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September 10, 2024 <br /> <br />24 - 246 - Adoption of an ordinance accepting Virginia Broadband Affordability and <br />Planning Grant funding in the amount of $23,985 from the Virginia Department of <br />Housing and Community Development and appropriating said amount in the FY <br />2025 Grants Fund for use by the Department of Information Technology to conduct <br />needs assessments and develop strategies to promote digital opportunity in the <br />city. <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br /> Access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet, universally across our <br />community continues to play a critical and growing role in the ways in which people work, <br />learn, raise families, and receive health care. <br /> <br /> Full digital opportunity – gaining access to broadband uninhibited by barriers of <br />affordability and adoption - is necessary for civic and cultural participation, employment, <br />lifelong learning, and access to essential services. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br /> Portsmouth Department of Information Technology was awarded a Virginia <br /> <br />Broadband Affordability and Adoption Planning Grant in the amount of $23,985 by DHCD. <br /> <br /> The Virginia Broadband Affordability and Adoption Planning Grant Program is an <br />opportunity for the City of Portsmouth to conduct needs assessments, identify priorities, <br />and develop plans with implementation strategies to address and promote digital <br />opportunity. The purpose of these plans will be to prepare for the Broadband Equity <br />Access and Deployment (BEAD) non-deployment, federal Digital Equity Act, as well as <br />other governmental and philanthropic funding by assessing the digital needs in our <br />community and proposing sustainable solutions to addressing these identified needs <br /> <br />within our implementation plan. <br /> <br />Financial Impact: <br /> <br /> No local match is required as a condition of the funding. <br /> <br />Recommended Action: <br /> <br /> <br /> Adoption of the ordinance. <br /> <br />Next Steps Following Council Action: <br /> <br /> Finance will establish a budget line and make the appropriate budget adjustments. <br /> <br />Motion by Mr. Tillage, and seconded by Mr. Hugel, to adopt the following <br />ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: <br /> <br />“ORDINANCE ACCEPTING VIRGINIA BROADBAND AFFORDABILITY AND <br />PLANNING GRANT FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $23,985 FROM THE VIRGINIA <br />DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND <br />APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT IN THE FY 2025 GRANTS FUND FOR USE BY THE <br />DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO CONDUCT NEEDS <br />ASSESSMENTS AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE DIGITAL <br />OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY. <br />” <br /> <br />Ayes: Barnes, Hugel, Lucas-Burke, Moody, Tillage, Whitaker, Glover <br />Nays: None <br /> <br />24 - 247 - Adoption of an ordinance accepting Summer Food Service Program <br />grant funding in the amount of $499,113.04 from the Virginia Department of <br />Education and appropriating said amount in the FY 2025 Grants Fund for use by <br />the Department of Parks & Recreation. <br /> <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br /> The City of Portsmouth has received a grant through the Virginia Department of <br />Education (VDOE) from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Food <br />Service Program for more than 39 years. The program is administered by the Department <br />of Parks & Recreation. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />