Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission - Sept. 25, 2020

Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission Special Called Meeting of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission

Meeting will be held online. original pdf

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Versión en español a continuación. Special Meeting of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission September 25, 2020 Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission to be held September 25, 2020 with Social Distancing Modifications Public comment will be allowed via telephone; no in-person input will be allowed. All speakers must register in advance by Noon September 24. All public comment will occur at the beginning of the meeting. To speak remotely at the September 25, 2020 Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission Meeting, residents must: • Call or email the board liaison at 512-974-7676 or jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov no later than noon September 24. The information required is the speaker name, item number(s) they wish to speak on, whether they are for/against/neutral, and a telephone number or email address. • Once a request to speak has been called in or emailed to the board liaison, residents will receive either an email or phone call providing the telephone number to call on the day of the scheduled meeting. • Speakers must call in at least 15 minutes prior to meeting start in order to speak, late callers will not be accepted and will not be able to speak. • Speakers will be placed in a queue until their time to speak. • Handouts or other information may be emailed to jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov by Noon the day before the scheduled meeting. This information will be provided to Board and Commission members in advance of the meeting. • If this meeting is broadcast live, residents may watch the meeting here: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Reunión del Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission FECHA de la reunion September 25, 2020 La junta se llevará con modificaciones de distanciamiento social Se permitirán comentarios públicos por teléfono; no se permitirá ninguna entrada en persona. Todos los oradores deben registrarse con anticipación (September 24 antes del mediodía). Todos los comentarios públicos se producirán al comienzo de la reunión. Para hablar de forma remota en la reunión, los residentes deben: • Llame o envíe un correo electrónico al enlace de la junta en 512-974-7676 or jesse.rodriguez@austintexas.gov a más tardar al mediodía (el día antes de la reunión). La información requerida es el nombre del orador, los números de artículo sobre los que desean hablar, si están a favor / en contra / neutrales, y un número de teléfono o dirección de correo electrónico. • Una vez que se haya llamado o enviado por correo electrónico una solicitud para …

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Agenda Item 3a: GTOPs 2021 Recommendations original pdf

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M E M O R A N D U M TO: FROM: Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission John Speirs, Program Manager Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs September 25, 2020 DATE: SUBJECT: Recommendations for 2021 Grant for Technology Opportunities Program Background The City of Austin’s Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan, as adopted by Resolution No. 20141120- 074, includes every Austin resident having an opportunity to be fully engaged in digital society, accessing and using digital and communications technology. The Office of Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs (TARA) is the lead office for implementation of this plan. The Grant for Technology Opportunities Program (GTOPs) is a grant administered by the Community Technology (CT) Division of TARA directed at improving the community's ability to fully participate in the digital society to achieve the goals of the Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan. Purpose and Process The purpose of this report is to review the significant changes coming to the 2021 cycle of the GTOPs. Each year, CT staff performs a review of the prior grant cycle in preparation for the next year of grants. For this year’s annual strategic planning and review process, feedback surveys were deployed to all GTOPs applicants and reviewers. In addition, staff observations and multiple touchpoints with the chair of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission (CTTC) were taken into account. From these data sources, recommendations were drafted. Subsequently, the draft recommendations were reviewed by a focus group and other key stakeholders, including non-profits involved in the GTOPs space, the City’s Equity Office, and the chair of the CTTC. The feedback from the focus group were incorporated into the final version of the recommendations, presented below. Analysis There are three categories of changes being proposed for the GTOPs 2021 cycle: 1) Adjustments to the application process to ensure a clearer and more direct relationship between the scoring criteria and the application and to better weight Focus Areas; 2) changes to the overall GTOPs structure to provide for efficiency, enhanced support for grantees, and to adjust the GTOPs schedule to accommodate the holiday months; and 3) eases the administrative burden of 1 reporting on contractors. Together, these three changes could greatly improve service delivery and core program capacity to local Austin nonprofit groups. Adjustments to the Application and Scoring Process Recommendation: Replace the current “Focus Area” system that guarantees funding based on category with a new system that gives bonus points to organizations that meet …

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Amended Agenda Item 3a: GTOPs 2021 Recommendations original pdf

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M E M O R A N D U M TO: FROM: Community Technology & Telecommunications Commission John Speirs, Program Manager Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs September 25, 2020 DATE: SUBJECT: Recommendations for 2021 Grant for Technology Opportunities Program Background The City of Austin’s Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan, as adopted by Resolution No. 20141120- 074, includes every Austin resident having an opportunity to be fully engaged in digital society, accessing and using digital and communications technology. The Office of Telecommunications & Regulatory Affairs (TARA) is the lead office for implementation of this plan. The Grant for Technology Opportunities Program (GTOPs) is a grant administered by the Community Technology (CT) Division of TARA directed at improving the community's ability to fully participate in the digital society to achieve the goals of the Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan. Purpose and Process The purpose of this report is to review the significant changes coming to the 2021 cycle of the GTOPs. Each year, CT staff performs a review of the prior grant cycle in preparation for the next year of grants. For this year’s annual strategic planning and review process, feedback surveys were deployed to all GTOPs applicants and reviewers. In addition, staff observations and multiple touchpoints with the chair of the Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission (CTTC) were taken into account. From these data sources, recommendations were drafted. Subsequently, the draft recommendations were reviewed by a focus group and other key stakeholders, including non-profits involved in the GTOPs space, the City’s Equity Office, and the chair of the CTTC. The feedback from the focus group were incorporated into the final version of the recommendations, presented below. Analysis There are three categories of changes being proposed for the GTOPs 2021 cycle: 1) Adjustments to the application process to ensure a clearer and more direct relationship between the scoring criteria and the application and to better weight Focus Areas; 2) changes to the overall GTOPs structure to provide for efficiency, enhanced support for grantees, and to adjust the GTOPs schedule to accommodate the holiday months; and 3) eases the administrative burden of 1 reporting on contractors. Together, these three changes could greatly improve service delivery and core program capacity to local Austin nonprofit groups. Adjustments to the Application and Scoring Process Recommendation: Replace the current “Focus Area” system that guarantees funding based on category with a new system that gives bonus points to organizations that meet …

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Approved Minutes original pdf

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COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION http://www.austintexas.gov/cttc MINUTES Special Called Meeting Wednesday – September 25, 2020 – 3:00 PM VIA VIDEOCONFERENCING Please go to http://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/10_1.htm for backup material associated with this agenda. All ATXN (City Channel 6) programming is cablecast on Spectrum, Grande Communications, and Google Fiber on their cable channel 6, on AT&T U‐ Verse Channel 99 and webcast online. Over 20 meetings per month, including this commission meeting, are available on demand online, typically within a few hours of the cablecast. Schedules and video can be found at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/atxn-video-archive. CURRENT COMMISSION MEMBERS: Sophie Gairo ‐ Mayor Steve Adler Nehemiah Pitts III ‐ Council Member Natasha Harper‐Madison, District 1 Claudia Yanez ‐ Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza, District 2 Malcolm Yeatts ‐ Council Member Sabino “Pio” Renteria, District 3 David Alexander ‐ Council Member Gregorio Casar, District 4 Dave Floyd ‐ Council Member Ann Kitchen, District 5 Irfan Syed ‐ Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, District 6 Vacant ‐ Council Member Leslie Pool, District 7 Michelle Reinhardt ‐ Council Member Paige Ellis, District 8 Nicole Thompson – Council Member Kathie Tovo, District 9 Sumit DasGupta ‐ Council Member Alison Alter, District 10 Commission Members Present Sophie Gairo Nehemiah Pitts III Malcolm Yeatts David Alexander Dave Floyd Irfan Syed Nicole Thompson Sumit DasGupta Unexcused Absence Claudia Yanez Michelle Reinhardt CALL TO ORDER Meeting was called to order at 3:05 PM CALL TO ORDER 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – July 24, 2020 Motion to approve minutes as presented made by Commissioner DasGupta, seconded by Commissioner Floyd passed on a vote of 7-0-1, with Commissioner Yeatts not present. 2. STAFF AND COMMUNITY BRIEFINGS (A member of the public may not address a board at a meeting on an item posted as a briefing) a. Briefing on COVID-19 Response to Digital Inclusion Programs (John Speirs, Program Manager – Telecom & Regulatory Affairs) The briefing can be viewed here. b. TARA Office Briefing (John Speirs, Program Manager – Telecom & Regulatory Affairs) The briefing can be viewed here. 3. NEW BUSINESS (Discussion and Possible Action) a. Discussion and action on Grant for Technology Opportunities Program 2021 Cycle Recommendations (Jesse Rodriguez, Business Process Specialist – Telecom & Regulatory Affairs) The GTOPs Recommendation memo can be viewed here. Motion to approve the GTOPs Recommendations as presented made by Commissioner Floyd and seconded by Commissioner DasGuputa passed on a vote of 7-0-1 with Commissioner Syed not present. 4. COMMISSION …

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