TITLE
Recommendation to adopt Specifications No. RFP ED22-022 and award a contract to Human-I-T, of Long Beach, CA, to implement and administer the Free Internet Services & Computing Devices Program, in an amount of $1,000,000, with a 20 percent contingency in the amount of $200,000, for a total amount not to exceed of $1,200,000 for a period of two years, with the option to renew for three additional one-year periods, at the discretion of the City Manager; and, authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to enter into the contract, including any necessary subsequent amendments. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
Long Beach Recovery Act
On March 16, 2021, the City Council adopted the Long Beach Recovery Act (LB Recovery Act) becoming one of the first major cities to approve COVID-19 recovery programs made possible through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other federal and State funding sources. Additional funding adjustments to the LB Recovery Act were made as part of the Adopted FY 22 Budget and periodic adjustments will be brought to the City Council as needed. Additional information about the LB Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery. As part of the LB Recovery Act, under the category of Economic Recovery, approximately $1.5 million was allocated towards advancing the City’s digital equity and inclusion efforts.
Long Beach Digital Inclusion Initiative Overview
Like other cities across the country, Long Beach is experiencing a digital divide, meaning some communities do not have access to and use of digital literacy training, the internet, and technology devices. As captured by the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates, low-income communities, Black/African-American, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous and other communities of color, and older adults are disproportionately affected by the digital divide in Long Beach. To address these digital inequities, especially for communities most in need, the Ci...
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