In addition to the certifications made on the face of the award
statement, the recipient of funds must further certify that:
(1) No applicable state laws, rules,
regulations, or applicable local ordinances shall be violated in carrying out
this project and expending Regional E-9-1-1 Fund monies.
(2) Recipient will adhere to applicable state
and local procurement requirements and it will maintain documentation to
confirm such adherence. For activities not applicable to state procurement
requirements, recipient agrees to procure such services and activities through
a fair and open competitive procurement process that is openly advertised
through appropriate media and in compliance with any applicable local
procurement laws or regulations.
(3) Recipient's accounting records shall be
maintained in a manner consistent with generally accepted government accounting
standards.
(4) If the recipient is
a development authority with powers set forth at Chapter 62 of Title 36 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, then the project financed in part by
Regional E-9-1-1 Fund monies shall only be leased or sold as provided by
Section
36-62-7 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.
(5) The recipient (in accordance with state
law) shall undergo an annual financial audit conducted in accordance with
government auditing standards established by the comptroller general of the
United States. The recipient shall submit copies of all audits that cover all
or part of the award period to the agency.
(6) No real or apparent conflict of interest
shall be engaged in by any person or party (or any person or party with whom
they have family or business ties) who is involved in any aspect of the
Regional E-9-1-1 Fund project.
Guidelines for Applicant Submission. The following
guidelines are designed to assist applicants in submitting complete Regional E-
9-1-1 Fund applications that meet the intent of the program. For further
information about program intent, eligible activities, and the rating and
selection process, please read the Regional E-9-1-1 Fund regulations and the
application forms included with this application manual. Note that these
guidelines are not meant to duplicate in their entirety the Regional E-9-1-1
Fund regulations; rather, these guidelines are designed to highlight important
program requirements and emphasize critical steps in the application
process.
Guidelines for All Regional E-9-1-1 Fund Applicants.
1. Please follow all application instructions
and fill out all forms as completely as possible. The rating and review
criteria provided in this manual are not to be filled out by the
applicant. These criteria are provided as a guide to the kinds of projects that
may be competitive under the Regional E-9-1-1 Fund, and applicants should
include any information that would enhance their application based on the
criteria. Note that the rating and review system is used only as a guide for
the OneGeorgia Authority and/or its Agent in making its funding decisions.
Other factors unique to a specific application may also be
considered.
2. Note that the
application manual includes an application checklist for needed forms and
supporting documentation. This checklist will assist the applicant in preparing
as complete an application as possible. For any item requested in the
application, supporting documentation will strengthen the application, and, if
not provided, may be requested by the reviewer if deemed necessary to arrive at
a recommendation. For example, if a public infrastructure project were being
proposed, a preliminary engineering report would strengthen the
application.
3. The Regional
E-9-1-1 Fund is designed to be a flexible community and economic development
tool to assist in providing enhanced 9-1-1 emergency telephone services to
Georgia's counties not currently covered by such service; however, resources
for the program are limited. All potential applicants should seek the
advice of the OneGeorgia Authority and/or DCA and the Georgia Emergency
Management Agency (GEMA) prior to submitting a Regional E-9-1-1 Fund
application.
4. All
applicants should carefully read the Regional E-9-1-1 Fund Regulations and the
Statement of General Conditions. In addition to the Statement of General
Conditions, an award may be subject to additional special conditions at the
discretion of the OneGeorgia Authority or its Agent. All award recipients are
subject to audit by the Department of Audits and to monitoring by the Authority
or its Agent. In addition, Regional E-9-1-1 Fund monies are required to be
included in recipient's annual independent financial audit or report of agreed
upon procedures.
5. The initiation
of project activities prior to an award could endanger Regional E-9-1-1 Fund
funding. While the Regional E-9-1-1 Fund is flexible, initiation of project
activities prior to award may indicate that Regional E-9-1-1 Fund monies are
not needed. Please check with the One Georgia Authority or its Agent as
soon as it appears that such a situation may occur. Under certain
circumstances and with the advanced written approval of the OneGeorgia
Authority or its Agent, other funds may be used on an interim basis to finance
a project for which Regional E-9-1-1 Fund monies are being sought. regional
E-9-1-1 Fund monies, if approved, may then be used to fund the project on a
permanent basis. Nonetheless, all Regional E-9-1-1 Fund requirements must be
met, and the applicant must demonstrate that Regional E-9-1-1 Fund monies are
necessary to the project. In addition, the recipient will be required to
document the source and use of all funds used in the project, including interim
funds. All Regional E-9-1-1 Fund applications must include information about
any interim financing to allow the OneGeorgia Authority or its Agent to
determine the eligibility of the proposed interim financing
arrangements.
6. All attached
budget forms identify source and use of funds. The specific use of Regional
E-9-1-1 Fund monies should be clearly identified as well as the use of all
other funds. All sources of funds should be identified. Sources of funds must
equal uses. Prior to drawdown of funds or upon audit or monitoring of the
Regional E-9-1-1 Fund project, documentation will be required showing how
Regional E-9-1-1 Fund and other project funds have been spent.
7. Eligible activities are listed in the
Regional E-9-1-1 Fund Regulations that are part of this manual. Generally,
activities are eligible if they are listed in the regulations and if they
assist an eligible applicant in carrying out its responsibilities under state
law, specifically, in the provision of enhanced 9-1-1 emergency telephone
service. Nonetheless, if activities other than public facilities or
infrastructure are being planned, please contact the OneGeorgia Authority
and/or DCA to verify that proposed activities are eligible. Note that
private ownership of project assets is generally not eligible under the
Regional E-9-1-1 Fund.
8.
(A) Conflicts of Interest - In general, no
person who is an elected or appointed official, employee, agent, consultant,
officer or any person serving in a similar capacity with any participating
public agency, that exercise or have exercised any functions or
responsibilities with respect to any Regional E-9-1-1 Fund activities can
benefit from a Regional E-9-1-1 Fund project. Those persons who are in a
position to participate in a decision-making process or gain inside information
regarding Regional E-9-1-1 Fund proposed or related activities, who may obtain
a personal, financial interest, or benefit from the project, or have any
interest in any contract, subcontract or agreement with respect to any Regional
E-9-1-1 Fund project are also prohibited from benefiting from the project. The
prohibitions against benefiting from a Regional E-9-1-1 Fund project would
apply to the covered individuals or those with whom they have family or
business ties, for one (1) year following their tenure in the covered
position.
(B) Exceptions - Upon
written request, the OneGeorgia Authority may grant an exception to the
provisions of paragraph A above, on a case-by-case basis, before funds are
expended. Exceptions can only be granted when the One Georgia Authority
determines that the exception will serve to further the purposes of the
Regional E-9-1-1 Fund Program. To seek an exception, a written request for an
exception must be submitted by the applicant to the OneGeorgia Authority or its
Agent which:
1) fully discloses the conflict
or potential conflict of interest, prior to the applicant undertaking any
action which results or may result in any conflict of interest, real or
apparent; and
2) describes how the
conflict of interest was publicly disclosed; and
3) includes a written opinion of the
applicant's attorney that the interest for which the exception is sought would
not violate state or local law.
9. Other guidelines or requirements may be
established by the One Georgia Authority in order to further the purposes of
the Regional E-9-1-1 Fund.
O.C.G.A. Sec.
50-34-1et
seq.
