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City of Tukwila <br />Allan Ekberg, Mayor <br />INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM <br />TO: FINANCE COMMITTEE <br />CC: Mayor Ekberg <br />David Cline, City Administrator <br />FROM: Cheryl Thompson, Executive Assistant <br />DATE: November 25, 2019 <br />SUBJECT: Office of Public Defense 2020-2021 Grant Agreement <br />ISSUE <br />The Washington State Office of Public Defense (WSOPD) has awarded the City of Tukwila <br />grant funds in the amount of $80,000 for the Public Defense Program: $40,000 for 2020 and <br />$40,000 for 2021. Council needs to approve execution of the grant agreement since the award <br />exceeds the $40,000 threshold. <br />BACKGROUND <br />The City of Tukwila has applied for and received grant awards from the Washington State Office <br />of Public Defense since 2013. The grant awards for 2013 — 2017 were for one year and ranged <br />from $22,000 - $25,600. Effective 2018 WSOPD transitioned to a two-year grant application and <br />award process and the City received an award for $74,000: $37,000 each year for 2018 and <br />2019. Additionally, in early 2019 the Office of Public Defense issued an amended agreement <br />awarding the City of Tukwila an additional $11,000 for 2019. <br />DISCUSSION <br />On November 22, 2019 the City received notification that WSOPD has awarded the City <br />$80,000 in grant funds for 2020-2021: $40,000 for each year. WSOPD has stipulated that the <br />grant funds be used for to provide investigator services, interpreter services and social work <br />assistance to the Public Defense Program. The attached Grant Agreement must be signed and <br />returned to WSOPD by December 30, 2019 to accept the award and receive the funds. The City <br />agrees to utilize the grant funds as stipulated by WSOPD and to submit three written reports to <br />WSOPD as outlined in the agreement. <br />Past grant awards from WSOPD have allowed the City to translate our public defense forms into <br />six different languages: Spanish, Somali, Russian, Vietnamese, Hindi and Khmer; to provide <br />interpreter resources to public defense attorneys for attorney -client appointments; to contract <br />with a private investigator for public defense cases; to contract with a social services case <br />manager to assist public defense clients in obtaining social service; to purchase portable work <br />stations to provide confidential meeting space for public defense attorneys to talk with their <br />clients during court sessions and to reimburse public defense attorneys for training costs for <br />participating in trainings approved by WSOPD. These grant funds will allow the City to continue <br />providing these services in 2020-2021. <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />The Council is being asked to send this item to the consent agenda at the December 9, Special <br />Meeting. <br />ATTACHMENTS <br />2020-2021 Grant Agreement <br />