Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Limitations of
funding. The Board has sole discretion in determining which activities are
necessary for the development or revision of RFPs. However, no funds provided
by the Board may be expended by RFPGs for the following:
(1) activities for which the EA determines
existing information, data, or analyses are sufficient for the planning effort
including but not limited to:
(A) model
development, modeling, or collection of data describing flood hazard exposure
or flood risks where information for evaluation of flood hazard exposure or
flood risks is currently available from other sources or that will be made
available by TWDB or others in sufficient time, with appropriate methodologies
and details to be utilized by the RFPG in development of their RFP;
(B) detailed technical evaluations of FMEs or
FMSs or FMPs, including regarding feasibility, cost, or impacts, where recent,
sufficient information for planning is available, including from the Board or
other entity, to evaluate the FMEs or FMPs or FMSs;
(C) evaluations of topics not directly
related to the regional flood planning contract scope of work or related flood
planning rules for development of regional flood plans; and
(D) revision of the Board-adopted state
population projections.
(2) activities directly related to the
preparation of applications for state or federal permits or other approvals,
activities associated with administrative or legal proceedings by regulatory
agencies, and preparation of engineering plans and specifications;
(3) costs associated with administration of
the plan's development by the Planning Group Sponsor or RFPG members, including
but not limited to:
(A) compensation for the
time or expenses of RFPGs members' service on or for the RFPG;
(B) costs of administering the RFPGs, other
than those explicitly allowed under subsection (b) of this section;
(C) costs for training;
(D) costs of developing an application for
funding or reviewing materials developed due to this grant; and
(4) analysis or other activities
related to planning for disaster response or recovery activities; and
(5) analyses of benefits and costs of FMSs
beyond the scope of such analyses that is specifically allowed or required by
regional flood planning guidance to be provided by the EA unless the RFPG
demonstrates to the satisfaction of the EA that these analyses are needed to
determine the selection of the FMS or FMP.
(b) The following administrative costs are
eligible for funding if the RFPG or its chairperson approves that the expenses
are eligible for reimbursement and are correct and necessary:
(1) travel expenses, as authorized by the
General Appropriations Act, are available only for attendance at a posted
meeting of the RFPG unless the travel is specifically authorized by the RFPG
and EA;
(2) costs associated with
providing translators and accommodations for persons with disabilities for
public meetings when required by law or deemed necessary by the RFPGs and
certified by the chairperson;
(3)
direct costs, of the Planning Group Sponsor, for placing public notices for the
legally required public meetings and of providing copies of information for the
public and for members of the RFPGs as needed for the efficient performance of
planning work;
(4) the cost of
public notice postings including a website and for postage for mailing notices
of public meetings;
(5) the
Planning Group Sponsor's personnel costs, for the staff hours that are directly
spent providing, preparing for, and posting public notice for RFPG meetings,
including time and direct expenses for their support of and attendance at such
RFPG meetings in accordance with, and as specifically limited by, the flood
planning grant contract with the Board;
(6) the reasonable cost of purchase or rental
of audio-visual equipment that is necessary to comply with Texas Government
Code Chapter 551 related to Open Meetings; and
(7) the cost of rental space to hold RFPG
meetings.
(c)
Subcontracting. An RFPG through the Planning Group Sponsor's contractor or
subcontractor may obtain professional services, including the services of a
planner, land surveyor, licensed engineer, or attorney, for development or
revision of a regional flood plan only if such services are procured on the
basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications through a request for
qualifications process in accordance with Texas Government Code Chapter
2254.