Laserfiche WebLink
City of Tukwila My WebLink |HelpSearch Tips |About |Sign Out
City of Tukwila <br />Allan Ekberg, Mayor <br />INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM <br />TO: COMMUNITY SERVICES AND SAFETY COMMITTEE <br />CC: Mayor Ekberg <br />David Cline, City Administrator <br />FROM: Cheryl Thompson, Executive Assistant <br />DATE: November 2, 2023 <br />SUBJECT: Office of Public Defense 2024-2025 Grant Agreement <br />ISSUE <br />The Washington State Office of Public Defense (WSOPD) has awarded the City of Tukwila grant <br />funds in the amount of $75,000 for the Public Defense Program: $37,500 for 2024 and $37,500 for <br />2025. Council needs to approve execution of the grant agreement since the award exceeds the <br />$40,000 threshold. <br />BACKGROUND <br />The City of Tukwila has applied for and received grant awards from the WSOPD since 2013. The <br />grant awards for 2013 - 2017 were for one year and ranged from $22,000 - $25,600. Effective 2018 <br />WSOPD transitioned to a two-year grant application and award process and the City has received <br />awards for $85,000 for 2018-2019, $80,000 for 2020-2021 and $75,000 for 2022-2023. <br />DISCUSSION <br />On November 1, 2023 the City received notification that WSOPD has awarded the City $75,000 in <br />grant funds for 2024-2025: $37,500 for each year. WSOPD has stipulated that the grant funds be <br />used for the following: Increased compensation for public defense service providers; <br />Reimbursement of training costs for public defense service providers; Investigator and/or expert <br />services; Social worker services to assist public defense attorneys; and Interpreter services for <br />attorney -client interviews and communications. The attached Grant Agreement must be signed <br />and returned to WSOPD by December 29, 2023 to accept the award and receive the funds. The City <br />agrees to utilize the grant funds as stipulated by WSOPD and to submit four 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 six <br />different languages; to provide interpreter resources to public defense attorneys for attorney -client <br />appointments; to contract with a private investigator for public defense cases; to contract with a <br />social services case manager to assist public defense clients in obtaining social service; to <br />reimburse public defense attorneys for training costs for participating in trainings approved by <br />WSOPD and to increase compensation to public defense service providers to cover additional <br />1 <br />