Bond Act: Proposition 84
Agency of Appropriation: Department of Conservation
Bond Statute: 75065(c)
- Front-end
- In-progress
- Follow-up (Audit)
The Strategic Growth Council Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives Program is a competitive grants program created under the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 84), administered by the Department of Conservation, on behalf of the Strategic Growth Council. The Strategic Growth Council is composed of agency secretaries from the Natural Resources Agency, The Environmental Protection Agency, the Business Transportation and Housing Agency, the California Health and Human Services Agency, the director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and a public member appointed by the Governor. One of the SGC’s many objectives is managing and awarding financial assistance to cities, counties, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Councils of Governments, Joint Powers Authorities, and Regional Transportation Planning Agencies, to support the planning and development of sustainable communities.
Program bond expenditures will be made based under the broad guidance of the Proposition 84 Bond Act; SB 732; Executive Orders S-03-05, S-06-06 and S-02-07; and direction from the Strategic Growth Council.
Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives program criteria were developed and vetted by the Strategic Growth Council, which received written comments and held public meetings before finalizing the criteria at a Public Hearing held March 17th, 2010, in the Governor’s Council Chambers. The Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives program solicits applications for funding consideration. A Solicitation Notice was published July 5th, 2010, initiating the first of three application cycles.
The Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives Program staff at Department of Conservation screen applications for completeness and eligibility. The Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives Program Application Review and Ranking Committee, comprised of staff from the Departments and Agencies of the Strategic Growth Council, evaluates complete and eligible applications using the evaluation criteria contained in the grant guidelines. Staff recommendations for awards will be presented to the Strategic Growth Council for approval at their Fall or Winter council meeting, depending on the number of applications received and the time needed to perform a thorough evaluation. Final award recipients will be posted to the SGC website.
Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives proposals selected for funding under the California Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives Program are required to spend grant funds according to the approved project scope and budget. The Department of Conservation requires a minimum frequency of quarterly progress reports for all projects. More frequent reporting is possible for larger, more complex projects. Payment requests must include a certification by the grantee that each expense complies with requirements outlined in the grant agreement. Grantees must also submit supporting documentation for each expense, with reimbursements approved only for eligible expenses pursuant to program guidelines and contained within the approved project budget. The Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives Program Guidelines require the withholding of fifteen percent of each payment request to be released upon project completion.
Project status will be updated at least bi-annually on the Bonds Accountability Website. The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) is required to provide an annual report to the Legislature with specific information regarding the management of grants and loans. Program assists in this endeavor by providing to the SGC information including, but not limited to, a list of applicants for financial assistance, identification of which applications were approved, the amounts awarded for each approved application, the remaining balance of available funds, a report on the proposed or ongoing management of each funded project, and any additional minimum requirements and priorities for a project or plan proposed in a grant and adopted by the SGC.
All projects and plans funded via the Sustainable Communities Planning Grants and Incentives Program receive a close-out review conducted by the Department of Conservation at the time the project is complete and prior to releasing final grant funds. The purpose of the close-out review is to ensure all project deliverables were completed according to program guidelines and the terms of the grant agreement, including project scope and budget. All information generated for project deliverables and outcomes must be provided to the Strategic Growth Council for public dissemination. All grantees must comply with current laws and regulations which apply to the project and submit documents summarizing total project costs and all additional funding sources. Department expenditures of bond proceeds are subject to audit by the Department of Finance to determine whether the expenditures made from bond proceeds were made according to the established front-end criteria and processes, were consistent with all legal requirements, and achieved the intended outcomes.
Projects within this Program: