NOTE: This is a communication that was sent by Maine Department of Transportation to municipalities to explain the role of municipalities as project sponsors in this Program.
Maine will soon be launching a new grant program that is aimed at providing funding to help rebuild working waterfront infrastructure damaged during this winter’s storms. MaineDOT has been tasked with administering that funding to ensure quick delivery of relief money to affected properties. Project selection will be made through a coordinated selection process between Maine DMR, MaineDOT, and other agencies as needed. Most of the funding need is forecast to be privately-owned properties such as lobster co-ops, buying stations, and working piers, though municipally owned fish piers are also eligible to apply.
The municipalities where these projects are located will be asked to help in the grant process utilizing a streamlined approach adapted from MaineDOT’s Locally Administered Project (LAP) program. Municipal sponsorship will require the municipality to act as a pass-through for funding to the applicant and confirm that invoiced work has been completed.
Applicants will be required to obtain municipal sponsorship for their request. Municipalities can expect pier and wharf owners to reach out to the municipality during the application period for (1) confirmation of support of the project, and (2) commitment to executing the financial administration of the grant. The municipal administration function will include receipt of payment request from the grant recipient; confirmation that the invoice is appropriate and that the invoiced work has been completed which may include a brief site visit for verification; submission of the request to MaineDOT; receipt of funds from MaineDOT; and distribution of the funds to the correct grant recipient. MaineDOT will assist with invoiced work verification when questions arise, or scope of work is unclear. The application will include a place for an authorized municipal signature to satisfy the municipal sponsorship requirement.
Any municipality that has undertaken a LAP in their town or city will be familiar with the process as it is used for MaineDOT projects regularly, including the directly applicable Small Harbor Improvement Program (SHIP) grants. In this program, it is important to clarify that responsibility for execution of the project is solely on the grant subrecipient and not the municipality. Municipal involvement will not include day to day construction oversight, permitting, contracting or any other direct construction involvement. Invoice verification and financial pass-through accounting will be the extent of project engagement.
For questions regarding this process please contact:
Chris Mayo
Director of Ports and Marine Infrastructure
MaineDOT
chris.mayo@maine.gov
1-207-624-3409
A printable PDF version of this information is available here.