[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of
the Town of South Berwick 1-8-2007. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this policy is to clarify the
procedure by which grants are applied for, accepted and utilized.
A.
Application support.
[Amended 9-8-2008]
(1)
Grant applications which do not require a cash match
from the Town of South Berwick shall be presented to the Town Manager
for submission approval.
(2)
Grant applications which do require a cash match shall
be submitted to the Town Council for submission approval. This requirement
may be waived by the Town Manager due to extenuating circumstances.
If this requirement is waived, the Manager shall advise the Council
of the grant opportunity at the next available Council meeting.
B.
Applications. Grants applied for by Town staff, volunteers,
elected officials or appointed board members shall be forwarded to
the Town Manager for approval a minimum of five business days prior
to the grant deadline. Two complete copies of the application shall
be submitted to the Town Manager, in addition to the original. One
copy shall be retained in the Town Manager's office, the other in
the finance office. It is the responsibility of the grant writer to
retain a full copy of all grants submitted. If a complete copy of
the application is not available at the time a signature is required,
a final copy shall be submitted to the Manager’s office as soon
as practicable.
[Amended 9-8-2008]
(1)
Application assistance, if required, shall be requested
immediately to allow adequate staff preparation time. No less than
10 business days' notice is required should staff time be required.
(2)
It shall not be the responsibility of the Town Manager's
office or his/her designee to correct or complete any applications
submitted which fail to meet the requirements of the grant agency.
(3)
Only the Town Manager/Treasurer is authorized to sign
grant applications on behalf of the Town of South Berwick.
(4)
Any grant requiring a Town match of funds, goods,
or services shall include a letter of explanation for the source of
the match.
(5)
A project manager shall be designated at the time
of the application. That person's name shall be forwarded to the Town
Manager. The project manager shall be the contact person to assist
Town staff with reporting requirements.
C.
Acceptance.
[Amended 9-8-2008]
(1)
Grants applied for in the name of the Town of South
Berwick shall only be deemed accepted upon an official motion of the
Town Council. In order to be placed on the next available Council
agenda, a request shall be made on the appropriate form. All required
paperwork must be forwarded to the Town Manager by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday
of the week prior. This shall include, but not be limited to, a copy
of the application if it was not previously provided, all financial
reporting paperwork, grant and reporting directions and the grant
approval letter. Applications completed which do not follow the requirements
of this policy place their acceptance at risk.
(2)
Following the acceptance of the grant by the Town
Council, a copy of the acceptance letter and the motion (Town Council
meeting minutes) shall be copied to the Finance Office.
D.
Town ordinances/policies. The project manager shall
follow the Town's Purchasing Policy and all other appropriate Town
ordinances and policies while implementing the grant requirements.
E.
Financial reporting. Financial reporting shall be
completed by the Finance Director or his/her designee. The Finance
Director shall designate the appropriate account(s) for disbursements.
Copies of all approved invoices shall be forwarded to the Finance
office with the grant name and account number clearly delineated.
The Finance office shall have the responsibility of confirming all
work relating to the grant has been completed. The project manager
shall cooperate with the Finance Director or his/her designee to insure
the terms of the grant are followed. If financial reporting is to
be completed electronically, all usernames and passwords used in the
application process shall be forwarded to the Finance office without
delay.
F.
Periodic reports to the Council. Semiannual reports
shall be made to the Town Council on a form designed by the Manager's
office. The project manager shall cooperate with the Manager's office
to furnish the requested information in a timely manner.
