§ 5601. Building communities grants
(a) The purpose of this chapter is to establish one-for-one matching grants to help communities,
nonprofit organizations, or, as applicable under section 5603 of this chapter, barn
owners preserve important historic buildings and enhance community facilities. Therefore,
in order to make it easy for communities, nonprofit organizations, or barn owners
to apply, the entity which administers a grant program under this chapter shall work
with other administrators of building communities grants to develop a standard application
form which:
(1) describes the application process and includes clear instructions and examples to
help applicants complete the form;
(2) includes an opportunity for a community, nonprofit organization, or barn owner to
demonstrate its ability to generate one-for-one matching funds from local fundraising
or other efforts;
(3) includes a summary of each of the other grants, their deadlines, and a statement that
no community, nonprofit organization, or barn owner shall apply for more than one
grant under this chapter for the same project in the same calendar year; and
(4) may include supplements specific to an individual grant.
(b) Each entity which administers a grants program under this chapter shall establish
a selection process which ensures equitable selection of grant recipients and ensures
accountability by grant recipients.
(c) Before it notifies an applicant of an award under this chapter, the entity which administers
the grant shall provide notice of the award and time and location of any award presentation
to the Chairs of the Senate Committee on Institutions and the House Committee on Corrections
and Institutions, and those members of the General Assembly who represent the area
in which a successful applicant resides.
(d) Notwithstanding 32 V.S.A. § 701a, if, after an entity awards grant funds under this chapter, the funds remain unexpended
and not subject to a grant agreement, the entity may reallocate the unexpended funds
within its grant program within three years of the original award date. Any unexpended
funds remaining after this three-year period that are not subject to a grant agreement
shall be reallocated in future acts relating to capital construction and State bonding. (Added 2007, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 41, eff. June 9, 2008; amended 2009, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 29, eff. June 4, 2010; 2011, No. 104 (Adj. Sess.), § 28, eff. May 7, 2012.)