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| Criteria, Instructions, & Application Forms
FUNDING ELIGIBILITY A. ELIGIBLE TRANSPORTATION ACTIVITIES To be eligible for funding, enhancement projects must fall into one or more of the following 12 general enhancement activities:
The 12 eligible enhancement activities identified above have been further refined by the Nebraska program into three general categories: Historic Preservation, Scenic or Historic Byways, and Bicycle/Pedestrian Facilities. The Nebraska Transportation
Enhancement Program reserves the right to prioritize categories for
funding. Only state and local governmental
agencies or political subdivisions within the State of Nebraska are
eligible to receive funding. This includes most local units of government
(villages, cities and counties), Natural Resource Districts, Nebraska
State Agencies, the University of Nebraska, and Tribal Governments.
Certain other governmental entities may also be eligible to receive
funding. In order to receive funding through the Transportation Enhancement Program, project proposals must meet all the criteria outlined below:
D. FUNDING CAP & REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS The Select Committee set a policy awarding no more than $500,000 for any individual project. This amount represents the maximum federal funding limit (80%) exclusive of the matching funds provided by the applicant. It is important to note that
the Enhancement Program is not a grant program. Instead, funding will
take the form of monthly reimbursements of eligible expenditures paid
by the applicant. Therefore, applicants must have funds available to
pay progress estimates prior to receiving their reimbursements. Reimbursement
will be made up to the maximum amount of funding approved by the Select
Committee. If project bids come in lower than the funding maximum, the
project scope cannot be increased (i.e. trail lengthened) in order to
use the maximum funding allowed. If project bids come in higher than
the maximum, the applicant is responsible for covering all costs above
the maximum. Applicants for enhancement
funding will be required to provide a minimum of 20% non-federal cash
match of the total eligible project costs in order to be eligible for
funding. Eligible project costs include preliminary engineering, construction
engineering, project construction, and utility adjustments. The 20%
local match generally may not be federal funds from other sources. The
funds must be available at the time of application from state or local
governmental entities. Local private organizations (historical societies,
trail organizations, etc.) may donate their funds to help the local
governmental entity meet the 20% match. The value of local property
(right-of-way, easement or depot) may not be applied as a portion of
the local match. FUNDING APPLICATIONS A. APPLICATION PROCESS
B. GENERAL APPLICATION SCHEDULE Deadlines for submitting the intent-to-apply and final application forms will vary with each fiscal year. Specific dates for application deadlines are not established until March of each annual funding cycle. However, previous funding cycles have followed these general guidelines:
C. PROGRAM CONSULTANTS Since 1994, Sinclair Hille Architects have been retained by the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) to assist in the management of the Nebraska Transportation Enhancement Program. Sinclair Hille Architects works with local communities from initial concept to ribbon-cutting to help them understand state and federal requirements. After your Intent to Apply has been reviewed for preliminary eligibility, we will assign a Plan Reviewer to work directly with you on your project. PROJECT SELECTION A. TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE Selection of projects is made by the Nebraska Transportation Enhancement Select Committee, a state-wide committee of volunteers with expertise in the various funding categories. This 12-member committee meets annually to rank applications using an established 100-point scoring system. The Select Committee set a policy awarding no more than $500,000 in enhancement funds for any individual project. This amount represents the maximum federal funding limit (80%) exclusive of the matching funds provided by the applicant. *Note: the following schedule is for 2008 (FY2009 funding cycle) only. Deadlines for future funding cycles will vary.
ALL Forms Should Be MAILED
- Please do NOT use e-mail to submit forms The first step in applying
for enhancement funds requires the submittal of an intent-to-apply form
no earlier than April 1, 2008, and no later than June 13, 2008.
If you have not submitted the intent-to-apply by June 13th, you CANNOT
submit an application for funds. |
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