Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 213 - Department of Rural Services › Rule 213.00.10-001 - Rural Services Block Grant Program (RSBGP)

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
Who are the Department of Rural Services and the Arkansas Rural
	 Development Commission?
The Department of Rural Services (DRS, formerly the Office of Rural
	 Advocacy) is a state agency charged with assisting rural communities with a
	 population of 20,000 and under. Established under Act 302 of 1991, the
	 Department of Rural Services assists local agencies in rural areas with grant
	 funds and technical assistance.
The Arkansas Rural Development Commission (ARDC) is a group of citizens
	 from around rural Arkansas charged with overseeing the programs of the
	 Department of Rural Services. The Governor appoints seven of the members, two
	 are appointed by the Senate President Pro-Tem, and two are appointed by the
	 Speaker of the House. Commissioners serve five-year terms and meet throughout
	 the year to discuss rural issues that affect Arkansans.
The other focus of the agency is to provide funding for worthwhile
	 projects in rural communities. The agency has administered the Rural Community
	 Grant Program for several years, unfortunately many worthy projects remain
	 unfunded due to budget constraints. Recognizing the need for additional
	 resources the Department of Rural Services has begun working to build new
	 partnerships with our sister state agencies and private sector companies. The
	 Rural Services Block Grant Program (RSBGP) is the result of one such
	 partnership with the Arkansas Department of Economic Development.
Who is Eligible to Apply for Funds from the RSBGP?
In accordance with the State of Arkansas Five Year Plan for Arkansas
	 Housing, Community and Economic Development Programs the following entities are
	 eligible for funding under the Rural Services Block Grant Program
	 (RSBGP):
* Incorporated and unincorporated cities and towns in RURAL Arkansas
	 with less than 3,000 people (verifiable by current US census
	 information)
* Population must be at least 51% low to moderate income (LMI). A
	 complete list of Arkansas community LMI percentages is available on the DRS
	 website at
www.arkansas.gov/drs
.
* In keeping with our enabling legislation, a rural area is defined for
	 the purpose of this program as "all the territory of the State of Arkansas that
is not within the outer boundary of any city or town having a population
	 of 20,000 or more
according to the latest federal census or within such
	 a city or town's neighboring urbanized areas.
For forms and instructions about determining LMI Eligibility for your
	 area See Attachment 1-Determining and Documenting Benefit to Low and Moderate
	 Income Families which has been extracted from the Arkansas Community and
	 Economic Development Program (ACEDP) Guidelines administered by the Arkansas
	 Economic Development Commission.
Are There Other Eligibility Restrictions?
The Rural Services Block Grant Program (RSBGP) is funded through the
	 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Small Cities Community
	 Development Block Grant Program and administered for the State and our agency
	 by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Cities not currently a party
	 to one categorical grant and counties that are not currently a party to two
	 categorical grants are eligible to apply under the program. Categorical grants
	 include the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Program (ACEDP) and the
	 Rural Services
Block Grant Program (RSBGP) administered by the Arkansas Economic
	 Development Commission. Active grants in other Department of Rural Services and
	 Arkansas Economic Development Commission programs are not considered in
	 determining eligibility.
What Types of Projects Are Eligible?
In keeping with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission's 5-Year
	 Consolidated Plan, applications for Rural Services Block Grant Program (RSBGP)
	 grant funds will be accepted for the following type projects (please contact
	 the RSBGP Grants Coordinator to ensure that your project is eligible):
* New construction or renovation of community centers or multi-purpose
	 use buildings for the betterment of the community
* New construction or renovation of fire stations
* Purchase of fire trucks, specialized life-saving equipment such as
	 "jaws of life" and protective clothing worn by fire fighters
If you have a question about project eligibility please contact the
	 RSBGP Coordinator at 1-888-7872527.
Click here to view
	 image
* Have an accredited asbestos inspector/management planner conduct a
	 thorough inspection of the building according to the Asbestos Hazard Emergency
	 Response Act (AHERA) guidelines, including sampling and laboratory analysis.
	 Testing costs will depend on the size and design of the building and are the
	 applicant's responsibility. For inspection information please contact:
The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Air Division
Asbestos and Lead-Based Paint Branch
Phone: (501) 682-0718
E-mail: info@adeq.state.ar.us
Web:
www.adeq.state.ar.us
* Sign a waiver releasing and holding harmless the Department of Rural
	 Services, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and all employees of the
	 two agencies of any liability, claims, judgments or action whatsoever as a
	 result of allowing grant funds to be used in the renovation of a building
	 containing asbestos.
* Establish adequate justification that the cost and time associated
	 with renovating a building containing asbestos is more cost effective than
	 renovating a building that does not contain asbestos or new construction. This
	 justification must be provided as part of the application.
Each of the above items must be submitted with the application whenever
	 building renovation or rehabilitation is proposed.
Will We Be Required To Have An Architect or
	 Engineer?
Maybe!!!
All projects exceeding $100,000 are required to
	 have an architect. All projects exceeding $25,000 are required to have an
	 engineer. Projects must comply with state plumbing and building code
	 requirements.
How much funding is available?
Seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) is available for distribution
	 under the Rural Services Block Grant Program (RSBGP).
What is the Maximum Award?
Eligible projects may submit an application for up to $75,000.
Is There a Matching Requirement?
The RSBGP is a nine to one matching program.
This requires
	 that the applicant must be able to match its grant award with cash, in-kind
	 labor, in-kind materials, or land at a rate of one dollar to every nine grant
	 dollars (10%).
Land used for matching purposes must be owned by the city
	 or county applying
. The value of all matching (including in-kind) must
	 be documented by bank statements for cash, official cost estimates for in-kind
	 materials and labor, or official appraisals for land. Official cost estimates
	 for in-kind materials and professional labor should document what the material
	 or professional labor would cost if it were not being donated. Community labor
	 being donated is equal to $18.04 per hour. Official appraisals for land may be
	 in the form of an appraisal from a certified appraiser or a copy of the
	 property assessment from the county clerk.
Administrative Costs
Each community that receives the RSBGP is responsible for the
	 administration of the grant. The recipient may work with their local Planning
	 and Development District or hire an outside consultant. The fee that the
	 consultant charges can be included in the community's request (this may be done
	 as long as the total request does not exceed the amount for which a community
	 is allowed to apply). The community may use other available funds to pay the
	 administrative fee charged by the consultant. The fee will be a minimum of
	 $2,000 with a maximum of 10% of the grant. The administrative consultant must
	 be trained and approved by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
How Do We Apply?
The RSBGP application process requires that communities hold a public
	 hearing and submit an application to be considered for grant funds. The process
	 is as follows:
Public Hearing Requirement
Prior to application submission, applicants will need to hold a public
	 hearing to document the need for the project. All public hearings should be
	 publicized in the appropriate local media at least 7 calendar days before they
	 are to be held, and the hearing should be conducted no later than 2 weeks prior
	 to the application deadline.
Application Submission
Applicants must submit an
original
application and
1
	 complete copy
of the application to the Department of Rural Services by
	 the application deadline. Applications will be reviewed by the Department of
	 Rural Services for completeness and the RSBGP Grant Review Committee will
	 review eligibility and all complete and eligible applications. The grant review
	 committee will formulate funding recommendations, which will be reviewed and
	 approved by the full ARDC and the Governor's Grant Review Committee.
Selected Applications
Applications recommended for funding by the Department of Rural
	 Services will be notified in writing and will work with the Arkansas Economic
	 Development Commission throughout the remainder of the project.
It is
	 imperative that selected communities wait for instructions from AEDC before
	 beginning any part of their project.
Successful applicants must first sign a grant agreement before
	 any work is started or any purchases are made.
Selected communities run the risk of forfeiting their grant award
	 for work done or purchases made toward their project before a grant agreement
	 is executed. Please call 1-888-787 -2527 if you have any
	 questions.
Unsuccessful Applications
Applications not recommended for funding by the Department of Rural
	 Services will be notified in writing and will be encouraged to schedule a
	 conference with the RSBGP Coordinator to discuss deficiencies and areas
	 requiring or needing improvement if it is the applicants desire to apply the
	 following year.
Department of Rural Services
RSBGP APPLICATION PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
General
Formal proposals must be developed and organized in compliance with the
	 outline and guidelines set fourth in this document to be considered complete
	 and eligible for consideration. Proposals not following all guidelines and in
	 the outline order requested will be considered non-compliant and therefore
	 ineligible for funding consideration. All questions regarding the Proposal
	 Application Outline content and process should be made in writing to the RSBGP
	 Coordinator at the address below.
General Formatting
	 Information
Proposals should be:
* Typed in 12 point in one the following fonts: Times New Roman, Arial,
	 Courier or Helvetica
* Single spaced on one side of 8 ½ X 11 paper
* Sections limited to the recommended page length
* Organized in the order requested in the outline.
Submission Information
One original and one copy of the
	 proposal
must be submitted to the address below by the
	 proposal deadline. Failure to submit the appropriate number of copies will
	 result in the proposal being non-compliant and therefore ineligible for funding
	 consideration.
Mail proposals to:
Department of Rural Services
ATTN: RSBGP Coordinator
101 East Capitol, Suite 202
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: 1-888-787 -2527 (RURAL-AR)
Fax: 501-682-6014
Department of Rural Services
RSBGP APPLICATION PROPOSAL OUTLINE
Application Proposal
	 Outline
I.
Application Coversheet
All applicants must fill out the top part of the form, completing all
	 blanks to be considered eligible for funding. Fire departments applying for
	 funding must also complete the lower portion of the form to be considered
	 eligible for funding.
II.
RSBGP Applicant Contact Information
III.
Project Summary-Brief Description
  of Project-1 page max.
The Project Summary should briefly describe the project. (Detail
	 information should be included in the Project Narrative Section)
IV.
Documentation of Public
  Support-1-10 pages
Documentation of public support may be a combination of any of the
	 following not to exceed ten (10) pages:
* Letter of support from the community's state senator or
	 representative
* Letter of support from community's congressional
	 representative
* Letters from members of the public to be served by the project
* Petitions of support from citizens to be served by the
	 project.
V.
Project
  Narrative-1-5 pages
The project narrative should cover in detail the following
	 items:
* Describe the project in detail
* Describe in detail the demographics of the population to be
	 served
* Provide detailed information regarding the organizations and
	 individuals involved in the project, their qualifications and past
	 experience.
* Specify the community's long and short term goals for the
	 project
VI.
Needs
  Assessment-1-5 pages
The needs assessment is the most important section of the proposal and
	 should contain the following:
* Provide a detailed history and description of the steps the community
	 has taken to document the need for the project.
* Identify and describe any problems related to community health and
	 safety, which the project would address.
* Describe any unmet needs currently being experienced by the community
	 that would be alleviated through the fruition of this project.
* Describe any emergency situation, which you believe is
	 relevant.
*
(Fire Departments only)
Describe and document impact of
	 project on ISO rating.
* Explain the community involvement in the Arkansas Community of
	 Excellence (ACE) Program.
* Identify existing community centers, multi-purpose facilities or fire
	 stations for this area.
VII.
Floor Plan of Proposed
  Project
* Provide a preliminary floor plan and site map of the proposed project
	 including Front and Side elevations.
* Provide an 8 ½" X11" map of the county indicating location and
	 service area
VIII.
Required Forms and Documentation
Public Hearing Documentation
* Public hearings must be publicized at least 7 calendar days before
	 they are held and conducted no later than 2 weeks prior to the application
	 deadline.
* County applicants must hold the public hearing at the county
	 seat.
1.
Form RSBGP-1 Notice of
  Public Hearing and Proof/Certification of Posting:
* There is an example posting in the application that you are welcome
	 to fill out and use as your Notice of Public Hearing.
* The Notice of Public Hearing must indicate that the purpose of the
	 hearing is to allow public participation to determine the needs of the
	 community, to consider applying to the Arkansas Department of Rural Services
	 for funds which are targeted to benefit LMI families or to aid in the
	 prevention of slum and blight or to eliminate and imminent health
	 threat.
* Examples of publicity include publishing notices in newspapers,
	 posting flyers in at least five visible locations or airing announcements on
	 local radio or television stations. Regardless of the method, hearings must be
	 advertised throughout the jurisdiction and must indicate that technical
	 assistance for developing proposals will be provided to groups representing LMI
	 persons.
* Proof of Posting must include a copy of the notice with either a
	 written confirmation by the mayor or judge about where and when the notices
	 were posted
or
a signed receipt/proof of publication.
2.
Form RSBGP-2 Public
  Hearing Attendance Roster
3.
Minutes from Public Meeting:
* Discuss the community's needs
* Identify and prioritize needs which are most crucial to the
	 community.
* Discuss goals and objectives for meeting the community's needs,
	 including time frames and potential financing resources.
* Inform the attendees about the RSBGP including requirements and
	 funding objections, types of projects eligible for funding, amount of funds
	 available to the community, and realistic opportunities for the community's
	 participation in the program.
* It must be noted that the purposes of the RSBGP are as
	 follows:
1. To benefit low and
  moderate income families; or
2. To
  aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight; or
3. To meet other community development needs
  having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious threat
  to the health or welfare of the community and where other financial resources
  are not available to meet such needs.
* Persons addressing the meeting should be identified and comments
	 recorded in the minutes.
Documentation of Eligibility and Application Approval
	 Documents
* Form RSBGP-3 RSBGP Certification of Requirements Form
* Form RSBGP-4 Resolution
Proposed Project Budget and Disclosure Report
* Form RSBGP-5 Proposed RSBGP Project Budget
* Form RSBGP-6 RSBGP Disclosure Report
Additional Miscellaneous Forms
* Form RSBGP-7 Project Milestone Schedule
* Standard SF-424 Form Application for Federal Assistance
*
(Fire Departments Only)
ISO rating documentation
* Deed or Proof of Public Ownership
* Asbestos Study Documentation and Hold Harmless Waiver (if renovation
	 project)
* Form RSBGP-8 Excessive Force Resolution
* Form RSBGP-9 Anti-Displacement Plan Resolution
* Form RSBGP-10 Proposed Beneficiaries Form