1. (a) Program purpose and priorities. All grant applications submitted to the department for the small community grant program are evaluated for program eligibility and prioritized according to the Project Priority Scoring System set forth in this section. Scored applications are presented to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for approval. In general, recommended priorities for small community projects are:

   1. (1) to ensure sponsor performance on active grants and compliance at previously assisted grant sites;
   2. (2) to reward the smallest communities;
   3. (3) to increase recreational diversity;
   4. (4) to improve geographic distribution and innovative use of park and recreation opportunities;
   5. (5) to maximize the use of funds for basic park and recreation opportunities;
   6. (6) to improve park and recreation opportunities for low income, minority, elderly, and youth-at-risk citizens;
   7. (7) to reward cooperative efforts between small communities and other governmental, educational, or private sector entities;
   8. (8) to renovate existing, obsolete park and recreation areas and facilities; and
   9. (9) to promote environmentally responsible activities and development.

2. (b) Small communities project priority scoring system.

   1. (1) Small community projects presented to the commission shall be scored according to the criteria, rating factors, and point values set forth in this subsection.
   2. (2) The priority ranking of a project will depend on its score in relation to the scores of other projects under consideration.
   3. (3) Funding of projects will depend on the availability of TRPA funds.
   4. (4) Projects which have not been approved after two considerations by the commission, without alterations to significantly raise the project score, shall be returned to the sponsor and not accepted for resubmission.
   5. (5) Each site of a multiple-site project shall be scored individually. Individual site scores will be weighted on a pro-rata share of the total budget for the entire project. All weighted scores will be added together for the total project score.
   6. (6) If the sponsor is in full compliance at previously assisted grant project sites and is progressing on schedule with all active grant projects in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter, the application will be scored and presented for award consideration. If the sponsor does not meet the requirements of this paragraph, the application will not be scored or considered further.

   7. (7) A project proposal meeting the requirements of paragraph (6) of this subsection shall be evaluated according to the extent that:

      1. (A) the population of the sponsor is 2,000 or less. Two points will be awarded if the community population is 2,000 or less.
      2. (B) the project will provide diversity of park and recreation opportunities or facilities at the proposed site. One point will be awarded for each type of facility or opportunity, up to a maximum of three points.

      3. (C) the project will improve the geographic distribution or innovative use of park and recreation lands and facilities in the project's service area or within the sponsor's jurisdiction, up to a maximum of 10 points.

         1. (i) the project provides the first public park in the sponsor's jurisdiction or intended service area: 10 points; or
         2. (ii) the project provides significantly new and different park and recreation opportunities (other than school facilities) at the project site. One point will be awarded for each facility or opportunity, based on the significance to the community and originality of opportunity, up to a maximum of five points.
      4. (D) the project maximizes the use of development funds for facilities which provide direct park and recreation opportunities, up to a maximum of 10 points, as determined by dividing the direct recreational facilities costs by the total construction costs and multiplying the result by 10. "Total Facilities Costs" include park and recreation facilities, support and infrastructure facilities, contingency costs, and all required program signage costs in excess of $1,000.

      5. (E) the project improves park and recreation opportunities for low-income, minority, elderly and/or youth-at-risk citizens, up to a maximum of 16 points.

         1. (i) the project improves opportunities for low-income citizens (defined by the "USDA National School Lunch Program Income Eligibility Guidelines" federal poverty definition midpoint) as determined by multiplying the percentage of population qualifying as low income by four. Maximum of four points.
         2. (ii) the project improves opportunities for minority citizens as determined by multiplying the percentage of population qualifying as minority by four. Maximum of four points.
         3. (iii) the project improves opportunities for the elderly. One point is awarded for each facility, typically involving passive activities, except where facilities are designed specifically for an elderly user group. Maximum of four points.
         4. (iv) the project provides opportunities for youth-at-risk. One point is awarded for each program offered for youth-at-risk. Sponsor must describe/define the youth-at-risk population and demonstrate how facilities proposed in the application will be specifically programmed. Maximum of four points.

      6. (F) the project involves documented cooperation between the sponsor and other public or private entities to provide park and recreation opportunities at the project site(s). Maximum of 10 points.

         1. (i) the project involves the contribution of resources from sources other than the sponsor, including publicly owned non-parkland, which serves as all or part of the sponsor's matching share of funds. Up to five points may be awarded on a percentage basis, as determined by dividing the total outside contribution value by the total match and multiplying the result by five.
         2. (ii) the project involves cooperation between the sponsor and other entities where resources are contributed to the overall project for non-grant assisted facilities (example: a county constructs roads/parking facilities for a city, but no grant funds are requested for roads/parking): one point per activity, up to a maximum of five points.
      7. (G) the project provides for the renovation of an existing obsolete park and recreation area or facilities, as determined by dividing the renovation cost by the total construction cost and multiplying the result by ten. Maximum of ten points.
      8. (H) the project promotes environmentally responsible activities and development through the use of activities or techniques such as xeriscape/native plant materials, drip or treated effluent irrigation systems, energy efficient lighting systems, recycled materials for facility construction, environmental education and interpretation, significant tree plantings where no trees exist, alternative energy sources, water catchment systems, or other resource conservation measures. One point is awarded for each conservation element proposed in the grant, up to a maximum of five points.

Source Note:The provisions of this §61.136 adopted to be effective June 4, 2002, 27 TexReg 4711; amended to be effective May 1, 2005, 30 TexReg 2556.