731-035-0070 Competitive Grant Application Awards and Match (1) Once the Commission makes a decision to award funding for an eligible project under 731-035-0060 the amount of the grant award is considered allocated from Program Funds. If an Agreement with a Recipient has not been executed within 180 days from the Commission’s decision to award funding for an eligible project, the allocation is withdrawn, and those funds may be awarded by the Commission to other eligible projects in a manner consistent with this rule. (2) Grants will be awarded only when there are sufficient funds available in the Connect Oregon Fund to meet the grant obligation. (a) Grant awards may not exceed 70 percent of the total eligible Project costs or for Class I railroads, 50 percent of the total eligible Project costs. (b) Matching funds must be provided by the grant recipient in the form of cash on hand, or through monetary outlay for eligible capital project costs that are reasonable, necessary and directly related to the project. Eligible costs may include costs to acquire, construct, or improve property (land, buildings, and fixed equipment) or to adapt the property to a new or different use consistent with the improvements described in the application. (A) Monetary outlays for subsection (b) above must have been made within 10 years of the application deadline for Connect Oregon grant fund submittals in order to qualify as eligible matching funds. Monetary outlays for land purchases occurring more than 10 years before the application submission deadline may be considered as matching funds only if the extension of time further serves the goals and objectives of the Program and is approved by the Director consistent with OAR 731-035-0080 (8). (B) The acquisition cost of land for a project may only be counted as 50% of the required project match. (C) Land acquisition costs for the same parcel or parcels of land may not be considered project match for more than one awarded Connect Oregon project. (D) All project match sources must be identified at the time of application is submitted. All match sources must be secured in accordance with the timelines identified in OAR 731-035-0060(8)(e) except for match sources from Federal Aviation Administration grants. Federal Aviation Administrative grants that are used as a match for an eligible project must be awarded within one year of the Commission decision to award funds to eligible projects. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 184.619, 367.082 & Ch. 816 OL 2005 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 367.080 – 367.086, Ch. 816 OL 2005 & Ch. 750 OL 2017 History: DOT 2-2025, amend filed 05/08/2025, effective 05/08/2025 DOT 5-2024, temporary amend filed 12/04/2024, effective 12/04/2024 through 06/01/2025 DOT 1-2020, amend filed 01/24/2020, effective 01/24/2020 DOT 2-2018, amend filed 03/20/2018, effective 03/20/2018 DOT 2-2017, temporary amend filed 09/27/2017, effective 10/06/2017 through 04/04/2018 DOT 3-2015, f. & cert. ef. 12-17-15 DOT 5-2011, f. & cert. ef. 12-22-11 DOT 4-2010, f. & cert. ef. 12-22-10 DOT 2-2010, f. & cert. ef. 7-30-10 DOT 3-2009, f. & cert. ef. 11-17-09 DOT 5-2007, f. & cert. ef. 11-15-07 DOT 3-2006, f. & cert. ef. 1-24-06 DOT 8-2005(Temp), f. 11-17-05, cert. ef. 11-21-05 thru 5-19-06