Document Citation: 9G-19.008, F.A.C.
Header:
FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
TITLE 09 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
9G DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 9G-19 BASE FUNDING FOR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM AND MUNICIPAL COMPETITIVE G

Date:
08/31/2009

Document:

9G-19.008 Procedures for Awarding Competitive Grants.

(1) Eligible applicants desiring to apply for a competitive grant shall submit their application to the Division by the deadline established annually by the Division in a Notice of Fund Availability in the Florida Administrative Weekly. Such notice shall be published at least 60 days prior to the application deadline date, shall also designate any priority projects and shall designate the location for submission of the applications. Municipalities desiring to apply for a competitive grant under the Municipal Competitive Grant Program must meet the applicable eligibility criteria in Rule 9G-19.007, F.A.C.

(2) Applications for a competitive award shall include a statement from the County Emergency Management Agency describing the extent to which the project is consistent with the county's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. A copy of the applicant's letter requesting this statement must be included in the application. The applicant shall supply a description of the project to the applicable County Emergency Management Agency(ies) at least thirty (30) days prior to the deadline for submitting the application. The applicable Emergency Management Agency(ies) will make a consistency determination of the project, and also address other issues that may be relevant to the project, such as duplication of an existing capability. When the applicable Emergency Management Agency(ies) determines that the project is consistent or inconsistent, or is unable to make a consistency determination for any reason, it (they) shall provide a written explanation to the Division. If a county fails to respond to an applicant's timely submitted request for such a statement, as evidenced by inclusion of a dated copy of the project description letter in the application, the application shall be considered consistent with the applicable Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. The county's consistency determination shall be considered by the review committee, provided it is received at least thirty (30) days before the deadline for transmitting preliminary scores and resulting rankings. Failure to supply the project description to the County Emergency Management Agency at least thirty (30) days prior to the deadline for submitting application shall result in no award of points for consistency with local government plans and objectives.

(3) The Department hereby adopts by reference the Emergency Management, Preparedness, and Assistance Trust Fund Competitive Grant Program Application Packet, Form No. 008, July 2005 version, which provides forms, instructions, and other information necessary for submission of an application for Competitive Grant funds submitted pursuant to Rule 9G-19.008, F.A.C.

(4) Application packets may be obtained from the website www.floridadisaster.org or from the Department of Community Affairs, Division of Emergency Management, 2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100, Attention: EMPATF Program. Requests should specify the Competitive Grant Program Application Packet.

(5) All applications shall conform to the following requirements, and shall be reviewed for technical conformity in accordance with the following procedures:

(a) All applications shall adhere to the format specified in the Application Packet, Form No. 008, July 2005 version.

(b) All applications shall be complete, accurate and legible when submitted.

(c) Any applicant may receive a preliminary technical review of its application by submitting the application not later than twenty-one (21) days before the published application deadline. Preliminary technical review shall be limited to signature authority, technical conformity to the instructions in the Application Packet, and other technical requirements. No application will be scored or otherwise evaluated for content during preliminary technical review. The Division will inform the applicant of any technical deficiencies in the application by telephone, e-mail or facsimile not later than ten (10) days in advance of the published application deadline to give the applicant an opportunity to rectify them before the deadline.

(d) All applications shall be submitted not later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the date of the published application deadline. With the exception in paragraph (e) of this rule, no application may be amended, added to, or otherwise modified after 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the date of the published application deadline, other than to provide clarifying information as requested by the Division.

(e) The Division shall inform the applicant by telephone, e-mail or facsimile not later than five (5) days after the date of the published application deadline if it intends to reject the application for failure to provide evidence of signature authority with the application, for technical noncompliance with the instructions in the Application Packet, or for noncompliance with other technical requirements. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary elsewhere in this rule chapter, the applicant shall then have up to fifteen (15) days from the date of the published application deadline or to the close of the next business day thereafter to supplement its application with adequate written evidence of signature authority or rectify any other technical deficiencies.

(6) An original and five (5) copies of the application shall be submitted, unless submitted on-line and then one copy in a format and software as prescribed in the application packet shall be submitted.

(7) Applications submitted shall be executed by the chief elected official or the chairman of the governing board unless this authority has been delegated to the chief executive officer or other government official, who shall then endorse the application. Evidence of the delegation of authority shall be supplied with the application. If the governmental entity does not have a governing board or chief elected official, then the application shall be executed by the chief administrative officer and evidence of his or her authority to bind the governmental entity shall be supplied with the application. If the Applicant is not a governmental entity, then the application shall be executed by the governing board, or, if there is no governing board, then the application shall be executed by the chief executive officer. If the application is transmitted on-line, it shall be transmitted not later than three (3) days before the published application deadline. A hard copy of the title page containing the original authorized signature must be submitted by mail, and must be received by the Division by the published application deadline date.

(8) Applications shall be rejected if:

(a) The Applicant has been found to have engaged in fraudulent actions or misrepresented facts in connection with the application;

(b) The Applicant had previously been found to have engaged in fraudulent actions or misrepresentations within three years of the Notice of Fund Availability;

(c) The application has not been submitted in accordance with the Application Packet and the accompanying instructions provided by the Division, or achieved the required threshold, or does not otherwise comply with this rule chapter;

(d) The project is inconsistent with the purposes of the Program or does not conform to the application requirements specified in this rule chapter;

(e) The application is not received before 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the noticed application deadline date; or

(f) The Applicant has been notified that it is not in compliance with the terms and conditions of any open contractual agreement from any funding administered by the Department.

(g) The Applicant is ineligible.