City Council Meeting Date: October 2, 2018
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Title
Consider Authorization of Northfield Shares Fund Grant Application for translation capital equipment.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves support for grant application to the Northfield Shares Fund Grant Application for translation capital equipment.
Summary Report:
The Northfield Human Rights Commission met at their September meeting and unanimously supported a recommendation for the City Council to support a grant application to provide translation equipment that could be used by the City and members of the community.
Acquiring a translation equipment for the Northfield community will make the community more inclusive and welcoming. These goals are consistent with our strategic plan initiatives as well as recently adopted goals of the Human Rights Commission. The equipment will allow for groups with a different native language than English to have access to talks, events and City Council meetings, among others, by allowing people to wear a head piece while the translator transmits the English speech into their native languages. This equipment, obviously, does not provide a translator but allows for two languages to be used at the same time while live translation requires more time as the speech has to be repeated in the targeted language.
The Northfield Shares Fund is a permanent endowment created to benefit the people of the greater Northfield area. Northfield Shares accepts and administers gifts from many sources to help meet the needs of the community. Their website notes that they hold the following values related to this fund:
• We believe that resources go further through collaboration.
• We support creative and innovative solutions when addressing the needs and interests of our area.
• We are an inclusive organization that embraces the Northfield area in all of its diversity.
• We seek to empower stakeholders in building a better Northfield.
The application is due by October 15 and awarded early in 2019. Staff will work to complete the final application in partnership with the Human Rights Commission members who have volunteered to assist in the preparation and submit by the deadline. Attached is the application questions and working draft of the grant responses.
Alternative Options:
Deny the request. There may be another organization that would apply but the City would not be owners.
Financial Impacts:
The grant is still being reviewed for the appropriate amount to request. However, we are anticipating at this time the request may be for between $3000-9000 depending on the equipment. There are no matching requirement and would not be submitting any for the request. The final amount would be determined prior to submission.
Tentative Timelines:
Grant deadline October 15, 2018
Grant award announcements 2019.