§ 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.)