HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 08/15/2017 - FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 107, 2017, APPROPRIAgenda Item 12
Item # 12 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY August 15, 2017
City Council
STAFF
Perrie McMillen, Restorative Justice Program Coordinator
Jody Hurst, Legal
SUBJECT
First Reading of Ordinance No. 107, 2017, Appropriating Unanticipated Grant Revenue in the General Fund
and Transferring Funds from the Community Development and Neighborhood Services Operating Budget to
the Grant Budget for the Restorative Justice Program.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is to appropriate grant revenue to fund Restorative Justice Services within Community
Development and Neighborhood Services (CDNS). A grant in the amount of $67,612 has been received from
the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Juvenile Diversion fund for the continued operation of
Restorative Justice Services, which includes the RESTORE program for shoplifting offenses, and the
Restorative Justice Conferencing Program (RJCP) for all other offenses. The grant period for is July 1, 2017,
to June 30, 2018. This is the first year in a 3-year cycle for the Juvenile Diversion grant.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
Restorative Justice Services and its two programs; RESTORE for shoplifting offenses, and RJCP (Restorative
Justice Conferencing Program) for all other offenses, has been partially grant-funded since its inception in
2000. The Council yearly accepts grant funds from Colorado Division of Criminal Justice to support Restorative
Justice Services. This grant helps fund youth referred to the program from the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s
Office. Since it began, Restorative Justice Services has provided a restorative justice alternative to more than
2,850 young people who committed chargeable offenses in our community.
Restorative Justice is an alternative method of holding a young offender accountable by facilitating a meeting
with the offender, the victim/victim representative and members of the community to determine the harm done
by the crime, and how to repair the harm. By identifying and repairing the harm caused by the crime, Criminal
Justice Officials are optimistic repeat offenses by these youth will be reduced and the needs and concerns of
the victims and affected community will be addressed.
The programs help young people understand how family, friends, victims and community are harmed by their
actions and hold them accountable for the harm they caused. The intention is that these young people will
make better future decisions and not commit the same or similar crime again. Reducing future criminal
behavior and keeping young people out of the justice system contribute positively to a safer and healthier
community. Addressing the needs and concerns of crime victims and community members also has a positive
effect on the overall health and safety of the community. As part of the programs, youth and families are
referred to appropriate community resources based on needs identified during program participation.
Without grant funding and the support of the City, Restorative Justice Services would not be a service
Agenda Item 12
Item # 12 Page 2
available to young people and their families, crime victims, the courts, law enforcement and our community.
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The additional grant money in the amount of $67,612 from Division of Criminal Justice, Juvenile Diversion
Grants, provides funding for the continuation of Restorative Justice Services. The match requirement will be
met by appropriating $7,292 from the Neighborhood Services operating budget, designated for restorative
justice. The rest is in-kind match; $9,846 is designated from the City in the form of office space provided for
grant funded services and $5,400 is donated volunteer time from a primary volunteer who assists with
administrative duties.
ATTACHMENTS
1. RESTORE information sheet (PDF)
2. RJCP Information sheet (PDF)
WHAT IS IT?
The RESTORE Program provides a voluntary opportunity for young people who have shoplifted to deal with their charge
in a way that is meaningful to themselves and the community.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Fort Collins Municipal Court or Larimer County District Attorney’s Office have referred you to our program. You will
attend an arraignment and meet with our staff, who will explain the RESTORE program to you and your parent/support
person. If you decide to participate in the program, you will complete a RESTORE intake form and sign up for Session #1.
You will also be asked to take a survey, which is anonymous and used for grant funding purposes. If under the age of 18
a parent/guardian must attend the sessions with you.
RESTORE Session #1 has three parts and will take approximately 3 hours.
Part 1- You and your parent/support person will listen to speakers discuss the impact of shoplifting on the merchant
community, law enforcement, the court system, families, and the larger community. You will also hear other youth
speak about how shoplifting has affected them, their peers, and their families.
Part 2 – You and your parent/support person then will meet with a small group to talk about the shoplifting incident you
were involved in and how you have been affected by this incident. This group will also include other young shoplifters,
their parents, a community member, a peer representative, and a merchant representative, and will be facilitated by
RESTORE volunteers.
Part 3 - When the small group is complete, you and your parent/support person will review a contract and select from a
list ways you can repair the harm to the victim, the community, your family and yourself. The contract includes eight
hours community service. You will also sign up for a time to return to Session #2.
RESTORE Session #2 will take approximately one hour.
About one month after Session #1, you will return to the RESTORE Program with all of your completed contract items.
You will meet with a small group of volunteers who will review your contract and verification of items completed. You
will also complete the survey taken in the original meeting.
Not guilty: If you believe you are not guilty, you do not belong in the RESTORE Program. To participate, you must admit
your part in the incident.
BY PARTICIPATING IN THE RESTORE PROGRAM, YOU CAN:
learn more about shoplifting and how it affects merchants and the community
repair the harm done by the incident in a meaningful way
make choices about the consequences of your actions
have your theft charge dismissed upon successful completion of the program
FEE: Cost is $50 (cash or money order only) Sliding scale is available for families who qualify.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the RESTORE Program, contact:
RESTORE Program - (970) 416-2290
Restorative Justice does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or age in the delivery of its
services. Interpreter services and documents translated to other languages are available at no cost to Restorative Justice participants.
En la prestación de sus servicios, la Justicia Restaurativa no discrimina por razones de raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, discapacidad o
edad. Los servicios de intérpretes y traducción de documentos a otros idiomas están disponibles sin costo alguno para los participantes de la
Justicia Restaurativa.
ATTACHMENT 1
WHAT IS IT?
The Restorative Justice Conferencing
Program (RJCP) provides a voluntary
opportunity for young people (age 10-22)
who have committed misdemeanor offenses
to deal with their charge in a way that is
meaningful to them and the community.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Fort Collins Municipal Court or Larimer
County District Attorney’s Office has referred
you. You will attend a court arraignment and
meet with RJCP staff. If you decide to
participate, you will complete forms to sign up for the program. You will also be asked to take a survey. If you
are under 18, your parent/guardian must attend the arraignment and the RJCP meetings with you.
Restorative Justice Conferencing Program (RJCP)
RJCP consists of three meetings, totaling 4-6 hours, and contract obligations to fulfill in between.
Meeting #1 – (1-1.5 hours) You and your parent/guardian will meet with RJCP facilitators for a preconference
meeting. At this meeting you will learn more about the RJCP process and will prepare for the upcoming RJ
circle. You will discuss the incident and explore your thoughts and feelings about the incident and who has
been impacted by it. Your parent will also discuss how the incident has impacted the family. You will have
homework to develop ideas on how to repair the harm caused by the incident.
Meeting #2 – (2-3 hours) You and your parent/guardian will meet with the victim/victim representative, other
offenders (if there are any), community representatives and the RJCP facilitators in a face-to-face meeting.
The discussion will focus on who has been harmed by the incident, how they have been harmed, and what can
be done to repair the harm. The circle will develop a contract to address repairing the harm caused by the
incident. The contract will include a minimum of 20 restorative hours for you to fulfill.
Meeting #3 – (1 hour) You and your parent/guardian will return for a follow-up interview with RJCP staff
and/or volunteers when your contract obligations are complete (usually about a month). You must bring
written verification of all contract items to this interview. Other participants from the circle will be invited to
attend the interview, and may or may not be present. You will also complete the survey taken at the court
arraignment. If all contract items are complete and verified, you will have completed the program.
BY PARTICIPATING IN THE RJCP PROGRAM, YOU MAY:
learn more about your offense and how it affected the victim, community, your family, yourself
repair the harm done by the incident in a meaningful way
make choices about the consequences of your actions
have your charge dismissed upon successful completion of the program
FEE: Cost is $50 (cash or money order only) A reduced fee is available for families who qualify.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact: Restorative Justice Services (970) 416-2290
Restorative Justice does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or age in the delivery of its services.
Interpreter services and documents translated to other languages are available at no cost to Restorative Justice participants.
En la prestación de sus servicios, la Justicia Restaurativa no discrimina por razones de raza, color, origen nacional, religión, sexo, discapacidad o
edad. Los servicios de intérpretes y traducción de documentos a otros idiomas están disponibles sin costo alguno para los participantes de la
Justicia Restaurativa.
ATTACHMENT 2
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ORDINANCE NO. 107, 2017
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
APPROPRIATING UNANTICIPATED GRANT REVENUE IN THE GENERAL
FUND AND TRANSFERRING FUNDS FROM THE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES OPERATING BUDGET
TO THE GRANT BUDGET FOR THE RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice has awarded the City of Fort
Collins Community Development and Neighborhood Services (“CDNS”) a grant in the amount
of $67,612 for salaries associated with the continued operation of the Restorative Justice
Program (the “Program”); and
WHEREAS, the Program is an alternative method to the traditional criminal justice
system, providing services to more than 2,850 young people who committed chargeable offenses
in the community since 2000; and
WHEREAS, the Program facilitates a meeting with the young offender, the victim, and
community members to discuss the harm caused by the young offender and to find meaningful
ways for the young person to repair that harm; and
WHEREAS, the grant period for this award is from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018; and
WHEREAS, the grant requires a 25% grant match of $22,538; and
WHEREAS, the City’s cash match of $7,292 will come from the CDNS operating budget
for Restorative Justice and the remaining $15,246 match requirement will come from the City in
the form of office space and volunteers provided for the grant funded services; and
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9, of the City Charter permits the City Council to make
supplemental appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year, provided that the
total amount of such supplemental appropriations, in combination with all previous
appropriations for that fiscal year, does not exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated
revenues to be received during the fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, City staff has determined that the appropriation of the Colorado Division of
Criminal Justice grant funds as described herein will not cause the total amount appropriated in
the General Fund to exceed the current estimate of actual and anticipated revenues to be received
in that fund during the fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 10, of the City Charter authorizes the City Council to
transfer by Ordinance any unexpected and unencumbered amount or portion thereof from one
project to another project, provided that the purpose for which the transferred funds are to be
expended remains unchanged.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That there is hereby appropriated from unanticipated revenue in the
General Fund the sum of SIXTY-SEVEN THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED TWELVE DOLLARS
($67,612) for expenditure in the General Fund for continuation of the Restorative Justice
Program.
Section 3. That the unexpended appropriated amount of SEVEN THOUSAND TWO
HUNDRED NINETY-TWO DOLLARS ($7,292) is hereby authorized for transfer from the
Community Development and Neighborhood Services operating budget in the General Fund to
the grant project for Restorative Justice Services and appropriated herein.
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 15th day of
August, A.D. 2017, and to be presented for final passage on the 5th day of September, A.D.
2017.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Interim City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 5th day of September, A.D. 2017.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
Interim City Clerk