September 27, 2018 -  The Board of University and School Lands (Board) announces a grant award to Bottineau County for $250,000 in order for the county to upgrade the load capability of CMC 0520 in a two mile stretch of roadway immediately east of Maxbass, ND.  The grant award window will be for two years and will reimburse the county for expenses according to the grant application.   The project describes upgrading the load capability for a paved road for $820,438 and the county requested the Land Board grant them $570,438 in the application.

The Board of University and School Lands (Board) also announces a contingency grant available to oil and gas development-impacted political subdivisions including cities, counties, school districts, and other taxing districts.  The Energy Infrastructure and Impact Office (EIIO) will accept applications from eligible political subdivisions through 1:00 p.m. CST on December 31, 2018.  Late applications will not be considered. 

 

An advisory committee will assist in reviewing the eligible applications and make recommendations to the Board, which will make the final decision to award the grants. Funding will not be disbursed to successful grant recipients until projects are substantially complete and the supporting documentation is submitted with a reimbursement request form. 

 

Grant Objective:   To offset costs incurred for an emergency or unanticipated incident where the damage is directly related to or impacted by current oil and gas development. 

 

How to Apply:  The application is found at https://land.nd.gov/EnergyImpact/Forms and is available in both MS-Word and Adobe Acrobat versions.   The completed application and supporting documents can be mailed, emailed, or faxed to:

Energy Infrastructure and Impact Office

PO Box 5523

Bismarck, ND  58506-5523

     Email: energyimpact@nd.gov

     Fax: 701-328-3650

 

Applications must address each item to be considered for this grant round, or be considered incomplete and ineligible:

 

1. Be signed by two appointed/elected officials, one being the primary fiscal officer.  Electronic signatures are acceptable;
2. Address how current oil and gas development activities have impacted or caused damage to the political subdivision since December 2017;
3. Describes how the project is considered an unanticipated or an emergency event which led to the to the political subdivision’s application;
4. Provide proposed time lines for project completion within a 24-month project window;
5. Provide a breakdown of all project funding sources or states that no other sources of funding are available;
6. Provide supporting bids from contractors. Estimates will not considered; and
7. If the project impacts public health, welfare, or safety the applicant address each factor as it is related to the project.

Supplementation: An Applicant may supplement an application after the deadline if the supplemental information is received prior to the application being scored.

Scoring: There are weighted factors in the scoring process relating to:

• Objective- The project is directly related to local infrastructure with damage caused or impacted by current oil and gas development activities since December 2017.
• Financial Need- The application defines how the project will be funded:
•   Describes possible revenue sources, even if other sources were already exhausted (e.g. application for funding through another grant source was submitted, but denied).
•   Applicant describes how the project could move forward if the grant is approved at less than the requested amount.  If the project cannot move forward without the requested funds, the application should state as such.
•   Indicates how the mill levy has been adjusted/increased to help cover the project's expense if a mill levy supports the project.
• Result of Energy Activity- The application clearly lays out how current oil and gas development is impacting the political subdivision.
• Improves Public Health, Welfare, or Safety- The application addresses one or more of the three factors and how the project benefits or impacts the public.
• Project Readiness- The project is:
• Ready to move forward;
• Has the necessary designs and bids by contractors;
• Has been approved by the local governing body and provides minutes of the meeting; and,
• Has the necessary funding in place if there is a shared funding plan.
• Project Description- Applicant provides:
• Bids that are easily understood and match the description in the application's objective;
• Includes maps, photos, etc. to support the scope of the project; and,
• A timeline for project completion within the 24-month project window.

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