Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 12, March 20, 2024
(a) All applications for general planning,
efficiency implementation, and 21st century demonstration grants will be rated
in accordance with the rating system established by the secretary. Criteria
used to rate applications will generally include the following. Different
weighting and additional criteria may be applied for 21st century demonstration
project grant applications:
(1) demonstrated
need for the project;
(2) the
likelihood of timely completion of the project;
(3) the potential for ongoing municipal cost
savings, productivity enhancement or streamlined administration;
(4) the number of municipalities involved or
the size of the service area;
(5)
the likelihood of instituting permanent changes to municipal structure or
service delivery resulting in cost savings, enhanced productivity or
streamlined administration over the long term;
(6) the ability of the project to serve as a
demonstration program for other municipalities to reduce costs, enhance
productivity or streamline administration;
(7) whether the project would advance other
State or municipal programs for municipal efficiency and cost
savings;
(8) the geographic
distribution of other fundable projects in any given application
cycle.
(b) High priority
planning grants are not subject to the above general review and approval
criteria.
(1) In awarding high priority
planning grants, the secretary may reserve portions of the money allocated for
different categories of plans or studies in order to provide for a variety of
types of applications to be funded.
(2) Applicants for high priority planning
grants will be required to meet deadlines for actions on development of work
plans and execution of contracts with the state in order to retain the grant
award. Funding awarded to applicants who do not meet established deadlines may
be returned to the funding pool for use by other eligible applicants.
Applicants who lose eligibility may reapply for available funds.
(c) In the selection of general
efficiency planning grant awards, priority shall be given to applications that:
(1) Would result in the complete functional
consolidation of a municipal service.
(2) Includes a municipality that meets three
of the following fiscal distress criteria:
(i)
Full valuation per capita less than 50 percent of the average full valuation
per capita for municipalities in New York State.
(ii) A population at least 10 percent less
than the population as reported in the (1970) Federal decennial
census.
(iii) Greater than 60
percent real property tax limit exhausted in the most recent local fiscal year
as reported to the Division of the Budget by the State Comptroller.
(iv) A percentage of individuals living below
the poverty level, as reported for a municipality in the most recent Federal
decennial census, in excess of 150 percent of the average percentage of
individuals living below the poverty level as reported for municipalities in
the most recent Federal decennial census.
(3) Would result in contractual services
between two or more municipal highway departments or the consolidation of two
or more municipal highway departments; provided, however, an applicant shall
indicate that an objective of the study or plan is to realize financial savings
upon implementation.
(4)
Consolidate health benefit plans offered by two or more
municipalities.
(d) In
the selection of efficiency implementation grant awards, priority shall be
given to applications that:
(1) would
implement the merger, dissolution or consolidation of municipalities;
(2) would result in the complete functional
consolidation of a municipal service;
(3) are submitted by applicants that
successfully completed a high priority planning grant or a planning grant under
the shared municipal services incentive grant program for one of the identified
high priority activities;
(4)
include a municipality that meets three of the fiscal distress criteria as
described in this Part;
(5) would
result in contractual services between two or more municipal highway
departments or the consolidation of two or more municipal highway
departments;
(6) consolidate health
benefit plans offered by two or more municipalities.
(e) Awards shall be granted only for services
that would otherwise be individually provided by each grantee and for which
demonstrable financial savings result from such sharing, unless awards are for
feasibility studies.
