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Label:
Information
The Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission (MHCRC) Community Technology Grants program provided capital grants to organizations, libraries, government agencies, and schools utilizing technology to create media to be shared on local cable channels.
Dissolution Impacts
Existing Community Technology Grants and grants awarded during fiscal year 2025–2026 will be managed to completion. Grant recipients will continue to work with City of Portland staff on reporting and compliance requirements. Any future community technology grant opportunities supported by PEG funding will depend on how the individual jurisdictions formerly represented by the commission decide to allocate these funds. For further questions or inquiries, please contact Rana DeBey (rana.debey@portlandoregon.gov).
About the Community Grants Program
The Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission (MHCRC) was the grant-making body for the Community Grants program which provided funds for technology projects to community organizations, libraries, educational institutions and local government agencies throughout Multnomah County. This program assisted local entities in using cable system technology for enhanced communications, including video, data and voice applications through our TechSmart Initiative and our Community Technology Grants program.
Grants provided a financial means to address concrete local needs, such as improving learning resources in public schools and community colleges; removing barriers to receiving an education, workforce training, information or other social services; and increasing access to media tools for local discourse, civic participation, and communications.
Funding
The funding for the Grant Program was made possible by local government’s ability to negotiate franchise agreements with cable companies for their private use of the public right-of-way. The cities of Fairview, Gresham, Portland, Troutdale and Wood Village and Multnomah County created the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission, through an intergovernmental agreement, to regulate and oversee the franchise agreements. The MHCRC received dedicated grant funds from Comcast, CenturyLink, Ziply (formerly Frontier) and Reliance Connects, the current cable operators serving areas of Multnomah County, and allocated the funds to serve the public interest.
As a result of the source of funding for the Community Grants Program, proposed projects used the community access channels within Multnomah County to meet a local communication or information need.
Contact Grant Program Staff
Rana DeBey, Community Grants Manager, 503-823-1031