*Authorize the Director of the Office for Community Technology to execute Digital Inclusion Fund grant agreement with Free Geek in amount not to exceed $87,500 for FY 2022-23

The City of Portland ordains: Section 1. The Council finds: On June 8, 2022, Council Approved an allocation of $250,000 to the Digital Inclusion Fund (Ordinance 190868). The Digital Inclusion Fund is made possible through an annual allocation from the City’s general fund and is a mechanism for City investment in community-led digital adoption strategies designed to support populations disproportionately affected by the digital divide. Thirty percent (30%) of the resources annually are intended to support small businesses, and seventy percent (70%) of the resources annually are intended to support the needs of individuals and the community at large. On March 22, 2022, under the direction of diverse community leaders, the Office for Community Technology launched a grant initiative that requested grant applications from community-based organizations for projects that sustain existing or innovate new digital training and support services to meet the needs of people disproportionately affected by the digital divide. The goals of the Community Digital Navigator Pilot Grant Opportunity are 1) To build or scale Digital Navigator programs to ensure people, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, People with Disabilities, and Seniors, are able to use digital technology and the internet, and are building foundational digital skills to achieve economic, health, and social wellbeing; 2) To ensure trusted community-based organizations are building capacity—by sustaining existing services or innovating new services—to serve the digital adoption needs of people disproportionately affected by the digital divide; and 3) To learn about persistent digital adoption barriers and to document the types of services and supports people affected by the digital divide need that could be supported by the Digital Inclusion Fund. On April 18, 2022, a Digital Inclusion Fund Grant Selection Committee comprised of diverse community members evaluated the 10 grant applications received and independently scored each proposal and deliberated to determine funding selections. On June 2, 2022, based on Selection Committee recommendations, City Council authorized the Director of the Office for Community Technology to enter into grant agreements with Rosewood Initiative, AfroVillage-NECN, and the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber using FY21-22 Digital Inclusion Fund funding (Ordinance 190859). At the time of Selection Committee deliberation, the Committee agreed that an effective Community Digital Navigator Pilot program would significantly benefit if additional funding were available to support the application submitted by Free Geek. The Free Geek application was a top scoring application and, according to the Selection Committee, presented a unique opportunity for the City to partner with a longstanding community-based organization experienced in providing digital inclusion programming. Free Geek presented in its application that it is poised to scale its Digital Navigator program and documented community demand for increased services. Therefore, the Selection Committee recommended that the Office for Community Technology seek authorization in the new fiscal year to award FY22-23 Digital Inclusion Fund resources to support the Free Geek grant application. City grantmaking policies require the Office for Community Technology to seek authorization to award funds to selected Digital Inclusion Fund grantees per fiscal year. The City Attorney's Office has approved the grant agreement template attached as Exhibit A. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: The Director of the Office for Community Technology to execute a grant agreement in a form substantially similar to the agreement attached as Exhibit A with Free Geek. The total amount of grant funding authorized by this Ordinance shall not exceed $87,500. Amendments to the grant agreements, including Scope of Work and grant agreement funding amount, may be executed by the Director of the Office for Community Technology or the Director’s designee, provided the amendments do not increase the fiscal risk to the City. In the event the Office for Community Technology is unable to execute a grant agreement with Free Geek, the Office for Community Technology is hereby authorized to execute a substantially similar grant agreement with a qualifying grant applicant recommended by the Grant Selection Committee provided that the grant is equal to or less than $87,500. Section 2. The Council declares an emergency exists because a delay in funding could result in harmful delay in the provision of no-charge services to Black, Indigenous and communities of color by these organizations through these agreements; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.