Council agrees to submit $21,000 CETF digital equity application; details to be finalized by council committee

The City Council discussed a California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) grant opportunity that staff said could bring roughly $21,000 to the city, with staff estimating about $16,000 would be available for program activities after initial obligations. The application deadline required submission by the next day, so staff asked the council to approve filing the application with the allocation specifics to be determined later.

Council member David Kent led the debate about how residual funds should be allocated and urged that the city recover any staff time spent on the application before distributing remaining funds. "Anything to help the community as a whole resolve their...lack of Internet access here...do not give it to the library," a council member said during the discussion, arguing for direct community assistance rather than a single institution receiving the money.

The council moved and seconded a resolution to submit the CETF application with the stipulation that Councilman David Kent and staff would convene a short working group to develop an allocation plan that benefits the community broadly; the council will review and approve the distribution plan before funds are spent. The motion passed; staff and Councilman Kent will complete the application and return with a recommended allocation and an outreach plan for underserved households.

The council also requested that staff prepare a short list of top technical needs (for example: installation fees, staff automation tools, or resident subsidies) to support the application responses. No final allocation was approved at this meeting.