761—163.9 (315) Local development projects.
	 163.9(1) General provisions. The following provisions are applicable to local development projects:
	  a.   	 Local development projects may be located on primary roads, secondary roads, city streets, state park roads or county conservation parkways.
	  b.   	 There is no restriction on the number of applications per county or city that will be considered for RISE funding.
	  c.   	 Counties and cities may apply for single-year or multiyear funding. Multiyear funding shall be limited to funding commitments from no more than three program years’ allocations.
	  d.   	 Applicants may use staff from other counties or cities, areawide planning organizations, areawide economic development organizations, or other jurisdictions to prepare application materials or administer projects.
	  e.   	 There must be an adequate transportation justification for the roadway project. The proposed improvement need not be designed prior to project application, but the concept must generally be reasonable from a transportation planning and engineering standpoint and detailed enough to enable project cost estimates to be developed.
	 163.9(2) Contents of applications. Each application for a local development project must contain the following:
	  a.   	 General information, including applicant name, contact person, mailing address, telephone number, and other information of a general nature about the project proposal and the associated economic development activity.
	  b.   	 Cost information, including the estimated total capital investment involved with the associated economic development activity, the estimated total cost of the roadway project, the amount of RISE funds requested for the roadway project, and the amount of non-RISE funds to be used to match or supplement RISE funding. Itemized breakdowns (showing the item, cost and funding source) must be included for the total capital investment, the total roadway project cost, the RISE funds requested, and the non-RISE funds to be used to match or supplement RISE funding.
	  c.   	 Data showing the impact of the associated economic development activity, including the number of direct jobs created or retained. Jobs created as a result of jobs being displaced elsewhere in the state shall not be considered direct jobs created for the purpose of evaluating the application.
	 (1) 	 To expedite the review, the applicant shall provide the following data for each business included in the project justification: a list of in-state competitors; a list of in-state suppliers; the percentage of out-of-state sales; the effect on import substitution; long-range growth potential; and a list of all current and anticipated employment positions, both full- and part-time, the hourly wage for each, and the turnover rate.
	 (2) 	 The applicant shall certify that each business will give hiring preference to residents of the state or local area, except for out-of-state employees offered a transfer to Iowa.
	  d.   	 A preliminary project concept statement for the roadway project, including a location map, a sketch plan and a justification for the transportation improvement. In most cases, a sketch plan should include a simple plan and profile defining the horizontal and vertical geometrics and a typical roadway cross section defining pavement, shoulders, foreslope, and backslope or border treatment.
	  e.   	 A time schedule for the total development, including the roadway project and the associated economic development activity.
	  f.   	 For a road or street which is not currently dedicated to public use, written assurance of future dedication from the jurisdiction responsible or to be responsible for the road or street to be constructed or improved.
	  g.   	 An official endorsement of the project proposal from the jurisdiction responsible or to be responsible for the road or street to be constructed or improved. The jurisdiction must also provide written assurance that it will adequately maintain the new or improved road or street.
	  h.   	 Rescinded IAB 8/8/01, effective 7/20/01.
	 163.9(3) Submission of applications. Application instructions and forms for local development projects are available from the office of systems planning or on the Internet at www.dot.state.ia.us/forms. An original and one copy of each completed application shall be submitted to the office of systems planning.
	  a.   	 Applications may be submitted at any time. However, in order to be considered in the current round of programming, complete applications must be received by the department no later than February 1 or September 1.
	  b.   	 Once an application has been submitted, no further information concerning that application shall be accepted by the department from the applicant unless specifically requested by the department. Applications may be withdrawn by the applicant and resubmitted at any time. Resubmitted applications shall be dated accordingly.
	 163.9(4) Incomplete applications. An applicant must satisfy the application requirements outlined in this chapter of rules and must fully complete the official application form before its application will be reviewed. An applicant shall be notified if an application is incomplete. An incomplete application shall be reviewed when it is resubmitted in a complete form by the applicant.
	 163.9(5) Verification of application materials. Complete applications shall be reviewed to verify the figures or statements in the applications. This may include site visits. If inaccuracies, omissions, or errors are found, the commission may rescind the commitment of funds or reevaluate the application based on the correct information. If an applicant loses funding through this process, the commission shall have complete discretion concerning the disposition of those funds, including awarding them to other applicants or carrying them over to the next programming cycle.
	 163.9(6) Rating factors. The following factors and potential rating points shall be used in assessing applications for local development projects; assessment of these factors shall be the responsibility of the department.
	  a.   	 Development potential. This factor measures the degree of certainty involved in the economic development activity to be supported by the proposed RISE project and the potential for future job growth. Maximum points: 35.
	  b.   	 Economic impact. This factor measures the economic impact of the development activity to be supported by the proposed RISE project, including the number of direct jobs assisted, investment leveraging, the percentage of out-of-state sales and in-state suppliers, the impact on competition and diversification, and the quality of job factors. Maximum points: 20.
	  c.   	 Local commitment and initiative. This factor measures the level of effort being put forth by the applicant to attract economic development and the adequacy of the supporting infrastructure. Maximum points: 35 (includes 5 points for the remediation or redevelopment of a brownfield site).
	  d.   	 Transportation need. This factor measures the condition and quality of existing road or street service. Maximum points: 4.
	  e.   	 Area economic need. This factor measures the economic condition of the area. Maximum points: 6.
	 163.9(7) Review and funding of applications.
	  a.   	 The staff of the department shall review and rate complete local development project applications and may consult with other organizations with economic development responsibilities. As part of the review, the staff shall evaluate the effect of the proposed project on the state economy using the following factors: consistency with the state economic development plan; diversification of the state economy; the impact on in-state suppliers, competitors, and import substitution; percentage of out-of-state sales; the quality of employment positions; and the record of law violations. Complete applications shall be forwarded to the commission for a funding commitment action within a reasonable period of time after the application deadline. An application considered but not funded in one programming cycle must be resubmitted by the applicant if it is to be considered in a subsequent cycle.
	  b.   	 The commission may fund all or any part of an application and may make a funding commitment conditional upon adherence to a specific time schedule, realization of a development prospect, or fulfillment of other agreements.