Current through Register Vol. 24-18, September 15, 2024
(1) The board will
consider and prioritize, or disapprove, all applications for financial
assistance at regular or special meetings of the board. The applicant will be
notified of meetings at which its application will be considered.
(2) Applications will be evaluated and
prioritized in accordance with the following procedures:
(a) Staff will log in all applications as
received.
(b) Staff will review all
applications for compliance with the minimum qualification requirements of WAC
399-30-030(2).
Jurisdictions whose applications do not meet the minimum qualification
requirements will be notified in writing of the disqualification.
(c) Staff will perform an evaluation of all
applications which meet the requirements of WAC
399-30-030(2).
Applications will be scored according to responses in the application developed
and approved by the board.
(d)
Staff will provide the board with evaluation and scoring of the applications.
All application materials will be available to the board for their
deliberations. The board will approve a ranked list of projects based on the
information provided to them by the staff and the applications.
(e) The board may adjust the ranked list in
consideration of the following factors:
(i)
Geographical balance;
(ii) Economic
distress;
(iii) Type of
projects;
(iv) Type of
jurisdiction;
(v) Past management
practices of the applicant, including, but not limited to, late loan payments,
loan defaults, audit findings, or inability to complete projects within the
time allowed by loan agreement;
(vi) Other criteria that the board considers
advisable.
(f) Staff
will verify critical information on each project as required by the
board.
(g) In order to ensure
fairness to all jurisdictions with applications pending before the board, the
board will not accept oral or written testimony from any applicant while
deliberating loan priorities, other than specific responses to information
requests initiated by the board as provided in (h) of this
subsection.
(h) The board may
consult with officials of jurisdictions having projects submitted for funding
on any issue it wishes to address.
(3) The board must develop a process to
prioritize applications and funding of loans and grants for public works
projects submitted by local governments. The board must consider, at a minimum
and in any order, the following factors in prioritizing projects:
(a) Whether the project is critical in nature
and would affect the health and safety of many people;
(b) The extent to which the project leverages
other funds;
(c) The extent to
which the project is ready to proceed to construction;
(d) Whether the project is located in an area
of high unemployment, compared to the average state unemployment;
(e) Whether the project promotes the
sustainable use of resources and environmental quality, as
applicable;
(f) Whether the project
consolidates or regionalizes systems;
(g) Whether the project encourages economic
development through mixed-use and mixed-income development consistent with
chapter 36.70A RCW;
(h) Whether the
system is being well managed in the present and for long-term
sustainability;
(i) Achieving
equitable distribution of funds by geography and population;
(j) The extent to which the project meets the
following state policy objectives:
(i)
Efficient use of state resources;
(ii) Preservation and enhancement of health
and safety;
(iii) Abatement of
pollution and protection of the environment;
(iv) Creation of new, family-wage jobs, and
avoidance of shifting existing jobs from one Washington state community to
another;
(v) Fostering economic
development consistent with chapter 36.70A RCW;
(vi) Efficiency in delivery of goods and
services and transportation; and
(vii) Reduction of the overall cost of public
infrastructure;
(k)
Whether the applicant sought or is seeking funding for the project from other
sources; and
(l) Other criteria
that the board considers necessary to achieve the purposes of this
chapter.
(4) After
January 1, 2010, any project designed to address the effects of stormwater or
wastewater on Puget Sound may be funded under this section only if the project
is not in conflict with the action agenda developed by the Puget Sound
partnership under
RCW
90.71.310.
(5) For projects involving repair,
replacement, or improvement of a wastewater treatment plant or other public
works facility for which an investment grade efficiency audit is reasonably
obtainable, the public works board must require as a contract condition that
the project sponsor undertake an investment grade efficiency audit. The project
sponsor may finance the costs of the audit as part of its public works
assistance account program loan or grant.
(6) Existing debt or financial obligations of
local governments may not be refinanced under this chapter. Each local
government applicant must provide documentation of attempts to secure
additional local or other sources of funding for each public works project for
which financial assistance is sought under this chapter.
(7) Applicants will be notified in writing of
board decisions.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.155.040(4). 09-04-100,
§
399-30-040, filed 2/4/09,
effective 3/7/09; 07-05-029, §
399-30-040, filed 2/13/07,
effective 3/16/07. Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.155.040(5). 01-09-014,
§
399-30-040, filed 4/6/01,
effective 5/7/01. Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.155.040(4) and (5).
98-24-010, §
399-30-040, filed 11/19/98,
effective 12/20/98. Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.155.040(4). 95-11-093,
§
399-30-040, filed 5/19/95,
effective 6/19/95; 93-22-015, §
399-30-040, filed 10/26/93,
effective 11/26/93; 92-03-052, §
399-30-040, filed 1/13/92,
effective 2/13/92. Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.155.040. 88-10-009 (Order 88-02), §
399-30-040, filed 4/22/88;
87-17-013 (Order 87-16), §
399-30-040, filed 8/10/87;
86-18-009 (Resolution No. 86-12), §
399-30-040, filed 8/21/86.
Statutory Authority: 1985 c 446 § 10. 86-03-051 (Resolution No. 85-17),
§
399-30-040, filed
1/15/86.
