To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: John Kellner, District Attorney 18th Judicial District
Prepared By:
prepared
John Christofferson, Deputy County Attorney
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Subject:
title
Authorization for Arapahoe County to apply for and enter into the State Gray & Black Market Marijuana Enforcement Grant for the benefit of the Office of the District Attorney, 18th Judicial District
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Board is requested to adopt a resolution authorizing the Office of the District Attorney, 18th Judicial District to facilitate electronically applying for the State Gray & Black Market Marijuana Enforcement Grant Agreement on behalf of Arapahoe County and to complete any electronically related requests, updates, and closing, and to authorize the Chair of the Board of County Commissioners to sign any documents related to the Grant Agreement, if awarded, acceptance of funds, and closing of the Grant. The Board heard this item at their meeting on September 19, 2022.
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Background and Discussion:
The Office of the District Attorney, 18th Judicial District again desires to apply for an additional State of Colorado Gray & Black Market Marijuana Enforcement Grant. The DA’s Office is not eligible on its own to apply for the grant, however, Arapahoe County is eligible. Through the Grant program, the State awards grants to eligible local governments for documented marijuana enforcement investigations and impacts. The eligible purpose is to provide financial assistance through reimbursements to local law enforcement and district attorneys for actual expenses related to investigation and prosecution of unlicensed marijuana cultivation or distribution operations.
The DA’s Office plans to request funds for the salaries and benefits and equipment used by the prosecution and investigation team members working on illegal cultivation and distribution of marijuana cases as specified by the grant requirements. The grant runs from July 1- June 30 in most cycles, so the applications and awards are different amounts. In the past few years the grant amounts received were:
2022 - $52,280
2021 - $23,873
2020 - $234,603
2019 - $578,815
2018 - $80,000
The estimate for the amount of funds received this cycle is $60,000.00. The DA’s Office will provide justification to the County before any funds will be released to the DA’s Office.
Alternatives: The Board could decide not to apply for this grant.
Fiscal Impact: The fiscal impact to Arapahoe County will be a small amount of staff time to appropriate any Grant funds received and to oversee the use of funds by the DA’s Office.
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☐Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Concurrence: N/A.
Resolution: Attached is a copy of the draft resolution.