La. Admin. Code tit. 4 § VII-1903

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section VII-1903 - Application Process

A. Rural development applications are available from the Office of Rural Development to all who request them. All requests for information may be submitted via mail to the Office of Rural Development, Box 94004, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9004.

B. Municipalities, parish governments, school boards, other units of government, and special districts are eligible to apply for rural development funds. All applicants must be authorized by law to perform governmental functions and be provided governmental body support, and must be subject to state audit.

C. Current population figures are used to determine the eligibility for funding of municipalities based on appropriations by the legislature. The funding is outlined in the ORD application guidelines for rural development grant funds.

D. Funds from this program cannot be used to pay consulting fees charged to a unit of government for the preparation of the application, for administrative costs by agents of the project sponsor or any third party, or for previously created debt.

E. Grant recipients are required to maintain an audit trail verifying that all funds received under this program were used to fulfill the criteria for funding.

F. Payment shall be made to the Local Governmental Agency which is the project sponsor upon production of invoices and approval of the LGA's request for payment by ORD, according to the agreed terms of a signed and executed letter of commitment.

G. Project funds shall be spent only for the project as described in the grant application designated by the same number as the project award. Changes in the project description and extension of the agreed time for completion must be made in writing, subject to the approval of ORD.

H. Use of grant funds for any project other than that described in the grant application or amended application, or in violation of any terms of the application or letter of commitment/agreement, will be grounds for ORD to terminate the agreement and revoke the funds for the project.

I. All invoices related to the project are the responsibility of the LGA project sponsor, and must be submitted to and approved by ORD before the funds will be released to the LGA, which remains responsible for payment to its vendors in the project.

J. The LGA as project sponsor will agree to hold harmless the State of Louisiana, Office of the Governor, and Office of Rural Development as a term and condition of the letter of commitment/agreement.

K. ORD will de-obligate funds from any unexpended amount, whether by failure to start a project in the agreed upon time frame in the letter of commitment or by unexpended funds in an officially closed project, and from revoked grant awards.

L. Failure of the LGA project sponsor to abide by any article of the local agency assurances section of the grant application or of the letter of commitment/agreement, including state audit procedures, federal and state laws, state ethical rules and policy guidelines of the ORD, shall result in revocation of the grant award and the responsibility of the LGA project sponsor to repay project funds released to it by ORD up to the full amount of the grant award.

La. Admin. Code tit. 4, § VII-1903

Promulgated by the Office of the Governor, Office of Rural Development, LR 24:1291 (July 1998).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 3:311 et seq.