Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA)

1. ACEC Funding Sources Seminar Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) August 21, 2014

2. Mission To work with local, state, and national partners to provide resources and technical assistance to help communities achieve their vision for economic development

3. Indiana’s Rural Definition • OCRA’s official definition of Rural is a place with a population of 50,000 or fewer residents that is not adjacent to, or contiguous to, an urbanized population of 50,000 or more.

4. OCRA’s IMPACT • Since 2009 • A total of 1,031 grants have been awarded • $320,793,040.54 has been awarded from Federal Dollars • $889,312.00 State Dollars have been awarded • $45,459,179.70 LOCAL MATCH has been invested into community projects $367,141,532.24 Has been invested into Indiana Communities through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs *Numbers updated August18,2014

5. This map represents 1,200 individual projects across each of the 92 Indiana communities in the past five years.

6. The Creation of OCRA Since 2005 OCRA’s programs have provided community partners with expert capacity building assistance. Community Facilitation, Facilitated Problem Solving, Facilitated Self-SWOT Product Development and Market Readiness Custom Program Development and Grant Management as a service to other agencies

7. The OCRA Approach • Community Liaisons, Project Managers • Reach out to local elected officials, ED officials • Proactive, problem-solving approach to community issues • Trained facilitators • SWOT analysis, strategic planning, organizational development • Aggressive partnership building • Interagency collaboration • Leveraging funds • Continuous improvement

8. Who we are Executive Director Director of Grant Services Director of Project Development and Community Affairs Operations Manager Bill Davis Megan Zarazee Kathleen Weissenberger Geoff Schomacker Community Liaisons See Next Slide Project Managers Indiana Main Street Administrative Assistant Colette Griffin Matt Crouch Corrie Scott Shae Kmicikewycz

9. Community Liaisons • Community Liaisons work proactively with Indiana’s rural communities and their leaders by providing resources and technical assistance. • They are strategically placed throughout the state and are committed to meeting the needs of rural Indiana. • They assist communities and their leaders to generate creative solutions.

11. CDBG Funding Information

12. Applicant Information • In order to apply for any funding from CDBG programs, the applicant must be a Unit of Local Government. This would include: • Non-Entitlement Cities and Towns • Non-Entitlement Counties • Note that townships and unincorporated towns are NOT eligible to apply for funding. • Qualified Non-Profits can apply for funds as a sub-recipient to qualified units of local government.

13. Applicant Information • All applicants must utilize a grant administrator that has been certified by OCRA. A listing of certified grant administrators can be found at http://in.gov/ocra/2617.htm

14. Applicant InformationMeeting a National Objective • All CDBG projects must meet one of two National Objectives • Serving an area that has a 51% or greater population that is considered Low-to-Moderate income (LMI) • This can be determined using either census data or an income survey • Removal of slum or blight

15. Planning Grants • $1.3 million available • Awarded monthly • 1 Original and 1 Copy • Letters of Intent • Projects/applications will be evaluated using the following criteria: • Project Design Factors – 300 pts; • National Objective – 200 pts; • Community Distress – 175 pts; • 10% Local Match – 50 pts; • Philanthropic Capital – 25 pts • Points Reduction Policy – up to 7 years = 50 points

16. Planning Grants (con’t) • Updated Minimum Technical Requirements • Maximum Grant Amounts • Comprehensive or Economic Development Plans $40,000 • Downtown Revitalization Plans • communities with less than 2,000 population $30,000 • communities with more than 2,000 population $40,000 • Environmental Infrastructure (one utility) $30,000 • Environmental Infrastructure (two utilities) $40,000 • Environmental Infrastructure (master utility study) $50,000 • Levee System Evaluations $50,000 • All Other Plans (including Environmental Assessment) $15,000

17. Construction Funding • The Community Focus Fund program has been broken out into separate funding programs • The new funding programs include: • WDW – Wastewater and Drinking Water Program • SIP – Stormwater Improvement Program • PFP – Public Facilities Program • MSRP – Main Street Revitalization Program • CSRP – Comprehensive Site Redevelopment Program

18. Wastewater/Drinking Water Program • This is a competitive program • There are two stages to the application process • Proposal Stage • Application Stage • A site visit, by the Community Liaison, will be provided to the community following the proposal stage. • 1 Original and 4 Copies • Project Development Issues have been updated and written in question format • Projects/applications will be evaluated using the following criteria: • Project Design – 300 pts; • Community Distress – 175 pts; • 20% Local Match – 100 pts; • Financial Gap – 50 pts;

19. Drinking Water Grant Amounts

20. Drinking Water Grant Amounts

21. Wastewater Grant Amounts

22. Wastewater Grant Amounts

23. Stormwater Improvement Program • This is a competitive program • Maximum Grant Amount: $500,000 • There are two stages to the application process • Proposal Stage • Application Stage • A site visit, by the Community Liaison, will be provided to the community following the proposal stage. • 1 Original and 4 Copies • Projects/applications will be evaluated using the following criteria: • Project Design – 300 pts; • Community Distress – 175 pts; • Low/Mod Percentage – 100 pts; • 10% Local Match – 75 pts; • Sustainability – 50 pts

24. Stormwater Improvement Program • Sustainability score • $0-2.99 user fee = no points • $3-4.99 user fee = 25 points • $5 and higher user fee = 50 points

25. Public Facilities Program • This is a competitive program • Maximum Grant Amount: $400,000 • 1 Original and 4 Copies • Projects/applications will be evaluated using the following criteria: • Project Design – 300 pts • Community Distress – 175 pts • Low/Mod Percentage – 100 pts • 10% Local Match – 50 pts • Project Sustainability – 50 pts • Philanthropic Capital – 25 pts

26. Public Facilities Program • Public Facilities will now incorporate Emergency Services Projects (fire stations, fire trucks, EMS stations), Historic Preservation, and Public Facilities (community centers, libraries, senior centers, special needs facilities, health centers, etc…) • Philanthropic/Sustainability Fund • Philanthropic Match includes actual match dollars donated through a Community Foundation or similar. • Sustainability Fund is a permanent fund at the Community Foundation or the non-profit organization (separate ledger account) established for long- term fundraising and sustainability

27. Main Street Revitalization Program • This is a competitive program • Maximum Grant Amount: $400,000 • This program requires a 20% local match • 1 Original and 4 Copies • Projects/applications will be evaluated using the following criteria: • Project Design – 300 pts • Community Distress – 175 pts • 20% Local Match – 100 pts • Main Street Score – 50 pts • Project Sustainability – 50 pts • Philanthropic Capital – 25 pts

28. Comprehensive Site Redevelopment Program • Indiana Brownfields Partnership Program • Letter of Interest • Community Liaison is first point of contact • Competitive demolition round in late 2014 • Resources • $750,000 set aside from OCRA • Possible IFA funds for assessments • Possible EPA funds for remediation

29. Main Street Revitalization Program • Structural Analysis Requirement for buildings included for façade improvements: • Documentation will need to be included in the Project Description Appendix in the application. • All buildings should have Good or Fair evaluations. • Sample analysis will be provided on website • Must be an Active Main Street Community and in Good Standing. Please talk to Indiana Main Street if you have questions regarding this. • Philanthropic/Sustainability Fund • Philanthropic Match includes actual match dollars donated through a Community Foundation or similar. • Sustainability Fund is a permanent fund at the Community Foundation or the non-profit organization (separate ledger account) established for long- term fundraising and sustainability

30. General Guidelines • All programs have a 7 year point reduction policy • All normal Readiness Requirements apply • F – Financing in Place • E - Environmental • E - Engineering • P - Permits • S – Site Control • May not be on the CDBG Findings list • IHCDA and OCRA projects apply

31. General Guidelines – Income Surveys • Grant Administrators should verify: • Service area (beneficiaries) match survey area • The survey properly completed • Community information • Proper # of responses • Margin of Error calculation • Consistency throughout the survey

32. Programs

34. Community Readiness Initiative (CRI) • The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) partnered with Ball State University to develop the CRI program for communities across the state of Indiana. The CRI is a low-cost, high-impact evaluation tool to assist your town in planning for positive, productive growth in community and economic development. • The CRI program provides a straightforward method of objective, data-driven analysis by identifying your community's strengths and weaknesses and developing a course of action that will solve community and economic development problems. Steps towards Community Readiness: • Select a representing group to serve as primary contact for the program and sign up with OCRA. • Public officials complete the community assessment. • Community organizations complete the community assessment. • Facilitate community awareness conversations to present findings to the community at large. • Identify community strengths using the PWR3 community performance report.

35. Hometown Collaboration Initiative (HCI) • The Hometown Collaboration Initiative provides an organizational framework for people in communities to build on their human and physical capital. This is done as an inclusive team of people and organizations working together to build and act on a shared plan for achieving a high quality place. • The Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA), in partnership with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Purdue Center for Regional Development, Ball State Building Better Communities, the Rural Urban Entrepreneurship Institute at Indiana State University, and the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship will launch the Hometown Collaboration Initiative HCI in 2014.   HCI Building Blocks • Block One:  Building Our Team • Block Two: Developing Our Hometown Leadership Pipeline • Block Three: Strengthening Our Hometown Economy • Block Four: Focusing on Our Hometown’s Natural and Built Resources

36. Shovel Ready • Indiana recognizes three tiers of readiness: • Shovel Ready • Shovel Ready Silver • Shovel Ready Gold • Benefits: • expedites the location and permitting processes for business development • Helps local communities identify and prepare sites and existing buildings for economic development • Online Application: http://in.gov/ocra/files/Shovel_Ready_application_2013.pdf

37. Indiana Main Street • Using economic development, redevelopment, and historic preservation tactics to help individuals, businesses, and organizations strengthen the centers of their cities and towns. • Indiana Main Street’s Four Point Approach: • Organization; • Design; • Promotion; and • Economic Restructuring.

38. Place Based Investment Fund (PBIF) • These grants are targeted toward “quality of place” initiatives across Indiana, which improve both the quality of life and tourism experience in a community. The agencies are seeking applications for projects that will develop multi-purpose, unique community gathering places. • Performance-based quality of place initiatives that maximize investment and collaboration by local governments, economic development organizations, convention and visitor bureaus, Indiana Main Street organizations, public or private schools and community foundations are the intended recipients of these grants.

39. Stellar Communities • Innovative new state program created to fund comprehensive community development projects in Indiana’s smaller cities and towns.  • IHCDA, OCRA, INDOT • Selected communities will complete multiple community development projects funded by the three partner agencies’ programs, which may address housing, infrastructure, roadwork, streetscape, lighting, community centers, revitalization projects, and other quality of life issues.

40. Stellar Designees and Finalists Wabash, IN Pop: 10,484 Delphi, IN Pop: 2,889 Decatur, IN Pop: 9,362 2014 Finalists Marion, IN Pop: 29,639 2011-2014 Designees Richmond, IN Pop: 36,599 Indianapolis Greencastle, IN Pop: 10,331 Nashville, IN Pop: 1,084 North Vernon, IN Pop: 6,660 Bedford, IN Pop: 13,402 Huntingburg, IN Pop: 6,050 Princeton, IN Pop: 8,579 Mount Vernon, IN Pop: 6,609

43. Contact Information Telephone Number: 317.233.3762 Toll Free Number: 800.824.2476 Fax Number: 317.233.3597 Address: One North Capitol, Suite 600 Indianapolis, IN 46204-2027 Website: www.in.gov/ocra/ Facebook: Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs at https://www.facebook.com/IndianaOCRA Twitter: @ocraindiana

44. Thank you!