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State staff tell Daniels County CDBG CIP application was strong but lacked urgency, letters of support and a management plan
Summary
State Department of Commerce reviewers told Daniels County that its Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) planning grant application scored well but missed top points for urgency, a timeline, letters of support and a formal commitment-of-funds letter; the county resubmitted for a second cycle and may pursue CATAP technical assistance.
State officials joined Daniels County commissioners by video on Jan. 20 to review a CDBG planning application for a Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) that was not funded in a competitive round. Department reviewers called the application "very strong" but said the review committee prioritized applicants that showed greater documented urgency, a clear timeline for using a CIP, letters of support, and explicit commitment-of-funds documentation.
Laura, a planning specialist with the state Department of Commerce, said the application received high marks for need and detail but would have scored higher with a clearer demonstration of immediate public-health or safety urgency, an implementation timeline describing how the CIP would be kept current and used to pursue grants, and at least one formal letter of commitment for the local match (a meeting-minute reference did not meet the reviewers' requirement for a separate commitment letter).
Jacob Cody, with the state's community technical-assistance program (CATAP), described CATAP as a possible alternative if the county does not receive CDBG funding: the program can provide a scope of work, match consultant resources and in some cases execute a contract on the state's behalf to deliver planning products for small, capacity-constrained communities.
County staff said they resubmitted the application in the second round and have people lined up to provide letters of support. State reviewers agreed to provide scoring notes and the specific evaluation criteria to help the county revise future submissions.
Outcome and next steps: State staff will email evaluation notes, and commissioners and county staff will attempt to gather formal letters of support and a commitment-of-funds letter for any future or resubmitted application. County staff will pursue CATAP assistance if needed.
