The five staff members who manage the SBA program do what they can with the resources at their disposal.
Staff relies heavily on local assertion in the project review process.
The BOE and SBA staff have extensive administrative authority granted by the SBA statute which they do not exercise. The SBA project review process involves an extensive amount of up-front work between DOE staff and the applicant before an application is submitted for review. During that periord, DOE staff exerts a significant discretion and influence on the proposal. Once submitted, the review process is pro-forma. Other state and local agencies and commissions required to review the application such as MEPA and the local historical commission feel pressured to approve the projects since three or more years have often been invested in the particular project before it crosses their purview.