(a) Recovery Action Program grant selection criteria. The following criteria will be used in evaluating Recovery Action Program grant applications and in deciding priorities for funding:

(1) Degree of need for funds to develop a Recovery Action Program and an ongoing planning process, including the size and complexity of the community's problems, deficiencies in existing planning, and in the capability of the community to initiate and sustain continuing planning efforts.

(2) Degree of the community's commitment to systematic planning, including financial, personnel and time resources already devoted to planning or committed for the future.

(3) Extent to which current park and recreation planning is integrated with overall community planning or would be better integrated as a result of the grant, including use of other Federal or State funds for related planning purposes.

(4) Appropriateness and efficiency of the planning program's work elements (scope, timing, methodology, staffing and costs) in relation to the basic requirements for Recovery Action Programs contained in subpart B, §§ 72.10 through 72.18 (45 FR 15456).

(b) Rehabilitation Grant Selection Criteria. The following criteria will be used to evaluate and rank Rehabilitation proposals:

(1) The Federal UPARR investment per person served by the entire system; relationship between the size of the community and the amount of grant funds requested. Highest priority will be given to proposals with lower per capita costs in relation to recreation benefits provided.

(2) Providing neighborhood recreation needs. Higher priority will be given to proposals serving close-to-home recreation needs, lower priority to those serving area or jurisdiction-wide needs.

(3) Condition of existing recreation properties to be rehabilitated, including the urgency of rehabilitation and the need to maintain existing services.

(4) Improvement in the quality and quantity of recreation services as a result of rehabilitation, including improvements at specific sites and overall enhancement of the recreation system.

(5) Improvement of recreation service to minority and low to moderate income residents, special populations, and distressed neighborhoods.

(6) Proposal's consistency with local government objectives and priorities for overall community revitalization.

(7) Neighborhood employment opportunities created.

(8) State participation in the proposal, including financial and technical assistance.

(9) Private participation by both the non-profit and for-profit sectors in the proposal, including contributions of financial assistance.

(10) Jurisdiction's commitment to implementing its overall Recovery Action Program.

(c) Innovation Grant Selection Criteria. The following criteria will be used to evaluate and rank Innovation proposals:

(1) Degree to which the proposal provides a new, unique or more effective means of delivering a recreation service that can serve as a model for other communities.

(2) Degree of citizen involvement in proposal conceptualization and implementation.

(3) Degree to which the proposal may lead to a positive, systemic change in how park and recreation services are provided. Extent to which the proposal creates opportunities for new partnerships between the people affected, private interests within the community, and public agencies (e.g., Mayor's Office, Recreation Department, Board of Education, Planning Department, social service agencies).

(4) Degree of commitment of community and proposal participants to continue the long term program objectives, including commitments to continue funding after the requested Federal grant money is no longer available. Extent of private resources committed to providing funds or in-kind services for continuing operation and maintenance of projects.

(5) Degree to which proposal managers use the Federal funds to leverage greater public or private investments (in the form of services and materials, as well as dollars).

(6) Degree to which the proposal provides potential coordination with other community, State and Federal programs of community development and those providing recreation to the target population (e.g., public and private non-profit, education programs, CETA for employment, HUD programs).

(7) Extent of improvement in the quality and quantity of recreation services as a result of the Innovation project.

(8) Degree to which the proposal ties in with goals, priorities and implementation strategies expressed in the local park and recreation Recovery Action Program.

(9) Degree to which the proposal leads to a transfer of a recreation role traditionally performed by a public entity, to quasi-public or private non-profit interests. This degree means the degree to which the private sector can take full responsibility, supplement, or fill the gaps in public recreation services, management or operation; either through a transfer of funding responsibility, or an exchange of technique or method approaches which may prove to be more effective under the private sector. This should in no way alter the public sector responsibility to continue to provide and/or monitor good quality recreation facilities and services.

(10) Degree to which a proposal benefits disadvantaged community populations and/or those areas within a distressed community which have the greatest recreation deficiencies.

Notice of intent to submit any application for UPARR funding must be forwarded by the applicant, no later than 60 days prior to submission of a grant application, to the State clearinghouse and appropriate metropolitan or areawide clearinghouses, in accordance with OMB Circular A-95 and Interior Department Manual part 511. If a jurisdiction wishes to compress the A-95 timetable, it must receive approval of the clearinghouse. Appropriate A-95 notifications must be submitted for all three types of UPARR grants at both preapplication and full application stages. Standard Form 424 is to be used for these notices unless otherwise specified by the clearinghouse. Comments from clearinghouses, if available, must be included with the preapplication. All A-95 comments will become part of the required application and proposal file which will be retained by NPS. A-95 requirements for Recovery Action Programs and grants are discussed in § 72.52.

The application procedure for Recovery Action Program grants differs from the procedure for Rehabilitation and Innovation grants. Ranking and selection for funding of Recovery Action Program grants will be initiated on the basis of a full application, preparation of which will be assisted through meetings with NPS regional staff.

(a) Preapplication Conference. In the preparation of a Recovery Action Program grant application, applicants are encouraged to discuss with NPS regional personnel, or State personnel, when an agreement between NPS and the State covers such action, the adequacy of the proposal in meeting the requirements for a Recovery Action Program. Prior to formal submission, the Recovery Action Program grant application should be reviewed with the appropriate NPS Regional Office.

(b) Submission of Applications. In addition to Standard Form 424 on Federal Assistance notification, applicants for Recovery Action Program grants shall submit the following documents and required attachments to NPS Regional Offices:

(1) OMB Form 80-RO190, completed as prescribed by OMB Circular A-102. (Application for Federal assistance, for non-construction programs).

(2) Grant agreement form.

(3) Narrative statements which will be used in evaluating grant applications in relationship to the selection criteria as defined in § 72.50(a), including:

(i) The need for the planning grant.

(ii) The jurisdiction's existing or proposed commitments to developing a full Recovery Action Program and an ongoing planning process.

(iii) The relationship of the planning program to overall community plans and programs.

(iv) Appropriateness of the proposed planning program's scope, timing and methodology in relation to UPARR planning requirements and the community's identified planning needs.

(v) Dollars and work years to be devoted to development of each element in the proposed Recovery Action Program, including some indications of the qualifications of staff members who will work on the program.

(vi) If appropriate, a discussion of work elements to be contracted out to other government agencies, private consultants or private non-profit agencies, including the reasons for contracting work elements instead of doing the work within the community's own planning agencies.

(4) Applications for RAP grants need a full 60 day A-95 clearinghouse review. Clearinghouse comments for RAP grants must then be submitted to NPS. Final RAP's also must be submitted to clearinghouses, in accordance with OMB Circular A-95.

To reduce the amount of time and documentation needed for a full application, and to foster the competitive aspects of the UPARR program, a preapplication procedure is used.

(a) The preapplication must provide information adequate to guide proposal selection. Grants will be awarded in accordance with the availability of funds. Funding for an approved grant will not be increased from subsequent yearly appropriations.

(b) Applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposals with their NPS Regional Office to determine basic fundability and competitiveness prior to submitting a preapplication.

(c) If a State is assisting the applicant in preapplication preparation, providing a source of matching share, or giving technical assistance, the State may assist in submission of the preapplication to the appropriate NPS Regional Office with the applicant's prior approval. The amount, source and assurance of State assistance for a matching share must be specified in the preapplication.

(d) The following procedural guidelines shall apply to submission and approval of Rehabilitation and Innovation proposals.

(1) Preapplications shall be submitted to the appropriate NPS Regional Office by the chief executive officer of the applicant jurisdiction. The preapplication must include those items as set forth in the Preapplication Handbook, available from any NPS Regional Office. In addition to the narrative on selection criteria, all preapplications for Rehabilitation proposals must include a short description stating; (i) the problem addressed by the proposal, including existing conditions, (ii) the reason for the problem or why the condition exists, and (iii) the proposed solution to the problem and what corrective measures will be used.

(2) An applicant may have no more than one Innovation and one Rehabilitation proposal under consideration in any one funding cycle.

(3) Any existing and/or proposed fees or charges for recreation opportunities or services provided through a UPARR grant, whether for public, private or non-profit activities, must be identified in the preapplication.

(4) Discretionary applicants must submit a narrative statement, signed by the chief executive of the applicant jurisdiction, which explains and quantifies the degree of physical and economic distress in the community. Statistics and discussion on distress shall address, but need not be limited to, the criteria used to select eligible jurisdictions contained in Appendix A of this part. A discretionary narrative statement must be included in each preapplication.

(5) All submitted grant preapplications will be reviewed by NPS Regional Offices to assure that they meet all minimum legal and technical standards before being certified as eligible for competition. Proposals not meeting minimum standards will be returned to the applicant. Periodically, all certified proposals will be evaluated in the Regional Offices before being submitted to Washington, where they will be judged by national panels whose member are knowledgeable in recreation and urban revitalization. Innovation and Rehabilitation proposals will be judged by separate panels.

(6) Following review and ranking by the panels, the Director will approve tentative grant offers for those proposals which may be funded. Successful applicants will be notified by the NPS Regional Offices, and completion of the formal application process will take place. The formal application process must be completed within 120 days of notification of the tentative grant offer, or the tentative grant offer may be withdrawn. Final approval of a grant and obligation of funds will occur when all application requirements have been met and the appropriate documents are on file. No costs may be incurred or reimbursed, except incurred architectural and engineering fees indicated in § 72.44, until NPS approval of the grant agreement.

(7) Unfunded proposals may require modifications to improve their competitiveness. Applicants with such proposals will be advised by NPS of suggested modifications, if any, to increase their chances for funding in future grant rounds.

(8) If an applicant wishes a proposal to remain in competition, it may be considered for two additional funding cycles, with or without minor modifications, before it is returned to the applicant. Major modifications of scope and/or total funding request will require complete resubmission of a proposal as a new preapplication. Applicants who wish to change the scope and/or total funds requested for a proposal which is already in competition, must submit a written request for withdrawal of the previous proposal before submitting a new proposal in the same competition.

(9) The Director reserves the right to withdraw a grant offer if it is determined that any preapplication contains misstatements or misrepresentations of fact, or problems identified which cannot be resolved.

Once a Rehabilitation or Innovation proposal has received a tentative grant offer, applicants will be responsible for compliance with all applicable Federal laws and regulations listed in OMB Circular A-102, including those specific Acts and Executive Orders listed in § 72.56 of these regulations. The applicant must also complete all documentation and other requirements specified by OMB circulars A-102, and A-95 within 120 days. Regional Offices of NPS will provide technical assistance to grantees in complying with these requirements. A grant will not be approved until the applicant is in compliance with the above requirements.

(a) Once a proposal has received a grant offer, applicants will be responsible for compliance with all applicable Federal laws and regulations, including, but not limited to:

(b) Applicants using General Revenue Sharing or Community Development Block Grant monies as a matching share must check with the responsible Federal agencies, i.e. Treasury or HUD to determine if the Davis-Bacon Act is applicable. (HUD regulations 24 CFR part 570 [CDBG]. Treasury regulations 31 CFR part 51, State and Local Fiscal Assistance Amendments of 1976 [P.L. 94-488], General Revenue Sharing program.) Questions concerning other CDBG requirements should be addressed to the HUD Area Office serving the UPARR applicant jurisdiction.

(a) Admininstrative Requirements for Recipients of UPARR Assistance. For all grants under this Program, the administrative requirements are the attachments listed in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-102 (as revised).

(b) Accounts, Audit, Inspection. Adequate financial records must be maintained by the applicant to support all expenditures or costs covered by a Recovery Action Program, Rehabilitation or Innovation project, as specified in Federal Management Circular (FMC) 74-4 and OMB Circular A-102.

(c) Additional conditions. The Director may, with respect to any grant, impose additional conditions prior to, or at the time of grant approval, when in his or her judgement these conditions are necessary to assure or protect advancement of the grant purposes, the interests of public health or safety, or the conservation of grant funds. Extra requirements may be imposed on high-risk grantees who have records of default on prior Federal grants.

(d) Remedies for Noncompliance. In appropriate circumstances, the Director may suspend or recoup the financial assistance provided under UPARR, upon the formal finding that the Grantee is in violation of the terms of the grant or the provisions of these regulations.

Changes which alter the scope of any approved UPARR competitive grant must be submitted to and approved by NPS. Once a grant offer is made, based upon the preapplication, no increases in the amount of UPARR funding specified in the original proposal will be considered. Such changes should be the basis of a new proposal or application.

The Director shall make payments to a grantee of all, or a portion of any grant award, either in advance or by way of reimbursement. Advance payments on approved Rehabilitation or Innovation grants will be in an amount not to exceed 20% of the total grant cost [section 1006(2) of the Act].

(a) Requirements for Operation and Maintenance. Grantees are required to keep all UPARR assisted properties in reasonable repair to prevent undue deterioration, and to encourage public use during reasonable hours and times of the year, according to the type of facility and intended uses.

(b) Non-discrimination. There shall be no discrimination for UPARR assisted programs or services on the basis of residence, except in reasonable fee differentials.

(c) Sunset Reports. In compliance with the sunset and reporting provision of the Act, section 1015(b), an annual report will be prepared on the achievements of the Innovation grant program, with emphasis on the nationwide implications of successful innovation projects. A final report on the overall impact of the UPARR Program will be prepared within 90 days of the expiration of the authority. Additional project information may be requested from applicants to facilitate the preparation of such reports.