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Cuyahoga County committee advances $150,000 ARPA grant for Ward 1 Ring Doorbell program to second reading
Summary
Committee moved Resolution 20250194—awarding up to $150,000 from District 8 ARPA funds to Famicos Foundation for a Ward 1 Ring Doorbell installation program—out of committee to second reading; sponsors said combined city funding could reach 2,000 households.
The Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services and Aging Committee on June 4 advanced Resolution 20250194, a proposal to award up to $150,000 from the District 8 ARPA Community Grant Fund to the Famicos Foundation to install Ring doorbell cameras for low-income seniors in Ward 1.
The clerk read the resolution into the record and the committee heard from John, executive director of Famicos Foundation, and London Burnett of Veterans Electrical Group, the contractor the group proposed to use. John said Famicos was founded in 1969 to provide food, clothing and affordable housing and that the requested funds would purchase and install Ring doorbell/camera devices for eligible households, prioritizing residents 55 and older at or below an income threshold described by the speaker.
John said installations would be either hardwired or battery-powered depending on each home; Famicos will handle outreach and intake (including a simple application and self-certification of income) and perform eligibility screening. Burnett said most homes have wired doorbells and described wired and wireless units; he and Famicos estimated modern battery life at about 12 months.
Committee members asked whether the $150,000 county grant was the full funding for the program; John said Famicos was applying for an additional $150,000 from the City of Cleveland, and with combined funds they expected to serve about 2,000 households. Famicos said it used a per-installation cost of $125 in its calculation. John said participants would not be required to pay a subscription service for the first year; residents who want paid monitoring could subscribe separately.
Chair moved to advance the resolution out of committee to second reading; the motion, recorded as moved by Conwell and seconded by Castleberry, was approved by voice vote. A councilmember also pledged an additional $10,000 during the meeting; staff said they would amend the request before the item appears on the council floor.
