Section 626-3-3 - IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS FOR PROJECTS OTHER THAN ELIGIBLE FOREST ECONOMY COMMUNITY GRANT PROJECTSThe Authority may provide grants for Applicants with Eligible Implementation Grant Projects other than Eligible Forest Economy Community Grant Projects.
A. Grant Application ProcessFrom time to time, the Authority may determine to make implementation grants available. At such times, the Authority shall give public notice of the date by which applications for implementation grants must be received, and what must be submitted for an application. The public notice may include other terms, conditions or limitations on such grants, including the maximum number or amount of such grants, that the Trustees determine are appropriate.
B. Grant Application Contents. An Applicant shall submit an application complying with the requirements of this rule on forms developed by the Authority as may be specified with supporting information as required by this rule and additional information as requested by the Authority. The Authority shall make application forms available. The following minimum information shall be required: a. Executive Summary: Summary description of project; reason for application, work product, and desired outcome. Describe previous local level of reliance on the closed facility b. Statement of the amount of grant funding being applied for and matching funds, if any.c. Sources/Uses Chart: A chart identifying each of the Sources of funds for the project; the sum total of these Sources; each of the Uses of funds for the project; the sum total of these Uses. Sources and Uses totals must match.d. Description of what State agencies and/or regional economic development organizations/resources and/or consultants would assist in completion of project.e. Project Narrativei. Provide data/background demonstrating severe economic decline and employment loss, event/facility closure date, including but not limited to municipal tax revenues, residents formerly directly employed, residents and supply chain businesses that provided services to the site operators or employees.ii. Discuss need for grant assistance, likelihood of success, economic impact;iii. Discuss work product and expected outcome (jobs, direct and indirect; tax revenues, private investment);iv. Discuss: existing facilities (on site and other, e. g. rail, ports, etc.), community support (letters), regional collaboration/consistency with regional plan, time frame for completion of redevelopment plan, regulatory restrictions on use;f. Collaboration / Committee Formation: Describe the nature and extent of community support for the project, including, if applicable, the involvement of a Redevelopment Committee made up of local residents and owner of site to steer redevelopment plan.g. Contract: Provide copies of all relevant private sector and/or government contracts or sample contracts related to the redevelopment, remediation, and/or marketing plan.h. Budget: Estimate cost of the redevelopment project, qualified expenses include future costs only, planning/technical staff, materials, travel, other resources including municipal and private funds, or other match, including in-kind match. i. Relationship to Regional Economic Development Plan, if any.C. Grant Application Selection. Following the grant application deadline imposed by the Authority, the Authority shall review and score all of the applications, or ask a service provider to review and score all applications. Applicants may be asked to submit additional materials as part of the review process. Grant applications shall be selected based upon the highest scores from a review of the applications. The total number of grants awarded and total amount of each grant, as well as the aggregate amount of all grants, shall be subject to the discretion of the Authority. Grant applications may be awarded in the amount requested or in such lesser amount as the Authority may determine appropriate. All grant awards shall be made by the Authority following a vote at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Trustees. Application scoring shall be based on the following weighted factors:
1. Amount of matching funds committed to the project (5-25%)2. Demonstrated community support (5-25%)3. Likelihood of ultimate completion of redevelopment of site. (10-40%)4. Potential impact of completion of redevelopment of site (10-40%)5. Consistency with any applicable regional economic development plan (5-25%) The Trustees shall determine, in advance of review of applications, the specific weight to be given to each factor.
D. Grant Recipient ObligationsUpon receipt of an implementation grant, the Applicant shall execute an Agreement with the Authority that contains the following minimum terms, as well as any other terms determined reasonable or necessary by the Authority:
1. The Applicant will use the grant only for the purposes for which it was awarded.2. The Applicant will repay the full amount of the grant to the Authority in the event of a material misrepresentation in the Grant Application, or in the event the grant is not used for the purposes for which it was awarded, or there is other material breach of Grant Agreement.3. The Applicant will provide periodic updates required by the Authority for monitoring purposes, which updates may include verification that grants have had the intended results. The Authority may require disbursement of the grant to be in parts over time upon completion of certain benchmarks.