Explanation
BACKGROUND
This ordinance authorizes the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant in the amount of $213,426.00 from the Franklin County Office Board of Commissioners, and to appropriate the total amount of the grant from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to the Department of Pretrial and Probation Services of the Franklin County Municipal Court. This grant will provide funding assistance to support the salary of one Strategic Enforcement Response Team (SERT) Probation Officer to be dedicated to domestic violence cases for the period of this grant.
Franklin County Municipal Court Pretrial and Probation Services, under the direction of the Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs (OJPP) and as supported by Office of Violence Against Women 2020 Innovative Criminal Justice Response program will work to achieve the objective of reducing domestic violence homicides. By working with justice partners to adopt the Blueprint for Safety: Interagency Response to Domestic Violence model in Franklin County, the Blueprint for Safety inter-agency project team will:
§Promote increased use of evidence-based practices and programs to improve identification of and coordinated responses to high-risk domestic violence incidents.
§Promote proactive collaboration and data sharing among Franklin County justice system agencies to address domestic violence crimes.
§Further develop relationships that promote seamless referrals and linkages of victims to community-based supports
Emergency Legislation is requested so that the grant funds can be utilized as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT
$213,426.00 will be expended from the General Government Grant Fund.
Title
To authorize and direct the Administrative Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court to accept a grant award from the Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs; to appropriate $213,426.00 from the unappropriated balance of the general government grant fund to the Department of Pretrial and Probation Services of the to the Franklin County Municipal Court for the purpose funding a Strategic Enforcement Response Team (SERT) Probation Officer to be dedicated to domestic violence cases; and to declare an emergency. ($213,426.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the city's best interest that the Franklin County Municipal Court receive support to provide additional staff dedicated to reducing domestic violence homicides; and
WHEREAS, grant monies from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, in the amount of $213,426.00 are available to provide for a Strategic Enforcement Response Team (SERT) Probation Officer; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Franklin County Municipal Court in that it is immediately necessary to accept this grant so that the grant funds can be used as close to the start date of 4/1/2021 as possible; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Administrative Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court be and is hereby authorized to accept a grant in the amount of $213,426.00 from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.
SECTION 2. Funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated. 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 months ending September 30, 2023, the sum of $213,426.00 is appropriated upon reciept of an executed grant agreement to the Franklin County Municipal Court.
SECTION 3. That the monies appropriated in the foregoing Section 2 shall be paid upon the order of the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Franklin County Municipal Court 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 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 5. 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.