2023 New York Laws › COM - Economic Development Law › Article 5-C - Erie/barge Canal Development Program › 176 - Erie/barge Canal Challenge Grant Program.

§  176.  Erie/Barge  canal challenge grant program. 1. There is hereby
established within the department an Erie/Barge  canal  challenge  grant
program  to  be  administered  in  coordination  with  the department of
transportation for the purpose of providing municipalities  adjacent  to
the  Erie/Barge  canal  with  matching  funds  to  plan  and  carry  out
canal-related tourism activities; provided, however, that:
(a) no grant to any  municipality  shall  exceed  the  sum  of  twenty
thousand  dollars  or forty percent of the total project cost, whichever
is less;
(b) each applicant, whether a  single  municipality  or  two  or  more
municipalities  acting  jointly,  shall  be eligible to receive only one
such grant in any twelve-month period;
(c) no part of any such grant  shall  be  used  for  salaries  or  for
services  regularly  provided  by the municipality or for administrative
costs in connection with this grant;
(d) the municipality or a designated nonprofit  entity  has  committed
sufficient  funds  to  fulfill  the  local  match  requirements  of this
program;
(e) in-kind services shall not be considered part of the  local  match
requirement; and
(f)  no  grant  shall  be  used for the direct benefit of a for-profit
business unless (i) the funded activity shall further a  public  purpose
and  have  a  clear,  long-term  benefit  to the applicant and (ii) such
funded activity is not available to the business from  other  public  or
private sources.
2.  Applicants  for  grants  may  be  a  municipality  or  two or more
municipalities  acting  jointly.  A  municipality,  or   two   or   more
municipalities acting jointly, may designate by resolution a county or a
nonprofit entity to act on its behalf.
3.  The  commissioner shall establish and publish, on an annual basis,
guidelines and a standard application form relative to the use of  funds
to  be granted hereunder. In addition to such other information as shall
be requested by the commissioner, applicants shall provide a description
of:
(a) the activity or project for which a grant is requested and how  it
relates to the canal;
(b) how the proposed activity or project will contribute to or enhance
tourism development along the canal;
(c)  project  impact  including, where appropriate, an estimate of the
number of people to be  served  by  the  project,  the  length  of  time
visitors  may  be expected to spend in the area, the ratio between local
residents and visitors to be served by the project, the duration of  the
project; and
(d)  whether it is part of an overall tourism marketing or development
plan.
4. In reviewing and selecting applicants to receive grants under  this
program,  the  commissioner  shall  consider,  in  coordination with the
department of transportation, the following:
(a) the nature and extent of economic distress  within  the  applicant
community  and  the  need  for assistance.   Preference will be given to
municipalities  which  meet  the  criteria  for  economic  distress   as
established by the department;
(b)  the  potential  of  the proposed canal-related activity to make a
significant and permanent contribution to tourism development within the
applicant municipality and along the canal as a whole;
(c) the existence of a local tourism marketing or development plan  to
enhance  tourism activity, and the extent to which the proposed activity
is consistent with the plan;
(d)  the  nature  and  extent  of  local  support  for  the   proposed
canal-related  activity including the commitment of additional financial
resources;
(e)  the  degree  of  support  within  the  municipality  for  tourism
development, in general, and  the  nature  and  extent  of  other  canal
related activities, in particular, engaged in by the municipality or its
designated   nonprofit   entity,   business   community   and  community
organizations;
(f) preference shall be given to those applications submitted  by  two
or more municipalities; and
(g)  preference  shall  be  given to applications creating new tourism
activities.
5. Grants shall be awarded by September fifteenth of each year.