Applicants warn deadline overlaps with MS4 annual reports; staff acknowledge posting delays

Applicants at an Oct. 5 MS4 grant Q&A raised concerns that an Oct. 3 grant application deadline overlaps closely with towns’ MS4 annual reporting deadlines, shortening the practical window for preparing grant proposals. “The deadline for this grant is October 3, and all the folks who are working on the MS 4 annual report are working on submitting that by September 20,” said Hillary, a vice chair of the Massachusetts Statewide Stormwater Coalition, adding that the annual report work can compress applicants’ available time. She also said the MS4 permit annual-report date may be as late as Sept. 29 for some communities.

Courtney Sterling, the grant administrator, acknowledged the timing and said staff were posting the RFR a few weeks behind schedule because of legal issues. “I do always encourage everybody to take a look around ... who else is here?” Hillary said; Sterling responded that the agency tries to move award decisions and contracting as quickly as possible but some parts are not in the agency’s control.

Sterling told attendees that written questions will be accepted through the end of the week and that answers to submitted questions are typically posted within about 10–12 days after the Q&A. She said the posted answers and the RFR (including deadlines) appear in the same place where prior funded-project lists and the video of this session will be posted.

Discussion vs. decision: This was a discussion of timelines and logistics; no extension of the application deadline was requested by the staff nor formally granted during the session. Hillary said she was not formally requesting an extension but raised the practical constraint for applicants.

Ending: Staff advised applicants to submit written questions before the stated cutoff and to check the RFR page for posted answers and past project lists.