Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 301 CMR - EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS › Title 301 CMR 5.00 - LAND and PARC Programs › Section 5.06 - Project Costs

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
(1) Each grant
			 program provides reimbursement of up to 90% of eligible project costs towards
			 the acquisition of land for active outdoor recreation or conservation and
			 passive outdoor recreation purposes, planning design, access, or stewardship
			 projects on conservation land, or the construction, restoration or
			 rehabilitation of facilities for park and active outdoor recreation purposes.
			 The maximum reimbursement percentage allowed for an approved project will be
			 based on the municipality's equalized valuation per capita decile rank among
			 all Massachusetts municipalities as determined by the Secretary of
			 Administration and Finance. A municipality's rank, and therefore its percentage
			 of reimbursement potential, may change annually based on its increase or
			 decrease in property valuation and population growth. The Secretary may reduce
			 the maximum reimbursement percentage to allow for a more equitable distribution
			 of limited funds among all municipalities. The annual reimbursement schedules
			 are available from the Division.
(2) Subject to the approval of the Secretary,
			 all reasonable costs associated with acquisition projects shall be eligible for
			 reimbursement, as long as they are incurred within the contract period. Costs
			 for title searches, recording fees, boundary surveys, baseline documentation
			 reports, management plans, planning, design, and stewardship projects and other
			 approved project costs from the project proposal, as well as the actual
			 approved purchase price, are deemed to be eligible acquisition, planning,
			 design, access, and stewardship project costs. In addition, for PARC Projects,
			 the actual approved purchase price, recording fees, boundary surveys,
			 engineering, design, construction, and construction supervision are deemed
			 eligible project costs; however, the Secretary shall retain the right to set a
			 fixed limit on the reimbursement of Project costs. Additional information on
			 reimbursement procedures is available from the Division upon request.
(3) As required by M.G.L. c. 132A, §11,
			 reimbursement under the LAND Program will occur only after the participant has
			 expended an amount equal to the total cost of the project and not until the
			 project has been completed to the satisfaction of the Secretary. Billing
			 procedures and forms are available from the Division.
(4) Federal funding sources such as Community
			 Development Block Grants or Revenue Sharing that are defined by the federal
			 government to be local money may be used to match program funds. Community
			 Preservation Act (CPA) funds are also considered local money and may be used to
			 match program funds. Program reimbursements for PARC projects may be paid
			 periodically upon request for payments made by a municipality. Billing
			 procedures and forms are available from the Division.
(5) The Division encourages charitable
			 contributions for conservation purposes either in cash or real property. While
			 real property contributions are not reimbursable, cash contributions may be
			 utilized as the municipality's share of the project providing said cash
			 contribution is deposited into a separate municipal account such as authorized
			 under M.G.L. c. 40, § 5, CI. 51 and is expended therefrom as part of the
			 municipal appropriation for the acquisition or development.
(6) Project reimbursements are to be based on
			 the receipt of invoices and canceled municipal checks and compliance with
			 current reimbursement requirements of the Division. Municipal staff time and
			 non-cash donations are not eligible for reimbursement.