OVERVIEW
Volusia ECHO Advisory Board Workshop
July 24, 2002
County Council Chambers 
DeLand, FL

Echo Program presentation -  Margaret Hodge

1. Workshop Goals
   Review Application Format Changes
   Explain General Eligibility Requirements
   Explain Major Changes to Application Content
   Receive Public Input
   
2. Major GY 2003 draft application changes include the following (application page numbers subject to change with future revisions):
   1. Final application deadline December 6, 2002 (pg 6)
   2. Each project phase must provide some public access at the end of the grant period (pg 13)
   3. Applications missing any section will be "incomplete" and therefore ineligible (pg 16)
   4. 50 percent of match must be unencumbered cash - TAB 3 (page 24)
   5. MAI appraisal is required for projects sites used as match that are a portion of the parcel - (pg 27) - Property Appraiser value may be used to document match value if the project site is the complete parcel - (pg 27)
   6. Not-For-Profit organization may not encumber the project equal to the value of the ECHO grant - Restrictive Covenant - (pg 30)
   7. No Exceptional or Unique Small projects for 2003
      
3. Defining the 5-year Rule
   The ECHO Program Coordinator directed the attendees to the application page that provided the specific new language for the major changes previously stated in the opening presentation. (Ms. Hodge read the actual language out loud.)
   
4. Public Discussion Topics and Generalized Comments:   The ECHO Program Coordinator then opened the floor for public input. The following comments and suggestions were made:

1) APPLICATION FORMAT: Consider numbering the various sections under the Tab sections or bolding the questions. Staff Note: Staff has now inserted additional numbers to more clearly identify each section to be answered in the application and placed a corresponding number on the checklist of the application that is to be placed on top of the original application.

2) UNENCUMBERED CASH MATCH: Consider (A) Allowing cash purchases of property, purchased within a given period prior to application, to be used as the unencumbered cash match; and (B) Reducing the unencumbered cash match requirement for 2003 to create a transition period before increasing to a full 50% of the match being unencumbered cash on hand.

3) CASH IN THE BANK: Consider (A) Allowing the applicant to provide proof of the funds in the bank after the Grant Review Panel ranking but before the County Council approval. Only the applicant may provide the pledge document from the applicant’s organization. Staff Note: Pledges from organizations, other than the applicant, can not be used to meet the requirement of documentation for unencumbered cash match. And (B) Changing language on pg 25, Unencumbered Cash on Hand, section C, to "during" instead of "throughout".

4) PAGE 15, 19-21 MATCH AND ECHO FUNDED ITEMS: Consider (A) in section "May not be used for ECHO funding", page 15, number 5, changing the word "borrowing" to "borrowed;" and (B) verify that the notations in the Budget Detail definition section, pages 19-21, that direct the applicant as to whether or not the budget item may be used for match and/or ECHO funding. The first two definitions do not state how they may be used. Staff Note: Staff has inserted "and/or" wherever there was the word "or" between the word Match and the word ECHO in all definitions. Additionally staff placed the language MATCH AND/OR ECHO after the first two items listed in the definition section, Real Property Acquisition and Architectural Services.

5) PAGE 30, PROTECTION OF ENCUMBRANCE OF GRANT VALUE: There appeared to be acceptance of the need for this language and some attendees thanked the Board for not moving forward on the Mortgage language previously submitted by the County Legal Department.

6) PUBLIC ACCESS: The general feeling of the group was that this language is not reasonable for large projects (more than a one-year project). This may generate some sort of token effort in order to meet the requirement. This creates liability concerns on construction sites without Certificate of Occupancies. Recommendation from the attendees is to delete the language " for intended purpose" or strike the whole sentence completely. County staff stated that the Council’s desire is to have public access as quickly as possible upon completion of the project where reasonable. Staff Note: The applicant does provide a timeline for completion of phases and may be able to include information on when the public will have access to parts of the project or the whole project (Tab 2). The Board may require the applicant to demonstrate secured funding sources to show that the project ’s opening day will occur as indicated in the grant (Tab 3). The Board may decide that this is an area important to evaluate as they score this project in order to ensure public access.

7) ELIGIBILITY OF APPLICANTS: Consider (A) If a Foreign 501(c)(3) organization that has operated and been physically located in Volusia County for 7 years incorporates, in the State of Florida, would they be able to apply to ECHO without meeting the two year Florida Corporation requirement, and (B) If the requirement "a majority of Board Members of a Not For Profit organization must live in Volusia County" creates an unnecessary obstruction that limits an International Organization from performing its mission or bringing additional new money and economic development into Volusia County. (A) County Staff believes the ECHO Board might consider waiving the two-year to one year for exceptional conditions as stated above. (B) County Staff believes the requirement that a majority of Board members must live in Volusia County could be eliminated from the eligibility requirements.

8) GRANTEES WITH EXTENSIONS APPLYING FOR 2003 GRANT: In 2003 the proposed application deadline is December 6, 2002. The 2002 grant period ends May 2003. This means that some 2002 grant projects will not be complete at the time of the 2003 deadline. Staff Note: The County Legal Department has stated they have no problem with a 2002 grantee applying for a 2003 grant for a new project as long as the grantee has maintained compliance in the 2002 grant period and 50% of the 2002 project scope is completed. The reason for allowing the application is (1) the Board has chosen to move the application deadline forward two months and (2) final approval for 2003 grant recipients, by the County Council, will not occur until March or April 2003. An evaluation of the existing condition of the 2002 project will be conducted by the County prior to the 2003 grant approval by the County Council.

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