passed ordinance

*Authorize subrecipient grant agreement with Latino Network for the Digital Divide Response Project not to exceed $142,200

budget finance
technology data
grant

Department: Planning and Sustainability (BPS)
Introduced by: Former Commissioner Carmen Rubio
Status: Passed

Impact statement

Purpose & background

The Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS) requests City Council's approval to authorize the Director of the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability to execute subrecipient grant agreements to fulfill the goals of the Digital Divide Response Project funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (LFRF). This legislation also allows BPS to donate computer equipment purchased with LFRF to the subrecipient organization, who shall then distribute the equipment to individuals who have disproportionately been impacted by COVID-19 and the digital divide and are receiving digital skills training support. A few of the computers will be retained by the subrecipient, as indicated in the Ordinance Exhibit A, to support the design and delivery of digital skills training services.

Financial impacts

This legislation has no financial or budgetary impacts. The subrecipient agreements in this ordinance are funded through LFRF authorized in the FY 2022-23 Amended Budget. LFRF funds allocated to the Office for Community Technology for the Digital Divide Response Project were carried forwarded in the adopted FY 2022-23 budget. In the Fall of 2022, the Office for Community Technology staff, operating budget, programs, and services were absorbed into the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability.

Community impacts

The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s Community Technology program used a community centered approach to identifying digital inclusion needs in the community. In FY 2021-22, OCT engaged ASCETA, LLC., a community engagement facilitator with strong ties in the community, to ensure the ARPA Digital Divide Response Project design was community-led and community-centered. Through this engagement process, when asked what would most help bridge the digital divide for priority populations, community members indicated access to computing devices was still a high priority need, along with warranties, software, and accessories, digital skills training and digital services navigation support, and access to free or low-cost internet services. As a result, the initiatives use LFRF to support the distribution of computing devices and digital accessories, digital skills training, and pilots a local WIFI6 or fixed-wireless network to serve our community’s most marginalized members (those with intersectionality of known barriers to digital adoption). The initiatives have the added benefit of building capacity in trusted community-based organizations to deliver these resources. In FY 2022-23, CT launched the grant initiatives. A series of information sessions and open office hours were held throughout the grant application process to ensure broad access by the community. Translation closed captioning, and American Sign Language interpretation was provided when requested. A Grant Selection Committee comprised of diverse community members evaluated the applications received using established equity-based selection criteria. The committees independently scored each application and deliberated to establish the funding selections.

▸ Full text (the legislation as adopted)

The City of Portland ordains: Section 1. The Council finds: On May 12, 2020, City Council passed Resolution 37487, which declared the City’s intent to centralize, guide, and coordinate its COVID-19 efforts and its commitment to align its COVID-19 response with the City’s climate and equity goals. On March 12, 2021, President Joseph Biden signed H.R. 1319 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) into law, providing $1.9 trillion in spending and programs to mitigate the public health and economic impacts of the pandemic. ARPA Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (LFRF) were allocated to State, Tribal, and Local jurisdictions to support public health expenditures, address negative economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay for essential workers, and invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure. On June 9, 2021, City Council adopted the City Budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22, which appropriated $40,356,035 in funding from the first disbursement of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (LFRF). On July 28, 2021, City Council adopted Ordinance 190525, which amended the FY 2021-22 adopted budget to accept the award of $207,895,373 in ARPA LFRF funding, appropriate $63,591,652 of the funds, and delegate authority to certain Program Bureau Directors to execute contracts and agreements funded under the program. In addition to other allocations, the amended FY 2021-22 budget allocated $3,500,000 in LFRF to the Office for Community Technology (OCT) for the Digital Divide Response project and named Elisabeth Perez as the Director authorized to execute contracts and agreements using the LFRF. In the Fall 2022, the Office for Community Technology merged with the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) so that former OCT staff, operating budgets, and programs and services, including the ARPA LFRF Digital Divide Response project, have been absorbed into BPS. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: The Director of the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability or designee is authorized to execute the agreement with Latino Network in a form similar to the grant agreement attached as Exhibit A. The Director of the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability or designee is authorized to approve funding amendments up to 25% of the original budget amount of any agreement covered under this ordinance, as long as LFRF allocated to the Digital Divide Response project remain available. In the event the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability is unable to execute a subrecipient agreement as described in Exhibit A, the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability is hereby authorized to execute a substantially similar agreement with a qualifying subrecipient applicant recommended by the Grant Selection Committee provided that the agreement is equal to or less than the original subrecipient agreement amount. The Mayor and Auditor are hereby authorized to make payments on these contracts from the BPS operating fund budget. Section 2. The Council declares that an emergency exists because the program funds must be obligated within required timeframes; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage.

Tally

5 yea 0 nay