863 Small Communities Planning Assistance Program

Small Communities Planning Assistance Program

[26 Pa.B. 2422]

   By this notice, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and/or its successor, announces the opening of the application period beginning May 25, 1996, for funding from the Small Communities Planning Assistance Program (SCPAP). Grant applications will be accepted beginning May 25, 1996, through the DCA regional offices (addresses appear at the end of this notice). All applications must be received in the regional office by close of business August 16, 1996, or if mailed, postmarked no later than this date. No applications will be accepted via FAX machine.

   The SCPAP program is administered by the Department's Bureau of Community Planning. The purpose of the Program is to assist eligible municipalities to prepare comprehensive strategies for community conservation and economic development. A total of $250,000 has been set aside from the Commonwealth's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program 1996 funds to provide funds for this purpose contingent upon appropriation by the General Assembly.

   The Department published the Summary Notice of the Consolidated Plan for Federal Fiscal Years 1995--1999 at 40 Pa.B. 4911 (October 1, 1994). The full plan is available at all County Commissioners offices, all DCA CDBG grantees and all District Libraries.

   Notice of submission to the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was published at 48 Pa.B. 5852 (November 28, 1994). Regulations for the CDBG Program may be found at 16 Pa. Code Ch. 25.

Eligible Applicants

   All Pennsylvania Boroughs, incorporated towns and townships are eligible, in accordance with Act 179 of 1984, to apply for planning assistance grants with the exception of the following:

   A.  Municipalities eligible to receive CDBG funds directly from the Federal Government because of their destination as Federal Entitlement Communities or those eligible to receive funds through the HUD Urban County CDBG Program.

   B.  Boroughs, towns and townships which are identified as entitlement municipalities under the Pennsylvania CDBG Program and which have populations of 10,000 or more based on the 1990 census.

Program Contents and Eligible Activities.

   The SCPAP emphasizes action-oriented planning programs with a high potential for implementation. Eligible activities include:

   1.  Overall community development strategies;

   2.  Neighborhood revitalization strategies;

   3.  Economic development planning projects;

   4.  Housing strategies; and

   5.  Community conservation planning projects.

   SCPAP funds may also be utilized for all other planning and policy-planning-management-capacity building activities eligible under the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) regulations (24 CFR Part 570.205) September 6, 1988.

   Applications will be competitively evaluated based upon the following criteria:

   A.  Quality of Work Program--The degree to which the application presents a proposed work program that addresses the problems in an effective and logical way, presents a coordinated approach with other existing planning activities and is realistic in terms of cost and time of execution.

   B.  Seriousness of the Problem--The comparative seriousness of the needs to be addressed by the proposed planning activity as compared with needs identified in other applications.

   C.  Potential for Implementation--The degree to which the application proposes an action-oriented planning program which includes as its final end product realistic and achievable short range activities with high potential for implementation.

   D.  Benefit to Low- and Moderate-Income Persons--The extent to which the application proposes a planning program which is designed to benefit this income category.

   E.  Leverage--The extent to which other funds are leveraged to undertake the proposed planning program.

   F.  Timeliness--The ability of the applicant to complete the proposed planning program in a timely fashion.

   G.  Past Performance--Applicants that have received previous SCPAP grants will be evaluated on their performance in administering those grants.

   H.  Community Involvement--The extent to which the public participated in the preparation of the application and the extent the public will be involved in the planning program and its implementation.

Ineligible Activities

   A.  General government operating and maintenance expenses including legal fees and general administrative costs other than those cited under the Financial Assistance, paragraph C.

   B.  Architectural (landscape-architectural)/engineering specifications and design costs.

   C.  The preparation of a Small Communities Planning Assistance Program application.

   D.  Property Acquisiton.

   E.  Construction projects.

Financial Assistance

   A.  The Department in awarding grants will insure that at least 70% of the total SCPAP funds awarded will benefit low- to moderate-income persons and families.

   B.  The financial assistance will be for a period not to exceed 24 months and at a SCPAP maximum funding level of $28,000 per applicant.

   C.  The Department will pay for application preparation costs, surveys conducted in accordance with CDBG Survey Standards and the actual advertising costs of the two required public notices for successful grantees. The total administrative allowance shall not exceed $3,600.

   D.  The Department reserves the right to deny approval of any application and to request additional information from certain applicants without undertaking any duty to request such information from all applicants. Grants will be awarded at the discretion of the Department to those projects that are determined to be most suitable for funding.

Application Information

   Copies of the application and other necessary data are available upon request by contacting the appropriate DCA regional office listed below, or the Department of Community Affairs or its successor, Bureau of Community Planning, 551 Forum Building, P. O. Box 155, Harrisburg, PA 17120, telephone [phone].

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

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

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

Southcentral and Northcentral 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]

DAVID E. BLACK,   
Acting Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 96-863. Filed for public inspection May 24, 1996, 9:00 a.m.]