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1. 2 <br /> EVERETT CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM COVER SHEET <br /> • <br /> PROJECT TITLE: <br /> Washington State Office of Briefing COUNCIL BILL# <br /> Public Defense grant Proposed Action Originating Department Purchasing <br /> application for the 2015 Consent Contact Person C.Langstraat <br /> calendar year in the amount of 7/30/14 Action Phone Number 425-257-8901 <br /> $207,500 First Reading FOR AGENDA OF July 30,2014 <br /> Second Reading <br /> Third Reading <br /> Public Hearing <br /> Initialed by: <br /> Department Head <br /> CAA <br /> Council President ttiN(Th <br /> Location Preceding Action Attachments Department(s)Approval <br /> Draft Grant Application Purchasing,Legal, <br /> Municipal Court <br /> Amount Budgeted -0- <br /> Expenditure Required -0- Account Number(s): <br /> Budget Remaining -0- <br /> Additional Required -0- <br /> DETAILED SUMMARY STATEMENT: <br /> The Washington State Office of Public Defense(OPD)is offering grants to cities to improve the quality of <br /> public defense services. The State grant funds cannot be used to supplant City funds that were being spent <br /> on public defense services prior to the initial disbursement of State funds. <br /> The Washington Supreme Court adopted new standards for indigent defense that affect the City of Everett's <br /> indigent defense program. Effective January 1, 2015,the number of cases a public defense attorney can carry <br /> is considerably lower than the caseloads the attorneys presently carry. In addition to the new caseloads <br /> standard, a recent federal court decision, Wilbur v. City of Mount Vernon, further affects the City's program <br /> by requiring monitoring services to oversee compliance by public defenders with all indigent defense <br /> standards. <br /> If the City is selected to receive grant funds,the money will be used to fund, or partially fund, an additional <br /> public defender,an investigator,and/or monitoring services of the public defense program. <br /> RECOMMENDATION(Exact action requested of Council): <br /> Authorize the Mayor to sign the Washington State Office of Public Defense grant application for the 2015 <br /> calendar year in the amount of$207,500 and, if the City is awarded a grant,to execute documents necessary <br /> to accept the grant and complete the transfer of funds. <br /> 79 <br />