The 83rd Texas Legislature appropriated $225 million for transportation infrastructure projects in counties affected by oil and gas production. All 254 counties qualified for some amount in grant funds. As of the March 14 deadline, 191 counties had applied for the funding available from TxDOT’s County Transportation Infrastructure Fund Grant program. The 191 counties identified $1,152,421,279 in actual needs.
In late April, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas and the Texas Association of Counties conducted a webinar to assist counties with the grant procedure. To view the webinar and related documents, go to http://www.county.org/magazine/newsandcolumns/Pages/April%202014/TAC-and-CJCA-Hold-County-Transportation-Infrastructure-Fund-Grants-Program-Webinar.aspx.
Following please find a summary of information provided:
Steps for Utilizing TxDOT Documents
- Counties have now received their adjusted grant allocation award letters and the “simplified” grant contract and procedures. Counties must request reimbursement using the forms and procedures specified by TxDOT.
- Completion of the following steps utilizing the documents sent by TxDOT and the Resolution and Certification will enable your county to complete the requirements to begin submitting invoices and receiving reimbursements from your grant allocation.
- Commissioners Court should adopt the Resolution and Order designating the County Representative and authorizing the Grant Agreement. Visit the webinar site for a copy of the Resolution.
- The County Representative should sign the County Transportation Infrastructure Grant Agreement received from TxDOT and attach the Resolution as Attachment A and complete TxDOT Attachment B (restatement of your grant award and matching fund amounts).
- Commissioners Court should revise the Project List and Estimates to equal the total amount of the Grant plus the county match, using the form received from TxDOT. This informs TxDOT that you intend to begin work on these projects, and you will be submitting invoices for reimbursement on these projects. The Project List may be revised as needed in the future if the projects change.
- The County Representative should complete and sign Certification Form 1 received from TxDOT.
- The County Representative should complete and sign a copy of Certification Form 2 for each project on the Revised Project List.
- The County Representative should complete and sign a copy of the Environmental Certification Form for each project on the Revised Project List. We have prepared this form for counties that will be using existing right of way (ROW) for the projects. (See webinar site.) If new ROW will be acquired for any project, suitable professional assistance will be required to evaluate legal and environmental issues.
- Send two copies of the Agreement and one copy of all of the other documents to the TxDOT District Engineer identified in the Award Package. File one copy in the minutes of the Commissioners Court.
- After submission of these documents, you will receive a TxDOT Approval to Commence Construction form for each project. At that time, you may begin submitting monthly invoices for grant reimbursement.