R357-16-7. Method and Formula for Determining Grant Recipients

  (1) The Office shall use a weighted scoring system to enable the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant Advisory Committee (pursuant to 63N-9-204) to analyze and advise on the awarding of grant and grant amounts.

  (a) The scoring system shall be made available in the application;

  (b) The scoring system will assess and value general categories including:

  i. Community need;

  ii. Economic impact including the potential to increase area tourism;

  iii. Recreation access and value;

  iv. Project readiness; and

  v.

  vi. Location within an underserved population or area.

  (2) The Office shall distribute the grant applications among the committee members and ensure that each application will be reviewed and scored by members of the advisory committee.

  (3) The Office will use the average of the scores to create a prioritization matrix ranking the applications in ascending order.

  (4) Committee Review Procedure

  (a) The Office shall convene the advisory committee for a meeting for the purpose of selecting the projects which will be recommended for the review

  i. Method and formula for determining grant awards in committee meeting:

  A. A prioritization matrix will be utilized to rank the projects

  B. All but the lowest ranked projects will receive a review during the meeting of the committee

  1. Subject to procedural rules, a member and a second may request a vote to bring a low scored project that was not scheduled for review to receive consideration by the committee

  2. Subject to procedural rules, a member and a second may request a full committee vote for recommendation of an award

  ii. Prioritization may be given to projects that:

  A. Conform to the criteria and eligibility as set forth in the program guide; and

  B. can increase visitation; or

  C. will serve an underprivileged or underserved community; or

  D. will provide geographic parity; or

  E. are trails that are "family friendly"or

  F. are trail segments that complete trail gap; or

  G. will add to connect trails for a larger trail network; or

  H. enhance an outdoor recreation amenity that draws tourists; and

  I. have coordinated with the local tourism office to market the project as a tourism attraction.

  (b) Rules for scoring during Grant scoring meeting

  i. No committee member shall vote on a project in which he/she has substantial interest and shall leave the room while the project is being reviewed and voted on.

  ii. To aid in the meeting evaluation, a synopsis of each of the projects will be provided and each reviewer will have access to all scored evaluations

  (c) In accordance with available funds, the committee will give proposals for funding

  (d) The recommendations for grant awards will be forwarded to the executive director who will consult with the director and the Governor's Office of Economic Development board and give final approval.

  (e) In the event an awardee's project no long qualifies for the grant, the grant award may be awarded to the highest scored project of the denied applicants.

  (f) The office will notify applicants of the funding decision within two weeks of the final decision

  i. Winning applicants will be notified of expected contractual requirements

  ii. The grant applicants who were unsuccessful in winning a grant award will be notified of the rejection.

  A. A copy of the reviewers written comments with redacted names shall be provided to rejected applicants upon request.