PDFWAC 399-30-040
Application evaluation procedure and board deliberations—Construction and preconstruction loan or grant programs.
(1) The board will consider and prioritize, or disapprove, all applications for financial assistance at regular or special meetings of the board. The applicant will be notified of meetings at which its application will be considered.
(2) Applications will be evaluated and prioritized in accordance with the following procedures:
(a) Staff will log in all applications as received.
(b) Staff will review all applications for compliance with the minimum qualification requirements of WAC 399-30-030(2). Jurisdictions whose applications do not meet the minimum qualification requirements will be notified in writing of the disqualification.
(c) Staff will perform an evaluation of all applications which meet the requirements of WAC 399-30-030(2). Applications will be scored according to responses in the application developed and approved by the board.
(d) Staff will provide the board with evaluation and scoring of the applications. All application materials will be available to the board for their deliberations. The board will approve a ranked list of projects based on the information provided to them by the staff and the applications.
(e) The board may adjust the ranked list in consideration of the following factors:
(i) Geographical balance;
(ii) Economic distress;
(iii) Type of projects;
(iv) Type of jurisdiction;
(v) Past management practices of the applicant, including, but not limited to, late loan payments, loan defaults, audit findings, or inability to complete projects within the time allowed by loan agreement;
(vi) Other criteria that the board considers advisable.
(f) Staff will verify critical information on each project as required by the board.
(g) In order to ensure fairness to all jurisdictions with applications pending before the board, the board will not accept oral or written testimony from any applicant while deliberating loan priorities, other than specific responses to information requests initiated by the board as provided in (h) of this subsection.
(h) The board may consult with officials of jurisdictions having projects submitted for funding on any issue it wishes to address.
(3) The board must develop a process to prioritize applications and funding of loans and grants for public works projects submitted by local governments. The board must consider, at a minimum and in any order, the following factors in prioritizing projects:
(a) Whether the project is critical in nature and would affect the health and safety of many people;
(b) The extent to which the project leverages other funds;
(c) The extent to which the project is ready to proceed to construction;
(d) Whether the project is located in an area of high unemployment, compared to the average state unemployment;
(e) Whether the project promotes the sustainable use of resources and environmental quality, as applicable;
(f) Whether the project consolidates or regionalizes systems;
(g) Whether the project encourages economic development through mixed-use and mixed-income development consistent with chapter 36.70A RCW;
(h) Whether the system is being well managed in the present and for long-term sustainability;
(i) Achieving equitable distribution of funds by geography and population;
(j) The extent to which the project meets the following state policy objectives:
(i) Efficient use of state resources;
(ii) Preservation and enhancement of health and safety;
(iii) Abatement of pollution and protection of the environment;
(iv) Creation of new, family-wage jobs, and avoidance of shifting existing jobs from one Washington state community to another;
(v) Fostering economic development consistent with chapter 36.70A RCW;
(vi) Efficiency in delivery of goods and services and transportation; and
(vii) Reduction of the overall cost of public infrastructure;
(k) Whether the applicant sought or is seeking funding for the project from other sources; and
(l) Other criteria that the board considers necessary to achieve the purposes of this chapter.
(4) After January 1, 2010, any project designed to address the effects of stormwater or wastewater on Puget Sound may be funded under this section only if the project is not in conflict with the action agenda developed by the Puget Sound partnership under RCW 90.71.310.
(5) For projects involving repair, replacement, or improvement of a wastewater treatment plant or other public works facility for which an investment grade efficiency audit is reasonably obtainable, the public works board must require as a contract condition that the project sponsor undertake an investment grade efficiency audit. The project sponsor may finance the costs of the audit as part of its public works assistance account program loan or grant.
(6) Existing debt or financial obligations of local governments may not be refinanced under this chapter. Each local government applicant must provide documentation of attempts to secure additional local or other sources of funding for each public works project for which financial assistance is sought under this chapter.
(7) Applicants will be notified in writing of board decisions.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.155.040(5). WSR 20-04-070, § 399-30-040, filed 2/3/20, effective 3/5/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.155.040(4). WSR 09-04-100, § 399-30-040, filed 2/4/09, effective 3/7/09; WSR 07-05-029, § 399-30-040, filed 2/13/07, effective 3/16/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.155.040(5). WSR 01-09-014, § 399-30-040, filed 4/6/01, effective 5/7/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.155.040 (4) and (5). WSR 98-24-010, § 399-30-040, filed 11/19/98, effective 12/20/98. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.155.040(4). WSR 95-11-093, § 399-30-040, filed 5/19/95, effective 6/19/95; WSR 93-22-015, § 399-30-040, filed 10/26/93, effective 11/26/93; WSR 92-03-052, § 399-30-040, filed 1/13/92, effective 2/13/92. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.155.040. WSR 88-10-009 (Order 88-02), § 399-30-040, filed 4/22/88; WSR 87-17-013 (Order 87-16), § 399-30-040, filed 8/10/87; WSR 86-18-009 (Resolution No. 86-12), § 399-30-040, filed 8/21/86. Statutory Authority: 1985 c 446 § 10. WSR 86-03-051 (Resolution No. 85-17), § 399-30-040, filed 1/15/86.]