Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the City of Columbus, City Attorney’s Office to accept and appropriate a $25,000 U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) sub-award from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs.
JAG funds provide continued support for the Project Taillight public safety and crime prevention pilot. Through the pilot program, low-income residents have access to free vehicle safety light repair services. These repair services keep drivers, passengers and pedestrians safer on the roads and prevent low-income residents from receiving tickets for safety code violations. This pilot is a partnership between the Columbus City Attorney’s Office and Columbus Division of Police. Grant funds pay the direct cost for parts and labor to complete repairs.
EMERGENCY ACTION: This ordinance is submitted as an emergency to ensure grant dollars are available to continue project work uninterrupted.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the acceptance and appropriation of $25,000 U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs.
This initiative does not generate any revenue nor require a City match.
Award Period: March 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023
Federal award: 2021-JAG-2000 = $25,000
City match: No required cash match
Total grant budget = $25,000
Title
To authorize the City Attorney to accept a $25,000.00 federal U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant sub-award from Franklin County Board of Commissioners’ Office of Justice Policy and Programs supporting Project Taillight--an innovative public safety and crime prevention program designed to provide free automobile headlight and taillight repair/replacement services for low income households; to authorize the appropriation of $25,000.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grants Fund 2220; and to declare an emergency. ($25,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' Office of Justice Policy and Programs has awarded the Columbus City Attorney's Office JAG funding in the amount of $25,000 to support Project Taillight--a citywide public safety and crime prevention pilot designed to offer free repair of vehicle headlights, taillights, license plate lights and turn signals for low-income Columbus residents; and
WHEREAS, the term of the grant is for the period of March 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023; and
WHEREAS, the City Attorney desires to accept said grant award; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City Attorney's Office in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the City Attorney to accept the award and appropriate the grant funds, so that the Project Taillight services may commence within the term of the grant, for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Attorney is hereby authorized to accept Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) sub award 2021-JAG-2000 from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners' Office of Justice Policy and Programs in the amount of $25,000 to support Project Taillight--a citywide public safety and crime prevention pilot.
SECTION 2. That from the unappropriated monies in the General Government Grants Fund No. 2220, and from all monies estimated to come into said Fund from any and all sources during the grant period, the sum of $25,000 is hereby appropriated to the Columbus City Attorney, Department 24, according to the attached accounting document.
SECTION 3. That funds are hereby deemed appropriated and expenditures and transfers authorized to carry out the purposes of this ordinance and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 4. That funds appropriated shall be paid upon order of the City Attorney 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 5. That the City Auditor is authorized to make any accounting changes to revise the funding source for all contracts or contract modifications associated with this ordinance.
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 the 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.