Consent 1.G.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 01/12/2015
- TITLE
- Acceptance and Approval of the 2015 HIDTA Award in the Amount of $196,001
- PRESENTED BY:
- Rich St. John
- Department:
- Police
Presentation:
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
In 2002, Montana was designated a High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA). The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has awarded grants to the Eastern Montana Drug Task Force for thirteen years and the City of Billings is the recipient agency for the grants. The ONDCP has offered a $196,001 grant for the calendar year 2015. The grant is used to battle the drug epidemic in Montana communities. The HIDTA Task Force consists of personnel from U.S. Marshal's Service, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF), Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office, and the Billings Police Department. The Task Force is managed by a Sergeant from the Billings Police Department. The 2015 HIDTA Award will be used to pay for a Support Specialist position for the HIDTA task force, task force overtime, administrative and investigative travel, automobile rental costs, cell phones, copier maintenance agreement, investigative/office supplies, and informant costs. HIDTA does pay for all overtime costs associated with the Task Force.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED
The City Council may:
- Approve the acceptance of the 2015 HIDTA Award in the amount of $196,001, or
- Not approve the acceptance of the 2015 HIDTA Award in the amount of $196,001, thus costing the Public Safety Fund the expense of investigating and prosecuting drug related cases.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The 2015 HIDTA Award in the amount of $196,001 will require no City match. The award has been budgeted in Fund 2550 for the balance of FY 14/15.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council approve and accept the 2015 HIDTA award from the Executive Office of the President, Office of National Drug Control Policy, in the amount of $196,001, and authorize the Mayor to sign the necessary award documents, when they are received.