Explanation
BACKGROUND: The Division of Police has been awarded a FY2019 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Act grant in the amount of $58,050.77. This is a federal grant program from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice. The Division of Police has been awarded a Forensic Science Improvement Act grant annually since 2003 to fund forensic lab personnel training, lab equipment purchases, and overtime costs to process casework. The City must be a subgrantee to the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services to participate in this program according to the federal grant guidelines. Therefore, the Mayor is required to sign a subgrantee award to accept this grant on behalf of the City. The official City contacts authorized to act in connection with this grant are Crime Lab Supervisors, Angela Farrington and Amy Amstutz. The grant program provides funds to improve forensic crime lab activities. This FY2019 award will fund equipment, supplies, and training and travel costs for forensic lab personnel to attend new and/or updated forensic training.
Emergency Designation: Emergency legislation is necessary to make the funds available as soon as possible for the grant award, effective as of January 1, 2020.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of a grant in the amount of $58,050.77 from the Federal government to fund equipment, supplies, and training and travel costs for the City's Crime Lab personnel. The City was awarded Forensic Science Improvement Act grant funds in the amount of $25,023.65 in 2016, $22,888.05 in 2017 and $60,271.73 in 2018. All funds appropriated are reimbursable from the grant award.
Title
To authorize and direct the Mayor of the City of Columbus, on behalf of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, to accept a subgrantee award through the FY2019 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act via the State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services; to authorize Angela Farrington and Amy Amstutz, Crime Lab Supervisors, as the official city representatives to act in connection with the subgrant; to authorize an appropriation of $58,050.77 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Division of Police to cover the costs of the subgrant project; and to declare an emergency. ($58,050.77)
Body
WHEREAS, the Division of Police was awarded funding through the FY2019 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act to fund equipment, supplies, and training and travel costs for forensic crime lab personnel; and,
WHEREAS, advancing technology and new Crime Lab employees have created a need for up-to-date additional forensic science equipment, supplies, and training; and,
WHEREAS, Crime Lab Supervisors, Angela Farrington and Amy Amstutz, have been identified as the official representatives to act in connection with this FY2019 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act Subgrant and to provide information as required; and,
WHEREAS, the grant award period begins on January 1, 2020 and ends December 31, 2020; and,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Public Safety in that it is immediately necessary to accept and appropriate the FY2019 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Sciences Improvement Act Grant award in order to make funds available for the grant award period, thereby preserving the public peace, health, property, safety, and welfare; now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Mayor of the City of Columbus, on behalf of the Department of Public Safety, Division of Police, be and is hereby authorized and directed to accept a FY2019 Paul Coverdell National Forensic Science Improvement Act subgrant to fund equipment, supplies, and specialized training costs for the Columbus Police Crime Lab.
SECTION 2. That Crime Lab Supervisors, Angela Farrington and Amy Amstutz, are designated as the official program contacts and authorized to act in connection with the FY2019 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Act Grant Program, and to provide any additional information required.
SECTION 3. 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 subgrant award period, the sum of $58,050.77 is appropriated in Fund 2220 General Government Grants in Object Class 02 Supplies and 03 Contractual Services, per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
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 the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 3 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 6. 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 7. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby 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 its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.