Explanation
BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the Franklin County Municipal Court, Clerk of Court (Municipal Court Clerk) to accept a grant in the amount of $5,000.00 from the Supreme Court of Ohio, and to appropriate the total amount of the grant from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court.
This grant will fund an Online Notarization Pilot Project (“Project”). The project will explore the practical aspects of advancing the administration of justice by supporting, documenting, and evaluating online notarization projects in high-need courts and clerk of court’s offices. The information obtained on the challenges and benefits of implementing the Project will be distributed to Ohio courts to improve the efficient and effective implementation of similar projects across Ohio.
EMERGENCY: Emergency legislation is requested so that the grant funds can be used as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: $5,000.00 will be expended from the General Government Grant Fund.
Title
To authorize and direct the Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk of Court to accept a grant award from the Supreme Court of Ohio; to appropriate $5,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court for an Online Notarization Pilot Project; and to declare an emergency. ($5,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the city's best interest that the Municipal Court Clerk receive support for an Online Notarization Pilot Project to explore the practical aspects of advancing the administration of justice by supporting, documenting, and evaluating online notarization projects in high-need courts and clerk of court’s offices; and
WHEREAS, grant monies from the Ohio Supreme Court in the amount of $5,000.00 are available to provide for the Project; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Court in that it is immediately necessary to approve the acceptance of this grant so that the grant funds can be used as soon as possible, thereby preserving the public health, safety and welfare; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Municipal Court Clerk be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant in the amount of $5,000.00 from the Supreme Court of Ohio.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated balance in the General Government Grant Fund, Fund 2220, and from all monies estimated to come into said fund from any and all sources and appropriated for any other purpose during the grant period, the sum of $5,000.00 is appropriated in Fund 2220, General Government Grant Fund; 2601, Municipal Court Clerk; Grant No. G262000, 2020 Online Notarization Pilot Project; Object Class O3, Contractual Services; amount $5,000.00, per account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Municipal Court Clerk 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 the 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 5. That, 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 6. 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.