Grant Program Brochure
Index
Alberta Transportation - Resource Road / New Industry Program (2000 - 2003)
This brochure provides a description of the Resource Road/New Industry Program and guidelines for making applications.
PLEASE READ THIS BROCHURE COMPLETELY BEFORE PREPARING AN APPLICATION.
AN APPLICATION WHICH IS INCOMPLETE OR WHICH IS NOT MADE IN THE FORMAT DESCRIBED IN THIS BROCHURE WILL BE SENT BACK TO YOU FOR SUBMISSION.
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Definitions
For purposes of this program
"intensified farming operation" means a large-scale farming operation producing high volumes of livestock, chickens, etc., which imports feed from other farms and exports products and by-products by truck
"Minister" means the Minister of Transportation
"resource-based industrial development" means a development related to processing renewable or non-renewable natural resources
"rural municipality" means a municipal district, county, Metis settlement, the Special Areas, and any area of a specialized municipality outside the defined urban services area.
"truck" means a vehicle with 3 or more axles or with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 4500 kilograms.
"urban municipality" means a town, village and summer village.
"value-added processing" means any activity which adds value to a primary resource such as petrochemicals, meat packing and vegetable processing.
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The ability to move goods and people safely and efficiently is key to achieving the Alberta Advantage. In a number of rural areas in Alberta, such developments as value-added processing, resource and other industries, intensification of the livestock and crops sectors, and consolidation of grain handling facilities have resulted in significantly increased traffic volumes, particularly involving heavy trucks.
The purpose of this program is to assist in the movement of goods and people associated with such developments. Projects which could be considered for funding assistance include local roadways and bridges which serve:
- value-added processing facilities,
- intensified farming operations,
- resource-based industrial developments, or
- high throughput elevators.
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The program will provide 75% funding of approved projects up to a maximum of $2,250,000 per project. Total funding available for the program is approximately $24 million each fiscal year from 1999/2000 to 2002/2003.
The applicant municipality is required to provide at least 25% of the funding required for approved projects. No federal or provincial programs of any kind may be used to fund the applicant’s share. Municipalities are encouraged, however, to negotiate cost-sharing agreements with the owner(s) of the development(s) being served by the project.
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Eligible applicants are urban and rural municipalities as described in the "Definitions".
Eligible Projects
The Review Committee (see "Approval Process" section below) will consider project proposals from eligible applicants which will enhance the transportation of goods and people related to value-added processing facilities, intensified farming operations, resource-based industrial developments, or high throughput elevators which began operations or were expanded in 1997 or later. The road must be used by at least 25 trucks per day on average during any three month period of the year and at least 400 vehicles per day if paving is proposed.
Projects may be for construction or re-construction of local roads and bridges. Improvements to intersections of local roads and provincial highways may also be considered. Any road constructed or improved under the program must be open for use to all publicly licensed vehicles. Projects must be incremental, that is, funding will not be provided for projects currently underway. Municipalities are required to submit an application prior to start of construction. Roads on which municipalities charge or intend to charge general user fees are not eligible.
Projects which are intended primarily for local (residential, recreational and farm) traffic are not eligible.
Projects must receive all necessary municipal and provincial approvals prior to any work being undertaken. Obtaining these approvals is the responsibility of the applicant.
Engineering and construction of projects must be obtained from the private sector. All construction projects in excess of $50,000 must be publicly tendered.
The purchase of land, payment of crop damages, the municipality’s own administration costs and legal fees, and the Goods and Services Tax applicable to the project are not eligible for cost-sharing.
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$24 million will be available in each of the fiscal years 1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2001/2002 and 2002/03. Application deadlines are:
- November 30, 2000 for 2001/2002.
- November 30, 2001 for 2002/2003.
No applications will be accepted after November 30, 2001.
All work must be completed by March 31, 2003.
No payment claims will be accepted after March 31, 2003.
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Applications are to be submitted to the appropriate Regional Office, Alberta Transportation. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The Regional Office will initially review each application to ensure that all required information is included. When satisfied that the complete information has been provided, the Regional Office will forward the application to the Review Committee. An incomplete application will be returned to the applicant for resubmission.
The Review Committee will be composed of representatives of
- Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
- Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties
- Alberta Municipal Affairs
- Alberta Transportation
- Alberta Energy
- Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (Forestry)
- Alberta Economic Development
Each application will be reviewed and rated by the Review Committee which will make a recommendation to the Minister. The Review Committee may require an applicant to make a presentation at a committee meeting to facilitate understanding of the proposed project and its potential benefits. The Minister will review the Committee’s recommendation, and decide whether the application should be approved and the amount of provincial funding to be provided.
The decision of the Minister is final.
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Recommendations by the Review Committee will be based on:
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An assessment of whether the application meets the program guidelines, and
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A priority rating.
In determining whether the application meets the program guidelines, the Committee will consider the following questions:
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Is the application from an eligible applicant?
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Does the road serve a value-added processing facility, intensified farming operation, resource-based industrial development, or high throughput elevator?
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Is the road open to all licensed vehicular traffic? Will a user fee be charged?
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Will the road be used by at least 25 trucks per day on average during any three month period of the year? 400 vehicles per day if paving is proposed?
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Will the project be publicly tendered?
In rating an application, the Committee will consider the following factors:
(Existing and/or projected AADT certified by a professional engineer)
(Improvements such as sight distance at intersections, horizontal and vertical alignment, road widening to accommodate larger trucks and any other safety-related improvements.)
(Permanent jobs created, value of investment in facilities, number of animals handled annually for intensive livestock operation or capacity of a high throughput elevator.)
(Existing standard of the road as an indicator of the need for construction or upgrading.)
(Relationship of the road to the transportation system in the area, joint application with one or more municipalities, involvement of industry in financing municipal share.)
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Applications must be prepared using the format described on the following pages. Any application which is not in this format or which provides incomplete information will be returned to the applicant by the Regional Office for resubmission.
Covering Letter
Your application must begin with a covering letter signed by the Chief Elected Official of your municipality. In addition to anything else you might want to say in the letter, it must include the following statements:
On behalf of (the municipality[ies]), funding is requested under the Resource Road / New Industry Program.
I hereby certify that the information contained in the enclosed application is correct and complete at the date of submission. I also certify that no amounts for Goods and Services Tax are included in the cost estimates for the project. I also certify that no municipal general user fee will be charged to users of this road.
I understand that this project must comply with all applicable legislation and with all of the guidelines for the Program. I understand that any change to the scope or the intended expenditures indicated in the enclosed application will require an amendment approved by the Review Committee.
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Immediately following the covering letter, you should provide a one page summary of the following information:
Application Date - the date the application is made.
Name of Project - the name usually used to describe the project.
Project Location - the legal description which indicates the location of the project.
Applicant - the name of the municipality making the application. If more than one municipality is involved, use the name of the municipality that will be the primary contact for the project indicating that it is "on behalf of (names of municipalities)".
Address - the mailing address for the applicant.
Information Contact - the name, position and telephone and fax numbers of the person who would provide information or make a presentation on the proposal, if requested.
Engineer - the name of the individual and/or firm which is providing professional engineering services for the project.
Total Project Cost - the total estimated cost of the project, excluding the Goods & Services Tax. Municipalities are eligible for refund of a portion of the GST. The non-refundable portion of the GST for projects under this program is the responsibility of your municipality.
RRNI Funding Requested - the amount of RRNI funding which you are requesting.
Source(s) of Balance of funding - how you expect to raise your share of the funding.
Estimated Completion Date - the date by which the project is expected to be completed.
Map - a map showing the location of the project.
For the Project Benefits and Project Information sections, use as much room as you need to provide complete information. The information in these sections will be used in rating your application.
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This section describes the reason the project is being undertaken and provides a description of the anticipated benefits it will provide. Any business plan or economic development plan for your municipality, which indicates the significance of the project for the achievement of the plan, may be included.
Why Is the Project Necessary? - a description of how the project will address a constraint for existing development or serve development to be undertaken in the short-term and a description of the significance of the development.
Traffic Volume Information – actual or estimated average daily traffic counts providing a breakdown between truck traffic (during any three-month period) and other traffic. A professional engineer must certify traffic volume information.
Economic Benefits - describe the existing development(s), what is planned, the number of new permanent jobs to be created, and the value of the investment. In the case of intensive livestock operations, include the number of animals to be handled annually. In the case of high throughput elevators, include the capacity in tonnes of the facility.
Safety Benefits – describe how safety will be improved for all traffic using the road as a result of the project. Safety factors might include horizontal and vertical alignment, sight distances at intersections, widening to accommodate larger trucks in a mix of traffic, and so on.
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The previous section described the development(s) which the project will serve. This section describes the roadwork you intend to undertake to serve the development(s). You should provide a thorough description of the proposed project including the following information:
Project Description - describe the standards of the existing road and of the work to be undertaken including any engineering surveys or other studies available. Remember that paving will normally only be supported where the annual daily traffic volume is at least 400 vehicles per day.
Partnership - describe how the proposed project links into the transportation system in the area. Also describe any cooperation with another municipality and any participation by the industry involved in funding or other support for the project.
Financial Information - provide a proposed budget for the project using the format on the following page. The budget, of course, must match the information you provided in the "Basic Information" section of your application.
| Costs: |
| Engineering & Consulting |
| Construction Contract |
| Materials and Equipment |
| Other (please specify) |
| Total Costs |
| |
| |
| Sources of Funds: |
| RRNI Grant Requested |
| All other sources (please specify) |
| Total Sources of Funds |
Cash Flow - a summary cash flow statement showing when funding is needed in the following format:
| |
2000/2001 |
2001/2002 |
2002/2003 |
| RRNI Funds |
|
|
|
| Applicant |
|
|
|
Other Funds
(please specify) |
|
|
|
| Total |
|
|
|
Check your figures carefully. The amount of funding you may receive will be based on this financial information. It should be as accurate as you can reasonably make it.
Do not send your application to Edmonton.
MAIL YOUR APPLICATION TO:
your Alberta Transportation Regional Office
BEFORE YOU MAIL IT:
HAVE ANOTHER LOOK. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS COMPLETE. HAS YOUR CHIEF ELECTED OFFICIAL SIGNED THE COVERING LETTER? HAVE YOU INCLUDED THE MAP?
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