Public Hearing: YES ☐ NO ☒ Department: Board of Commissioners - District 7
SUBJECT:
Title
Commission District(s): District 7
To Appropriate American Rescue Plan Grant Funds In The Amount Of $32,000 Assigned to POETA Account 105744.63258.521209.01.07.602479 Reserved For The District 7 Appropriation To The DeKalb County Library Foundation To Mitigate The Public Health Emergency Created By The COVID-19 Pandemic
Body
Information Contact: Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson
Phone Number: 404-371-2899
PURPOSE:
To approve an appropriation of $32,000 from the America Rescue Plan grant funds assigned to the account reserved for District 7 to the DeKalb County Library Foundation for the purpose of providing hotspots to DeKalb County library patrons through the Take the Internet Home With You Initiative to mitigate the public health emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEED/IMPACT:
The Take the Internet Home With You initiative provides mobile hotspot devices to DeKalb County Public Library patrons. Hotspots are portable, rechargeable devices that allow patrons to access a reliable Internet connection at no charge for 21 days. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how vast the digital gap is in DeKalb communities. Take the Internet Home With You initiative is an effort to bridge the digital divide for DeKalb County citizens. A Pew Research survey revealed that 90% of adult Americans responded that the Internet has been essential to them during the coronavirus outbreak. However, according to the US Census Bureau's COVID-19 Impact Planning Report, on average 16.9% of DeKalb County citizens do not have the Internet at home. Data from HTC 2020.show that there are areas in DeKalb County as high as 30% where families do not have access to the Internet. This gap affects adults looking for jobs, healthcare resources, and other essential services. Furthermore, this problem affects children in DeKalb County who need to stay connected to the Internet and school resources.
FISCAL IMPACT:
To appropriate an amount not to exceed $32,000 from POETA Account # 105744.63258.521209.01.07.602479 to the DeKalb County Library Foundation to provide mobile hotspots to Dekalb County library patrons who do not have access to the Internet to mitigate the public health emergency created by the COVID-19 pandemic
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
To approve the resolution and authorize the chief executive officer to execute all necessary documents.