*Authorize the Director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to execute grant agreements for digital inclusion programs
The City of Portland ordains:
Section1. The Council finds:
- The City of Portland provides project management for outgoing grants to provide community-based organizations funding that reflects priorities the Mayor and City Council identified to build a digital connected and prosperous community.
- Funding for digital inclusion programs is included annually in the adopted budgets and the budget monitoring process.
- 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 economic opportunity for 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.
- The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s Community Technology program designs and implements granting strategies that make use of Digital Inclusion Fund resources using anti-racist, community-led planning and decision-making practices.
- City grantmaking policies require the Bureau to seek authorization to award funds to selected Digital Inclusion Fund grantees.
- Currently, an ordinance is required to award grants to community-based organizations funded through the city’s budget process. The ordinance process for outgoing grants requires significant time for the agreements to be fully executed.
- Due to demand for Digital Inclusion Fund resources the City of Portland needs to expedite agreements and amendments that are reviewed and selected by diverse members of the community grounded in digital equity best practices and community identified needs.
- The City Attorney's Office has approved the grant agreement template attached as Exhibit A.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:
- The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability Director is authorized to execute agreements in a form substantially similar to the agreement attached as Exhibit A and amendments related to the annual funding allocation to the Digital Inclusion Fund provided (1) the City’s financial obligations under the agreements, including amendments, do not exceed $250,000 annually and (2) Council approves funding for the agreements in the City’s budget.
- The requirements of City Policy FIN-2.04 are waived as applied to grant agreements executed by the Director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability in accordance with this ordinance.
- The authority granted to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability in section A of this ordinance expires on June 30, 2025.
Section 2. The Council declares that an emergency exists in order to avoid harmful delay in funding the provision of no-charge services to Black, Indigenous, and communities of color through these agreements and that there are FY 2022-23 grant agreements awaiting authorization to award in order to encumber the remaining FY 2022-23 funds before June 30, 2023; therefore, this Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage by the Council.
Official Record (Efiles)
An ordinance when passed by the Council shall be signed by the Auditor. It shall be carefully filed and preserved in the custody of the Auditor (City Charter Chapter 2 Article 1 Section 2-122)
Passed by Council
Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede
Impact Statement
Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) to execute Digital Inclusion Fund grant agreements in an amount not to exceed $250,000 annually.
The goals of the Digital Inclusion Fund are 1) To ensure people, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, People with Disabilities, and Seniors, and small and emerging BIPOC businesses 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 potentially be supported by the Digital Inclusion Fund.
The Digital Inclusion Fund is designed and operated using Participatory Grantmaking, which is an approach to funding decisions and strategies that emphasizes a human-centered approach and aims to shift traditional power dynamics in grant-making decisions to communities and those most affected by a social issue.
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) to execute outgoing grant agreements and amendments related to digital inclusion programs and services for up to $250,000 annually. Per City Financial Policy 2.04, only City Council may award grants of any dollar amount which are authorized in bureau budgets or Special Appropriations. The process for awarding grants is through an ordinance. Delegating authority to the BPS Director allows the Division to award grants outside the ordinance process, which is expected to reduce the time it takes to get resources into the community to address digital access barriers to social and economic prosperity.
The granting process and selection and awarding of funds that would be presented to the BPS Director go through extensive community-led decision-making processes.
BPS presents on the impact of Digital Inclusion Fund grants annually through the budgeting process and to Council biennially on larger findings and progress towards achieving program goals.
Financial and Budgetary Impacts
This legislation has no financial and/or budgetary impacts. Funding is supported by the ongoing general fund allocation to the Digital Inclusion Fund.
This ordinance is time bound and extends the authority to the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to issue grants for digital inclusion purposes until June 30, 2025.
Community Impacts and Community Involvement
The Digital Inclusion Fund helps build capacity in community-based organizations that intrinsically understand the needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), People with disabilities, and seniors, and BIPOC small businesses that experience digital inequities.
BPS Community Technology program supports the Digital Inclusion Network (DIN), a coalition of community leaders engaged in leading digital equity efforts throughout the community. BPS Community Technology program engages at least monthly with DIN members such as African Family Holistic Health Organization, Slavic Community Center of NW, Accent Network, Ethiopian and Eritrean Cultural and Resource Center, The Insight Alliance, Center for African Health and Education, LGBTQ Community Center, Umoya Relief Foundation, Portland Refugee Support Group, Journeys Foundation, Living Islands, Somali American Council of Oregon, Micronesian Islander Community, Free Geek, Suma, East Portland Daycare Services, Black Parent Initiative, Rohingya Youth Association of Portland, African Youth and Community Organization, Rosewood Initiative, United Congolese Community Organization, Impact NW, APANO, CAIRO, POIC+RAHS, Latino Network, IRCO-Africa House, Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Save the Tech, Franklin Family Foundation, Highland Haven PSALMS. to learn about their organization’s and their service populations ongoing digital adoption needs.
Through this engagement, BPS Community Technology program leads have heard repeatedly from these organizations that they need more resources to help their service population acquire internet service and computing devices. And that once acquired, residents needed in-person, individualized training and technical support to become independent digital learners.
In addition, BPS Community Technology program leads will continue to engage with members of BIPOC in Tech and the Inclusive Business Resource Network, both Prosper Portland small business initiatives, to learn about the digital adoption needs of small and emerging BIPOC businesses.
100% Renewable Goal
n/a
Budget Office Financial Impact Analysis
This legislation grants the Director of BPS the ability to enter into grant agreements for digital inclusion programs in the amount of $250,000 annually. Funding exists within the ongoing General Fund allocation to the Digital Inclusion Fund.
Agenda Items
468 Consent Agenda in June 7-8, 2023 Council Agenda
Passed
- Commissioner Dan Ryan Yea
- Commissioner Rene Gonzalez Yea
- Commissioner Mingus Mapps Absent
- Commissioner Carmen Rubio Yea
- Mayor Ted Wheeler Yea