Iowa Admin. Code r. 761-163.9 - Local development projects
(1)
General provisions. The following provisions are applicable to
local development projects:
a. Local
development projects may be located on primary roads, secondary roads, city
streets, state park roads or county conservation parkways.
b. There is no limit on the number of
applications per county or city that will be considered for RISE
funding.
c. Counties and cities may
apply for single-year or multiyear funding. Multiyear funding is to be limited
to funding commitments from no more than three program years'
allocations.
d. Applicants may use
staff from other counties or cities, areawide planning organizations, areawide
economic development organizations, or other jurisdictions to prepare
application materials or administer projects.
e. An adequate transportation justification
for the roadway project is to be provided. The proposed improvement need not be
designed prior to project application, but the concept is to generally be
reasonable from a transportation planning and engineering standpoint and
detailed enough to enable project cost estimates to be developed.
(2)
Contents of
applications. Each application for a local development project is to
contain the following:
a. General information,
including the applicant's name, contact person, mailing address, telephone
number, local economic development program and history of efforts in the area,
and other information of a general nature about the project proposal and the
associated economic development activity.
b. Cost information, including the estimated
total capital investment involved with the associated economic development
activity, the estimated total cost of the roadway project, the amount of RISE
funds requested for the roadway project, and the amount of non-RISE funds to be
used to match or supplement RISE funding. Itemized breakdowns (showing the
item, cost and funding source) are to be included for the total capital
investment, the total roadway project cost, the RISE funds requested, and the
non-RISE funds to be used to match or supplement RISE funding.
c. Data showing the impact of the associated
economic development activity, including the number of direct jobs created or
retained. Jobs created as a result of jobs being displaced elsewhere in the
state are not to be considered direct jobs created for the purpose of
evaluating the application.
(1) To expedite
the review, the applicant is to provide the following data for each business
included in the project justification: a list of in-state competitors; a list
of in-state suppliers; the percentage of out-ofstate sales; the effect on
import substitution; long-range growth potential; and a list of all current and
anticipated employment positions, both full- and part-time, the hourly wage for
each, and the turnover rate.
(2)
The applicant is to certify that each business will give hiring preference to
residents of the state or local area, except for out-of-state employees offered
a transfer to Iowa.
d. A
preliminary project concept statement for the roadway project, including maps
showing site characteristics such as zoning, platting, subdivision boundaries,
and corporate limits; a sketch plan; and a justification for the transportation
improvement. In most cases, a sketch plan should include a simple plan and
profile defining the horizontal and vertical geometrics and a typical roadway
cross section defining pavement, shoulders, foreslope, and backslope or border
treatment. The transportation justification should address topics such as the
current condition of existing roadways or bridges, the relationship of the
project to connecting roads, and ingress to and egress from the site, as well
as the current flow of traffic on the development site, anticipated total
traffic and large truck traffic, proposed major design features of the proposed
improvement, the intended roadway function, how the proposed improvement is
consistent with other local plans, and the reason the proposed alternative was
selected over other alternatives. The department may request completion of a
traffic impact analysis to supplement the transportation justification before
it is reviewed.
e. A time schedule
for the total development, including the roadway project and the associated
economic development activity.
f. A
formal resolution passed by the governing body of the jurisdiction responsible
or to be responsible for the road or street to be constructed or improved. The
resolution is to state that the project will be adequately maintained and
dedicated to public use for a minimum of 20 years after completion of the
project and that land provided access by the proposed improvement will be
developed according to rule
761-163.2 (315). The resolution
is to also certify that any business assisted by the project that acquires or
merges with an Iowa corporation within three years following the RISE
application intends to make a good-faith effort to hire the workers of the
merged or acquired company.
g. A
summary showing that necessary arrangements have been made for nonroadway
factors (e.g., zoning, sewer, water, police and fire protection, financing, and
permits) essential for the proposed economic development activity.
(3)
Submission of
applications. Applications are to be submitted on a form provided by
the department.
a. Applications may be
submitted at any time. However, in order to be considered in the current round
of programming, complete applications are to be received by the department or
postmarked no later than February 1 or September 1.
b. Once an application has been submitted, no
further information concerning that application is accepted by the department
from the applicant unless specifically requested by the department.
Applications may be withdrawn by the applicant and resubmitted at any time.
Resubmitted applications are to be dated accordingly.
(4)
Incomplete applications.
An applicant is to fully complete the official application form and provide all
other information identified in this chapter before the application will be
considered by the commission. An applicant is to be notified if an application
is incomplete.
(5)
Verification of application materials. Complete applications
are reviewed to verify the figures or statements in the applications. This may
include site visits. If inaccuracies, omissions, or errors are found, the
commission may rescind the commitment of funds or reevaluate the application
based on the correct information. If an applicant loses funding through this
process, the commission has complete discretion concerning the disposition of
those funds, including awarding them to other applicants or carrying them over
to the next programming cycle.
(6)
Rating factors. The following factors and potential rating
points are to be used in assessing applications for local development projects.
Assessment of these factors is to be the responsibility of the department.
a.
Development potential.
This factor measures the degree of certainty involved in the economic
development activity to be supported by the proposed RISE project and the
potential for future job growth. Maximum points: 35.
b.
Economic impact. This
factor measures the economic impact of the development activity to be supported
by the proposed RISE project, including the number of direct jobs assisted,
investment leveraging, the percentage of out-of-state sales and in-state
suppliers, the impact on competition and diversification, and the quality of
job factors. Maximum points: 20.
c.
Local commitment and initiative. This factor measures the
level of effort being put forth by the applicant to attract economic
development and the adequacy of the supporting infrastructure. Maximum points:
35 (includes 5 points for the remediation or redevelopment of a brownfield
site).
d.
Transportation
need. This factor measures the condition and quality of existing road
or street service. Maximum points: 4.
e.
Area economic need. This
factor measures the economic condition of the area. Maximum points:
6.
(7)
Review
and funding of applications.
a. The
staff of the department reviews and rates complete local development project
applications and may consult with other organizations with economic development
responsibilities. As part of the review, the staff evaluates the effect of the
proposed project on the state economy using the following factors: consistency
with the state economic development plan; diversification of the state economy;
the impact on in-state suppliers, competitors, and import substitution;
percentage of out-of-state sales; the quality of employment positions; and the
record of law violations. Complete applications are to be forwarded to the
commission for a funding commitment action within a reasonable period of time
after the application deadline. An application considered but not funded in one
programming cycle is not to be considered in a subsequent cycle without
resubmittal by the applicant.
b.
The commission may fund all or any part of an application and may make a
funding commitment conditional upon adherence to a specific time schedule,
realization of a development prospect, or fulfillment of other
agreements.
Notes
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