62-816.003. General Requirements and Eligibility Standards

The following constitutes the general requirements and eligibility standards for the Area of Critical State Concern Program of the Florida Communities Trust.

(1) Meetings of the Trust. The fiscal year of the Trust is July 1-June 30. The Trust governing body will hold public meetings at least quarterly during each fiscal year. All meetings of the Trust shall be conducted consistent with Rule Chapter 9K-1, F.A.C.

(2) Purpose of Matching Grants. All matching grants from the Area of Critical State Concern Program shall be used for land acquisitions that assist an Area of Critical State Concern county to implement or further the conservation, recreation and open space, or coastal management elements of the local comprehensive plan, to conserve natural resources, to resolve land use conflicts, and to implement land development regulations which further the principles for guiding development established for that Area of Critical State Concern.

(3) Award, Use and Disbursement of Matching Grants. Funds awarded under this program shall be awarded as matching grants to counties that submit proposal(s) for land acquisitions or land acquisition programs within an Area of Critical State Concern. Funds awarded under this program shall be matched by the recipient county on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Matching grants shall be awarded after an evaluation of timely submitted complete proposals. Preservation 2000 funds shall only be used for the land acquisition project costs set forth in complete proposals that are selected for funding by the governing body of the Trust. The Trust is not obligated to award funds if proposals submitted do not fulfill the purpose of the Area of Critical State Concern Program. All funds not awarded during a proposal cycle shall be reserved and added to the funds available for the next Area of Critical State Concern Program funding cycle.

(4) Eligible Applicants. County governments that contain areas designated as an Area of Critical State Concern pursuant to Section 380.05, Florida Statutes, are eligible to apply for matching grants from this program. Prior to awarding funds the local comprehensive plan of a grantee must either be found in compliance by the Department or the county must have executed a stipulated settlement agreement with the Department to resolve all of the issues raised by the Department in a statement of intent to find a plan not in compliance issued pursuant to Section 163.3184, F.S.

(5) Proposal Form. Proposal Form FCT/ACSC-2 is prescribed for use with these rules and is incorporated by reference. Proposals for funding must be submitted with Proposal Form FCT/ACSC-2. A copy may be obtained after the publication of the Request for Grant Proposals by writing to the Program Manager, Florida Communities Trust, 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, MS #103, Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000, or by calling [phone].

(6) Request for Grant Proposals. The Trust shall announce the amount of Preservation 2000 bond funds available for matching grants under the Area of Critical State Concern State Program and applicable deadlines in the Request for Grant Proposals published in the Florida Administrative Weekly. Pursuant to Section 259.101(3)(c), F.S., the amounts published shall be calculated on ten percent (10%) of the total Preservation 2000 funds allocated to the Trust from each bond series plus interest accrued to that ten percent (10%) portion of the total allocation as of the date of preparation of the Request for Grant Proposals.

(7) Eligible Sources of Local Match. Applicants may use funds generated by a county, land authority, state or federal agency, grants, loans, or private cash donations for all or part of any local match. Applicants may not use any Preservation 2000 Trust Funds allocated pursuant to Section 259.101(3), F.S., for any part of an applicant’s dollar-for-dollar match.

Rulemaking Authority 259.101, 374.045, 380.507(11) FS. Law Implemented 120.55(1)(a)4., 259.101, 375.045, 380.505, 380.508, 380.510 FS. History–New 6-30-93, Amended 11-14-94, Formerly 9K-5.003.