Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) In addition
to the costs eligible for assistance enumerated in the act, eligible project
costs considered by the Board include the following:
(1) Project design and engineering
incorporated in the final project, including the development of prefeasibility,
feasibility and planning studies, plans, specifications, cost estimates,
surveys, project inspection and management and costs associated with the
completion of a second opinion project review required under §
963.20 or §
965.7 (relating to second opinion
project review).
(2) Financial
condition and audit reports required for financial assistance
application.
(3) Administrative
costs, including financial reporting costs, generated by the project and
specifically included in the financial assistance agreement. These costs
include the cost associated with completing the application itself.
(4) Acquisition of property rights, including
that of necessary easements or rights-of-way, and equipment that are
preliminary to or a necessary part of the project. Acquisition of property
rights may include the costs associated with the acquisition, including taxes,
fees, surveys, title insurance and relocation fees specifically included in the
financial assistance agreement.
(5)
Capital contributions to be paid by the applicant for the use of existing
treatment, storage, distribution or related capacity. Section
963.17 (relating to funding
limitations) applies to the payment of capital contributions. In particular,
capital contributions paid prior to approval by the Authority, and in the
absence of a letter of no prejudice issued by the Authority, will not be
considered eligible costs. Capital contributions are eligible costs only when
the following conditions are met:
(i) The use
of the capacity by the applicant is either acquired for the life of the
capacity or is leased for a sufficiently long period and with rights and
privileges as to be tantamount, in the Authority's judgment, to
acquisition.
(ii) The price charged
for the capacity does not exceed the sum of the following:
(A) The applicant's proportionate share of
the unpaid principal of a debt incurred to finance construction of the
capacity. The applicant's proportionate share equals the percentage of the
existing capacity that the applicant is acquiring or leasing.
(B) Costs incurred by the capacity's owner to
modify the capacity to make it available for the applicant's use.
(iii) The financing of capital
contributions by the authority does not result in rate reductions to existing
users beyond those attributable to the mere spreading of common costs over a
larger number of users, comprised of existing users and those represented by
the applicant.
(iv) If the capacity
being acquired or leased is already in use, the evaluation of the project under
the criteria in §§
963.8 and
963.9 (relating to wastewater
project evaluation criteria; and water project evaluation criteria) is on a net
benefit basis. Only benefits that are in excess of the benefits already being
generated by use of the capacity shall be counted in evaluating the
project.
(v) The financing of
capital contributions by the authority neither directly nor indirectly
jeopardizes a source of authority funds. In particular, that portion of a
capital contribution financed by the Authority equal to the unpaid principal of
a tax-exempt debt incurred to finance construction of the capacity shall be
used to retire that debt.
(vi) The
financing of capital contributions by the authority does not directly or
indirectly duplicate the assistance provided by the Authority for a
project.
(6) Legal
service fees generated by the project.
(7) Permit fees.
(8) Insurance or bonds associated with the
construction of the project.
(9)
Security bonds, necessary reserves and costs of establishing and securing total
financing arrangements for the project.
(10) Interest during construction or
financing of the project and allowance for funds used during
construction.
(11) Project
construction, including labor, materials, machinery, equipment, site
preparation and restoration costs associated with the project.
(12) Other costs the Board has determined to
be necessary or incident to the project. The applicant shall demonstrate that
the activities associated with these costs are integral to the proposed project
and that the costs are unavoidable.
(b) Eligible costs incurred prior to an
application being considered by the Board may be reimbursed in assistance
provided by the Board, except that acquisition and construction costs are not
reimbursable unless the applicant obtains a letter of no prejudice under §
963.17(b).
(c) Funds encumbered or
advanced for the project which are not used for eligible costs in the project
shall be returned to the fund or account from which they originated for
reallocation and use in other projects.
This section cited in 25 Pa. Code §
963.12 (relating to ineligible
costs).