Section 290-RICR-20-00-2.6 - Review ProcessA. Beginning on April 1 of each year, the Department will take the following steps to evaluate and rank municipal Infrastructure Plans:1. The Department will convene a panel of experts from staff within the Rhode Island Department of Transportation; the Rhode Island Department of Administration, Division of Planning (Statewide Planning Program), and the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation to review projects.2. The panel will determine which Infrastructure Plans meet stated project evaluation criteria established in § 2.5 of this Part and are Eligible Projects.3. The panel will review all available Application materials and may contact the municipality to request additional information in order to establish a proposed Project Priority List for all Eligible Projects.4. The Department will hold a public hearing on the proposed Project Priority List in the month of April. The Public Notice of the availability of the proposed Project Priority List shall be published on the Department's website: www.dot.ri.gov. a. Public notice of the availability of the proposed Project Priority List and the place and time of the public hearing shall be published on the Department's website, for at least three (3) calendar days in advance of the hearing to afford all interested persons reasonable opportunity to submit data, views, or comments concerning the proposed Project Priority List.b. The public notice shall indicate the location where copies of the Project Priority List may be obtained and/or reviewed by interested parties prior to the hearing.c. The panel shall accept written comments on the Project Priority List from the time of public notice of availability until the close of the public hearing.5. The panel shall consider fully all written and oral submissions respecting the proposed Project Priority List, and make any changes deemed necessary to serve the purposes of these regulations.6. As advised by the panel, the Department will adopt a final Project Priority List and provide the Bank and the Rhode Island Statewide Planning Program with the proposed Project Priority List no later than May 1 of any year. a. The decision of the Department in writing shall be the Final Agency decision in determining the Project Priority List.b. Subject to availability of funds, the Department may add projects to the Project Priority List after the close of the annual evaluation period after giving no less than ten (10) days' public notice of such action, and provided that no project previously included on the Project Priority List, which remains an Eligible Project, will be unfunded or underfunded as a result.290 R.I. Code R. 290-RICR-20-00-2.6