1. (a) The Land Office will rank each project that has been evaluated through the three-stage evaluation process based on the project's cumulative numerical score.
2. (b) If the Land Office determines that a project should receive funds from the coastal erosion response account, the Land Office and the qualified project partner will amend the project cooperation agreement that was entered into earlier in the evaluation process. The Land Office shall explicitly describe in the amended project cooperation agreement the terms and conditions under which the Land Office will fund the project.

3. (c) Cost-sharing requirement for qualified project partners. The CEPRA requires qualified project partners to pay at least 25% of the shared project costs.

   1. (1) The project cooperation agreement shall specify the terms of the qualified project partner's commitment to pay at least 25% of shared project costs.
   2. (2) No costs incurred by a potential project partner before becoming a qualified project partner by entering into a project cooperation agreement with the Land Office can be used to offset the 25% cost-sharing requirement of the CEPRA.
   3. (3) In-kind goods or services provided by the qualified project partner after entering into a project cooperation agreement with the Land Office may offset the 25% cost-sharing requirement, if the qualified project partner provides the Land Office with a reasonable basis for estimating the monetary value of those goods or services. The decision on whether to allow any in-kind good or service to offset the 25% cost-sharing requirement is in the sole discretion of the Land Office.
   4. (4) Local governments that receive financial assistance from the state to clean and maintain public beaches fronting the Gulf of Mexico under Chapter 25 of this title, relating to Beach Cleaning and Maintenance Assistance Program, will not be allowed to use funds received under that program to meet the 25% cost-sharing requirement.

Source Note:The provisions of this §15.22 adopted to be effective November 21, 1999, 24 TexReg 10132.