CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA
                 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA




  Agenda Date:          February 16, 2021

  Action Required:      Adoption of Resolution

  Presenter:            Mayor Nikuyah Walker

  Staff Contacts:       Lisa Robertson, Chief Deputy/Acting City Attorney

  Title:                Proposed Charitable Donation to Support
                        Interrupt the Violence Training



Background:
On February 1, 2021 Mayor Walker shared with City Council a request for the City to fund
training to be provided to City residents by nonprofit groups, to reduce the cycle of gun violence
within City neighborhoods. The training is planned to take place February 16 -20, 2021.

Discussion:
Attached is correspondence from a charitable institution/ nonprofit organization organized within
New York state, by the name of Guns Down, Inc. A Virginia chapter of this organization is being
formed. Guns Down, Inc. has entered into an agreement with the stakeholders in the Virginia
chapter, and will serve as fiscal agent for any funds donated by the Charlottesville City Council to
support the training services to be provided. City Council’s donation would be made to Guns
Down, Inc., earmarked for these training services to City residents, and then Guns Down, Inc.
would disperse the funding as necessary to cover the costs of the training.

Alignment with Council Vision Areas and Strategic Plan:
A donation of City funding in support of the proposed training would align with several of
Council’s Vision Areas.

Community Engagement: N/A

Budgetary Impact:
Should City Council vote to make this charitable donation, the donation will come from funds
which have been appropriated to Council’s budget department line item for Strategic Initiatives.
The current balance that is available and has been appropriated for Strategic Initiatives is
approximately $349,087 (which includes $296,575 that Council has previously voted to expend
for Equity Intitiatives).

Recommendation:
Should City Council desire to make this charitable donation, the recommendation is that the
donation can be made to the New York 501(c)(3) organization Guns Down, Inc., to be earmarked
for expenses of the Interrupt The Violence Training services to be provided to City residents
February 16-20, 2021.

Alternatives:
City Council may decide not to make the requested donation

Attachments (2):

   (1) Resolution

   (2) Letter to City Council from Guns Down, Inc.
                          RESOLUTION
ALLOCATING CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FUNDINGTO SUPPORT
   AN “INTERRUPT THE VIOLENCE” TRAINING PROGRAM PROVIDED TO
                         CITY RESIDENTS


        BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia,

pursuant to authority set forth within Virginia Code §15.2-953, THAT a charitable donation is

hereby approved to be made to Guns Down, Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation organized under the

laws of the state of New York, in the amount of $_________________, said donation of funds to

be used exclusively for and in support of the “Interrupt The Violence” training services to be

provided to residents of the City of Charlottesville by various stakeholders on February 16-20,

2021.

        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the aforesaid amount shall be paid to Guns Down,

Inc. from currently-appropriated funds in the City Council Strategic Initiatives account in the

General Fund, in support of the local Interrupt The Violence Training Program, as follows:



$ _________________           Fund: 105      Cost Center: 1011001000
                                               Guns Down, Inc.
                                                1589 President Street
                                            Brooklyn, New York 11213


                                                    February 9, 2021



To: Charlottesville City Council

C/o Office of the City Attorney

Sent via email to: robertsonl@charlottesville.gov


To the Honorable Mayor Walker and Members of the Charlottesville City Council,



Recently Mayor Walker brought to your attention a training that is being planned to take place within the City of
Charlottesville, for which a donation of funds is requested from the Charlottesville City Council. The purpose of the
upcoming training and ongoing programs is to bring together the Charlottesville Community to reduce the cycle of
gun violence within the neighborhoods of the City of Charlottesville. The services to be provided by Interrupt the
Violence will include training local stakeholders with the successful tools that have been used by Guns Down, Inc in
other localities including the ongoing programs.

Guns Down, Inc. is a non-profit/charitable institution organized under the laws of the State of New York, and that is
exempt from federal taxation under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). The mission of Guns Down, Inc. is to
reduce gun violence. In Virginia, and specifically within Charlottesville, a Virginia Chapter of Guns Down, Inc. is
being formed to carry out the mission of Guns Down, Inc. through services provided to residents within the City of
Charlottesville. Since the local chapter has not yet been formed, Guns Down, Inc. has entered into an agreement
with the stakeholders of the Virginia Chapter. Guns Down, Inc. will serve as the fiscal agent for any funding
donated by the Charlottesville City Council. Any funds donated by the Charlottesville City Council to Guns Down,
Inc. will be used only for and in connection with services provided to residents within the City of Charlottesville at
the training being planned for February 16-20, 2021 and ongoing programs.

I hope that the Charlottesville City Council will be able to contribute to this important work. Please feel free to
contact me with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,




Sean Pryor, Executive Direct0r of Guns Down, Inc.




C. Pertelle Gilmore, Executive Director CEO of Virginia Chapter of Guns Down, Inc.