CHAPTER 122
KEEP IOWA BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM
761—122.1(314) Purpose. The purpose of the keep Iowa beautiful program established by Iowa Code section 314.28 is to provide funds for litter prevention, waste management and recycling, and beautification projects. The program is funded from moneys appropriated to the department by the general assembly from the keep Iowa beautiful fund. These rules establish eligibility standards and the application and approval procedures for project funding.
761—122.2(314) Information. Information and application forms regarding the keep Iowa beautiful program may be obtained from the following sources:
	1.	Office of Systems Planning, Iowa Department of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010.
	2.	Keep Iowa Beautiful, 300 E. Locust Street, Suite 100, Des Moines, Iowa 50309; telephone (515)323-6507. Keep Iowa Beautiful is a nonprofit, charitable organization.
	3.	The following Web sites: www.keepiowabeautiful.com or www.iowadot.gov/forms.
761—122.3(314) Allocation of funds. The director of transportation shall allocate up to 70 percent of the moneys appropriated to the department from the keep Iowa beautiful fund to community projects. Community projects are those that will have a local impact. The director shall allocate the remaining funds to the Keep Iowa Beautiful organization for projects that will have a statewide impact.
761—122.4 Reserved.
761—122.5(314) Community projects.
	122.5(1) Applicant eligibility. Any public or private, nonprofit organization is eligible to apply for and receive funds for a community project under the keep Iowa beautiful program. Once a project is approved, the applicant is termed the “project sponsor.”
	122.5(2) Project eligibility.
	a. 	A community project must have as its primary purpose litter removal or prevention, improving waste management or recycling efforts, or beautification.
	b. 	The purchase of motorized equipment costing more than $1,000 is not eligible for funding.
	c. 	Administrative and operating costs of the project sponsor are not eligible for funding.
	d. 	A community project must be completed within one year.
	122.5(3) Funding.
	a. 	Projects are funded on a grant basis.
	b. 	A project need not include matching contributions. However, the higher degree of match, the more likely a project will be approved.
	c. 	Keep Iowa beautiful funds approved for a project are for a maximum dollar amount. Cost overruns are the responsibility of the project sponsor.
	122.5(4) Project application.
	a. 	A project application shall be submitted to the office of systems planning on the application form prescribed by the department. Funding for projects is approved each year. The application deadline is December 31 of each year or on the first workday following that date if December 31 falls on a weekend. Applications must be received by the department no later than 4:30 p.m.	on the due date.
	b. 	A project application shall include:
	(1)	The name and a description of the applicant organization.
	(2)	The applicant’s mailing address and telephone number, along with the name of the contact person who will serve as project liaison with the department.
	(3)	A description of the project, including its purpose and the expected results.
	(4)	A timetable for the project.
	(5)	The amount of keep Iowa beautiful funds requested.
	(6)	The value of matching contributions. See paragraph “c” of this subrule for a discussion of matching contributions.
	(7)	An estimate of the hours of volunteer labor anticipated.
	(8)	On a separate sheet, an itemized budget for the total project. For each funding source (i.e., keep Iowa beautiful funds or matching contributions), the applicant shall list each item to be purchased or the resource to be donated along with its cost or value.
	c. 	Matching contributions include cash donations from sources other than the keep Iowa beautiful fund, in-kind contributions, and volunteer labor.
	(1)	In-kind contributions include donated materials, supplies and business services.
	(2)	Business services are those services provided by a business or by a person whose trade, profession or occupation is to provide those services.
	(3)	The value of an in-kind contribution is its purchase price or market value.
	(4)	The value of volunteer labor shall be based on the minimum wage rate for the state in effect on the application deadline for each cycle.
	122.5(5) Review committee. A keep Iowa beautiful review committee shall evaluate all applications and recommend community projects to be funded and the amount to be funded for each project. The committee is composed of individuals appointed by the director of transportation.
	122.5(6) Project selection. Considering the recommendations of the review committee, the director of transportation shall select community projects to be funded and the amount to be funded for each project.
	122.5(7) Project selection criteria.
	a. 	The primary criterion for determining funding priorities is the anticipated effectiveness of a project to clean up or prevent litter, improve waste management or recycling efforts, improve the attractiveness of an area, or beautify a site.
	b. 	The selection committee may balance the use of funds between rural and urban communities, various areas of the state, or diverse groups of citizens.
	c. 	Higher priority shall be given to those applications that leverage keep Iowa beautiful funds with matching contributions.
	122.5(8) Project agreement. Once a project is approved, the approved project application constitutes the agreement between the department and the project sponsor.
	122.5(9) Project administration.
	a. 	The project sponsor is accountable for the keep Iowa beautiful funds used on the project.
	b. 	The project sponsor shall submit a report to the office of systems planning upon completion of the project. The report shall describe the project, include an accounting of the use of keep Iowa beautiful funds used on the project, and state the results and effectiveness of the project.
	c. 	The department may audit all project costs incurred for compliance with the agreement, including costs that are part of the matching contribution.
	122.5(10) Noncompliance. The department may seek repayment of keep Iowa beautiful funds for any of the following reasons:
	a. 	The project sponsor fails to fulfill the terms of the agreement.
	b. 	The department finds that the application contains material inaccuracies, omissions, errors or misrepresentations.
	c. 	The time schedule for project completion is misrepresented or has not been maintained.
761—122.6 Reserved.
761—122.7(314) Statewide projects.
	122.7(1) Agreement. The use of keep Iowa beautiful funds for statewide projects shall be governed by a written agreement between the department and the Keep Iowa Beautiful organization. The agreement shall specify the approved funding level and the conditions for funding.
	122.7(2) Project eligibility.
	a. 	A statewide project must have as its primary purpose litter removal or prevention, improving waste management or recycling efforts, or beautification.
	b. 	The purchase of motorized equipment costing more than $1,000 is not eligible for funding.
	c. 	Administrative and operating costs of the Keep Iowa Beautiful organization are not eligible for funding.
	122.7(3) Project administration.
	a. 	The Keep Iowa Beautiful organization is accountable for the keep Iowa beautiful funds allocated to it.
	b. 	The Keep Iowa Beautiful organization shall submit a report to the office of systems planning each year. The report shall describe the projects funded using keep Iowa beautiful funds, include an accounting of the use of keep Iowa beautiful funds used on each project, and state the results and effectiveness of each project.
	c. 	The department may audit all project costs incurred for compliance with the agreement.
	122.7(4) Noncompliance. The department may seek repayment of keep Iowa beautiful funds if the Keep Iowa Beautiful organization fails to fulfill the terms of the agreement.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code section 314.28.
[Filed 1/16/03, Notice 11/13/02—published 2/5/03, effective 3/12/03]
[Filed 10/11/06, Notice 8/30/06—published 11/8/06, effective 12/13/06]
[Filed 6/12/08, Notice 4/23/08—published 7/2/08, effective 8/6/08]