This grant agreement authorizes reimbursement for overtime costs to review and approve all drug evaluations in the assigned region, develop and teach (1) DRE re-certification class, and provide post-arrest DRE support when required. The funding for the agreement is dependent on federal funds from the US Department of Transportation for Federal Fiscal Year 2020, which follows the fiscal calendar year of October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020. The grant award effective period is October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020.
EMERGENCY DESIGNATION: Emergency legislation is necessary to make funds available for the grant funded activity period that started October 1, 2019.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the appropriation of $58,631.56 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund for the Division of Police to cover the costs associated with the FFY 2020 Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Regional Coordinators Grant. All funds expended are reimbursable from the State of Ohio.
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, State of Ohio, to participate in the FFY 2020 Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Regional Coordinator Grant; to authorize an appropriation of $58,631.56 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Division of Police to cover the costs associated with this grant; and to declare an emergency. ($58,631.56)
Body
WHEREAS, the Division of Police’s state-appointed DRE Regional Coordinator will work up to 500 overtime hours to review and approve all Drug Evaluations in the assigned region, schedule and teach (1) DRE Re-certification class, and provide post-arrest DRE support when required; and,
WHEREAS, there is a need for the Director of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), State of Ohio, who will provide funds through the FFY 2020 Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Regional Coordinator Grant to the City of Columbus, Division of Police; and,
WHEREAS, an appropriation is needed to cover the overtime and fringe benefit costs associated with the FFY 2020 Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Regional Coordinator Grant project; and,
WHEREAS, the project period started October 1, 2019 and goes through September 30, 2020, and appropriation authority needs to be available as soon as possible to begin grant activities; 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 of Public Safety to enter into an agreement with the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, State of Ohio, for the FFY 2020 Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Regional Coordinator Grant and to appropriate $58,631.56 for the project costs, 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 Public Safety is hereby authorized to enter into agreement with the Ohio Traffic Safety Office, State of Ohio, and to accept an award in the amount of $58,631.56, which represents funding for the FFY 2020 Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) Regional Coordinator Grant.
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 $58,631.56 is appropriated in fund 2220 General Government Grants in Obj. Class 01 Personnel per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
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 it 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 in the amount not to exceed the available cash balance in the fund.
SECTION 6. 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 and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.