Authorize a Cable Franchise Fund for the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to support the collection of Public, Education, and Government revenues and manage cable franchise work related to intergovernmental agreements with jurisdictions

The City of Portland ordains.Section 1. The Council finds:City Comprehensive Financial Management Policy FIN-2.04 states that each fund in the City shall have a statement of purpose, adopted by ordinance of the City Council, which contains several required elements (outlined in FIN 2.04.01).City Comprehensive Financial Management Policy 2.06, consistent with City's overall revenue structure, states that the City's overall revenue structure shall be designed to recapture some of the financial benefits resulting from City economic and community development investments. Revenue collection efforts that produce positive net income for City service delivery shall be the highest budget priority.Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) is responsible for the collection of revenues associated with cable franchise agreements and the Public, Education, and Government (PEG) revenues paid under the cable franchises.The spending of PEG revenues must comply with federal law and the categories of spending as identified in cable franchise agreements between the City and cable franchisees. The City's only current cable franchise is with Comcast.To facilitate the collection and distribution of PEG revenues, creating a new accounting fund would help the City track PEG revenues and comply with PEG legal compliance requirements. The fund would also give the City flexibility to engage with other jurisdictions on cable services.Additionally, this fund will assist BPS in managing the outstanding Community Technology Grants approved by the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory (MHCRC) until those grants are completed in 2029.The fund will also help BPS administer resources derived from any future IGA for services with former MHCRC jurisdictions and allow BPS to continue allocating the City's PEG resources to fund capital operations of designated Community Media Center(s) and any future community technology grants.NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:The Cable Franchise Fund, Fund Number 234, is hereby created effective July 1, 2026.The Cable Franchise Fund will support capital costs related to PEG access consistent with applicable law, track costs associated with any subsequent Intergovernmental Agreements (IGAs) with partner jurisdictions, and facilitate the fulfilment of the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission's (MHCRC) outstanding obligations upon its dissolution. The source of funds for the Cable Franchise Fund will be the City's PEG revenues, IGA revenues for services provided to partner jurisdictions, and revenue transferred from the MHCRC's Fund 855 for its outstanding obligations.The Fund's Statement of Purpose included as Exhibit A for the Cable Franchise Fund is hereby adopted. The action to adopt the Fund Statement of Purpose contained in this ordinance is binding City policy.