New Jersey Administrative Code › Title 2 - AGRICULTURE › Chapter 76 - STATE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE › Subchapter 20 - FARMLAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM › Section 2:76-20.20 - Project completion and payment

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 14, July 15, 2024
(a) Upon project completion, the applicant shall notify the Committee and request payment on a payment claim voucher form authorized by the Committee.
(b) The payment request shall be accompanied by the completed payment claim voucher, itemized bills, and related documentation that substantiates all costs incurred.
(c) In-kind services performed by the applicant or applicant's employees shall be permitted to be used as the applicant's matching portion of costs for a project(s) or any component of a project(s) funded under the provisions of this program. All contributions, including cash and approved third party in-kind, shall be accepted as part of the applicant's cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the following criteria:
1. The contributions are verifiable from the applicant's records;
2. The contributions are not included as contributions for any other Federally or State assisted project or program;
3. The contributions are necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project objectives;
4. The contributions are not paid by the State and/or Federal government under another award, except where authorized by State and/or Federal statute to be used for cost sharing or matching;
5. The donation of buildings for construction/facility acquisition projects or long-term use is allowable under the program, and the value of the donated buildings for cost sharing or matching shall be the lesser of (c)5i or ii below;
i. The certified value of the remaining life of the buildings recorded in the applicant's accounting records at the time of donation; or
ii. The current fair market value. However, when there is sufficient justification, the Committee may approve the use of the current fair market value of the donated buildings, even if it exceeds the certified value at the time of donation to the project;
6. Volunteer services furnished by professional and technical personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor, if approved by the Committee, may be counted as cost sharing or matching if the service is an integral and necessary part of an approved project. Rates for volunteer services shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the applicant's organization. In those instances in which the required skills are not found in the applicant's organization, rates shall be consistent with those paid for similar work in the labor market in which the applicant competes for the kind of services involved. In either case, paid fringe benefits that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable may be included in the valuation;
7. When an employer other than the applicant furnishes the services of an employee, these services shall be valued at the employee's regular rate of pay (plus an amount of fringe benefits that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable, but exclusive of overhead costs), provided these services are in the same skill for which the employee is normally paid;
8. Donated supplies may include such items as expendable equipment, office supplies or workshop supplies. Value assessed to donated supplies included in the cost sharing or matching share shall be reasonable and shall not exceed the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation;
9. The method used for determining cost sharing or matching for donated equipment and buildings for which title passes to the applicant may differ according to the purpose of the award, if (c)9i or ii below apply;
i. If the purpose of the grant is to assist the applicant in the acquisition of equipment and buildings, the total value of the donated property may be claimed as cost sharing or matching;
ii. If the purpose of the grant is to support activities that require the use of equipment and buildings, normally only depreciation or use charges for equipment and buildings may be made. However, the full value of equipment or other capital assets and fair rental charges for buildings shall be allowed, provided that the Committee has approved the charges;
10. The value of donated property shall be determined in accordance with the usual accounting policies of the applicant, with the following qualifications:
i. The value of donated buildings shall not exceed its fair market value at the time of donation to the applicant as established by an independent appraiser (for example, certified real property appraiser) and certified by a responsible official of the applicant; and
ii. The value of donated equipment shall not exceed the fair market value of equipment of the same age and condition at the time of donation;
11. The value of donated facility space shall not exceed the fair rental value of comparable facility space as established by an independent appraisal of comparable facility space in a privately-owned building in the same locality;
12. The value of loaned equipment shall not exceed its fair rental value; and
13. The following requirements pertain to the applicant's supporting records for in-kind contributions from third parties:
i. Volunteer services shall be documented and, to the extent feasible, supported by the same methods used by the applicant for its own employees; and
ii. The basis for determining the valuation of personal service, material, equipment and buildings shall be documented.