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CONTRACT K-1617-57: A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE OKLAHOMA OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY REGARDING GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $692,497 RECEIVED FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO BE ASSIGNED TO THE OKLAHOMA STATE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (OSBI) TO CONTINUE SUPPORT OF THE STATEWIDE INFORMATION SHARING AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION PROJECTS
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BACKGROUND: Generally, the United States Department of Homeland Security guidelines require 80% of grant funds to be awarded to local units of government; however, state governments can retain a portion of those local funds, if approved by a local agency for the benefit of local units of government. Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) have been utilized for the building of the Regional Response System, interoperability, information sharing, citizen preparedness with various local jurisdictions throughout the state. Previous City of Norman MOUs with the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security (OKOHS) have been approved for information sharing and critical infrastructure projects.
If approved by the City of Norman, a portion of the grant funds may be retained by the State of Oklahoma if those funds are to be used for the benefit of local units of government. In order to accomplish this, the State must obtain an agreement with a partner city through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as part of the state’s application for the grant. The City of Norman, or other partner local units of government, will not receive funds from this grant, as the projects they support benefit all of the local agencies, not just a specific one. Through the grant cycle, however, some funds may be distributed to local units of government through individual sub-awards. This MOU and similar MOUs from other partner units of local government, is required for the state’s grant application.
DISCUSSION: The City of Norman is an important partner in the State of Oklahoma’s Fusion Center. The Fusion Center is a central repository of law enforcement sensitive information that is housed and managed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). Other local partners include the City of Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Stillwater.
The Norman Police Department (NPD) employs a Crime Analyst that for years was funded through a sub-grant from the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security. With the reduction of grant funding nationwide, that position is now totally funded by the City of Norman’s General Fund. In addition, Norman PD is actively involved in the Oklahoma Automated Secure Information Sharing System (OASIS) and the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Information Exchange (OKLeX). These initiatives provide state and local law enforcement professionals with important tools to facilitate better communication and timely access to critical data.
OKOHS has designated $692,497 in Local Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Federal Emergency Management Agency/Department of Homeland Security grant funding for the sustainment of various information sharing initiatives to pay salaries, benefits and related costs including training of State of Oklahoma Fusion Center analysts and critical infrastructure/key resource positions. These expenditures will directly benefit the citizens of Norman as well as citizens throughout the entire state.
As in previous years, much of the information sharing systems costs are paid using state homeland security funding (in addition to OSBI’s significant direct and indirect investment in these programs using OSBI’s State of Oklahoma budgeted funding), a decreasing Federal Homeland Security funding level makes continued funding of system sustainment impossible without the continued use of the locality’s Homeland Security funding.
OKOHS respectfully requests that this MOU be approved so they can continue to provide resources that will benefit the entire State. This MOU will assign $692,497 in grant funds to OSBI and OKOHS to fund continuing maintenance, expansion and support of information sharing, and critical infrastructure initiatives, including but not limited to the Fusion Center, OASIS and OKLeX. The OSBI will be responsible for grant accounting, reporting and auditing.
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that this MOU be authorized and executed and returned to the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security to assign the U.S. Department of Homeland Security local grant funding to the State of Oklahoma.