248 State Planning Assistance Grant (SPAG) Program

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

State Planning Assistance Grant (SPAG) Program

[26 Pa.B. 765]

   The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) (and its successor agency, the Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD)) announces the opening of the application period for funding from the State Planning Assistance Grant (SPAG) Program for State Fiscal Year 1996-97. Grant applications will be accepted from the beginning date of this notice through the DCA regional offices (addresses appear at the end of this notice). All applications must be received in the regional offices by close of business April 19, 1996, or if mailed, postmarked no later than that date. Applications not meeting the deadline will not be considered for funding. Telefax submissions are not acceptable.

   The SPAG Program was created by the General Assembly through the passage of Act 73A, effective July 1, 1969. Subsequent funding has been provided through annual legislative appropriations. Funding of any application is subject to approval of the appropriation by the General Assembly.

   The objective of the SPAG Program is to assist municipalities of the Commonwealth to address their community development needs through the preparation of comprehensive plans, environmental or physical development strategies, specialized studies, or ordinances regulating zoning, land development or environmental protection.

Eligible Applicants

   An applicant can be any county, city, borough township, incorporated town, Home Rule municipality or multimunicipal planning agency or any council of governments. Applicants should apply through their official planning commission, committee, department or other authorized planning agency.

   The Fiscal Year 1996-97 Program will emphasize planning needs in the following areas: as a part of comprehensive community strategy, financially disadvantaged municipalities, areas coping with strong rates of growth and addressing serious environmental problems.

General Project Types

   State financial assistance under this program may be used for the following activities:

   1.  Developing new, or the updating of existing, comprehensive community development plans and policies or individual plan components.

   2.  Preparing environmental protection or physical development strategies or special studies which will support the comprehensive planning process.

   3.  Developing or updating ordinances and other mechanisms for implementation of comprehensive community development plans and policies, or environmental protection or physical development strategies.

   4.  Training and education when proposed as a participatory planning component of a planning program.

Ineligible Activities

   State financial assistance under this program may not be used for the following activities:

   1.  General government operating and maintenance expenses, including legal fees;

   2.  Engineering studies, site specifications and designs;

   3.  Preparation of promotional campaigns, other than the required citizen participatory planning component necessary to the project; or

   4.  Any activity declared by the Department to be ineligible.

Grant Limit and Local Matching Requirements

   Individual grant awards generally will be limited to 5% or less of the program appropriation; however, this percent may be exceeded in the case of joint applications filed by more than one municipality.

   Applicants generally will be required to provide at least a 50% match for the State grant amount. The Department may reduce this amount in the case of 1)  applicants experiencing extreme levels of economic distress, 2)  joint applications, and 3)  proposed work programs of exceptional quality which strongly reflect the Department's program priorities.

Proposal Requirements

   The following information and/or documentation must be submitted to complete the application for State assistance:

   1.  Application must include the proposed detailed work program and budget;

   2.  Evidence of compliance with the Flood Plain Management Act (Act 166 of 1978);

   3.  Evidence of matching funds (local, private and/or Federal) necessary to carry out the project;

   4.  Copy of the cooperative agreement when the applicant is an official member of a group of participating municipalities.

   The Department reserves the right to contact individual applicants to obtain clarification and additional information regarding the application.

   The original application and three copies must be submitted to the appropriate regional office. Incomplete applications will be ineligible for funding and will be returned to the applicant.

Application Information

   Copies of the application information and the application forms are available upon request by contacting any DCA regional office or the Department of Community Affairs/Department of Economic and Community Development, Bureau of Community Planning, 551 Forum Building, P. O. Box 155, Harrisburg, PA 17120, [phone].

   Also, alternative formats (for example, braille, large print, cassette tape) can be made available. Requests for alternative formats may be made to Dallas A. Dollase at the above telephone number.

   Local government officials seeking additional information about the State Planning Assistance Grant Program may contact the Bureau of Community Planning at the above address and telephone number or contact the appropriate DCA (ECD) regional office:

Southwest Regional Office (Philadelphia)
908 State Office Building
Broad and Spring Garden Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19130
[phone]

Northeast Regional Office (Scranton)
Suite 201, Samters Building
101 Penn Avenue
Scranton, PA 18503-2025
[phone]

North Central/South Central Regional Office (Harrisburg)
402 Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
[phone]

Southwest Regional Office (Pittsburgh)
413 State Office Building
300 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
[phone]

Northwest Regional Office (Erie)
Third Floor, Rothrock Building
121 West 10th Street
Erie, PA 16501
[phone]

WILLIAM C. BOSTIC,   
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 96-248. Filed for public inspection February 23, 1996, 9:00 a.m.]