Effective: September 29, 1999
Latest Legislation: House Bill 283 - 123rd General Assembly
(A) The urban and rural initiative grant program is hereby created to promote economic development and improve the economic welfare of the people of the state, which shall be accomplished by the department of development awarding grants to eligible applicants for use in an eligible area for any of the following purposes:
(1) Land acquisition;
(2) Infrastructure improvements;
(3) Voluntary actions undertaken on property eligible for the voluntary action program created under Chapter 3746. of the Revised Code;
(4) Renovation of existing structures.
(B) The total amount of grants awarded under the program shall not exceed two million dollars. No grant shall be awarded without the prior approval of the controlling board.
(C) As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, and except as provided in division (D) of this section, an applicant shall agree not to permit the use of a site that is developed or improved with such grant moneys to cause the relocation of jobs to that site from elsewhere in this state.
(D) A site developed or improved with grant moneys awarded under this section may be the site of jobs relocated from elsewhere in this state if the director of development does all of the following:
(1) Makes a written determination that the site from which the jobs would be relocated is inadequate to meet market or industry conditions, expansion plans, consolidation plans, or other business considerations affecting the relocating employer;
(2) Provides a copy of the determination required by division (D)(1) of this section to the members of the general assembly whose legislative districts include the site from which the jobs would be relocated, and to the joint legislative committee on tax incentives;
(3) Determines that the governing body of the area from which the jobs would be relocated has been notified in writing by the relocating company of the possible relocation.
(E) No eligible applicant that receives from the program any grant of money for land acquisition, infrastructure improvements, or renovation of existing structures in order to develop an industrial park site for a distressed area, labor surplus area, or situational distress area as defined in section 122.19 of the Revised Code that also is a distressed area, labor surplus area, or situational distress area as defined in section 122.23 of the Revised Code shall use the money to compete against any existing Ohio industrial parks.
(F) An eligible applicant that receives a grant from the program shall not be precluded from being considered for or participating in other financial assistance programs offered by the department of development, the Ohio environmental protection agency, or the Ohio water development authority.