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Home My WebLink AboutNCC232768_(ARPA) DWI Letter of Intent to Fund_20230914ROY COOPER Governor ELIZABETH S. BISER Secretary SHADI ESKAF Director NORTH CAROLINA Environmental Quality August 24, 2022 Mr. Edwin H. Madden, Jr., County Manager Columbus County Water District IV 127 W. Webster Street Whiteville, NC 28472 Subject: Letter of Intent to Fund Columbus County Water District IV Water System Improvements - Lakeland Village Subdivision Proj ect No.: SRP-D-ARP-0116 Dear Mr. Madden, Jr.: The Division of Water Infrastructure (Division) has reviewed your application, and the State Water Infrastructure Authority has approved your project as eligible to receive a total funding amount of $772,198 from the following funding: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund established in S.L. 2021-180. Projects funded from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund must meet applicable federal law and guidance for the ARPA funds. The ARPA Project Grant will be one hundred percent of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $772,198. Please note that this intent to fund is contingent on approval of the loan through the Local Government Commission and on meeting all of the following milestones: Milestone* Date Engineering Report Submittal December 1, 2022 Engineering Report Approval May 1, 2023 Bid and Design Package Submittal November 1, 2023 Bid and Design Package Approval March 1, 2024 Advertise Project, Receive Bids, Submit Bid Information, and Receive Authority To Award July 1, 2024 Execute Construction Contracts August 1, 2024 *Failure to meet any milestone may result in the forfeiture of funding for the proposed project. All costs incurred prior to March 3, 2021 are not eligible for ARPA funds and the Division will make no reimbursements of ARPA funds after December 31, 2026. D E Q�� North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Infrastructure 512 N. Salisbury Street 11633 Mail Service Center I Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-1633 `_' Dep m MofEnmm^menUlQ�al;\ � 919.707.9160 Mr. Edwin H. Madden, Jr., County Manager August 24, 2022 Page 2 of 3 The first milestone is the submittal of an Engineering Report on December 1, 2022. The Engineering Report must be developed using the guidance found on our website (hlt 2s://deg.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure/i-have-funding/engineering reportenvironmental-information). The State Environmental Policy Act exempts projects funded by the State Reserve from state -mandated environmental review. Federal requirements may still apply. [NCGS 113A- 12(2)h.] Upon detailed review of the project during the funding process, it may be determined that portions of your project are not eligible for funding and the total funding amount may be reduced. Additionally, changes in the scope or priority points awarded — based on additional information that becomes apparent during project review — may also result in changes to the total funding amount and loan terms. Engineering Services Procurement All projects must comply with North Carolina General Statute 143-64.31, Article 3D Procurement of Architectural, Engineering, and Surveying Services. Projects cannot be exempted from qualification -based selection of these services under N.C.G.S. 143-64.32. Any services provided that were not selected in compliance with federal requirements will be ineligible for reimbursement. US Treasury Requirements Projects with an expected total cost of ten million dollars or more must meet US Treasury requirements for prevailing wage rates, project labor agreements, and related requirements. Recipients can either certify meeting the requirements or provide plans and reports as the SLFRF Compliance and Reporting Guidance (treasury.gov) specifies. Drought Bill Requirements In accordance with G.S. 143-355.4, a project "for the purpose of extending waterlines or expanding water treatment capacity" must document numerous requirements during the review process. You can find additional information at the following link: http://www.ncleg.net/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bysection/chapter 143/gs 143-355.4.html Joint Legislative Committee on Local Government Notification Requirements In accordance with G.S. 120-157.2, local government units with projects that require debt to be issued greater than $1,000,000 must submit a letter to Committee Chairs, Committee Assistant, and the Fiscal Research Division of the General Assembly at least 45 days prior to presentation before the Local Government Commission. You are responsible for submitting that letter and providing a copy to the Division. Mr. Edwin H. Madden, Jr., County Manager August 24, 2022 Page 3 of 3 Extended Term Loan Projects that qualify for a targeted interest rate and demonstrate in the Engineering Report a weighted average design life for the major components of the project greater than 20 years are eligible for an extended loan term up to the calculated weighted average design life, but not to exceed 30 years. Request an extended term on the Engineering Report Submittal Checklist (https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-infrastructure/i-have-funding/en ing eering- reportenvironmental-information) and provide the necessary calculation. Upon receipt of your letter of intent to fund, please fill out the attached Federal ID & Unique Entity ID (UEI) form, and email it to Pam Whitley at pam.whitley_([)c,ncdenr.gov. We are offering a free permit assistance service to address any questions you have about potential permitting requirements, pitfalls, fees, and timelines. If interested, please complete our online form at https://deq.nc.gov/permits-rules/permit-assistance-and-guidance/permit- assistance-request-form and a regional environmental coordinator will contact you. When applying for a permit; attach a copy of this letter to your permit application. We find this helpful to identify ARPA projects to get your permit to you faster to assist with meeting the federal expenditure deadline of December 31, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact Eric Karis, by phone at (919) 218-4158 or by email at eric.karis@ncdenr.gov. Sincerely, ?)-f- /Q'qz�� Jon Risgaard, Chief State Revolving Fund Section Attachment: Federal ID & Unique Entity ID (UEI) form CC: E. Leo Green, Jr., Green Engineering, Wilson Kavitha Ambikadevi, PE Mark Hubbard, PE Eric Karis ARPA (COM LOIF)