Delivering Local Assistance Program

The Delivering Local Assistance Program was created in 2019 to support communities impacted by natural resource development. Specifically, this program will focus grant funds toward local governments and schools to address the needed investments in facilities and other community infrastructure priorities across Montana. DLA is a state-funded program created through House Bill 652, Sections 1 through 8. HB 652 authorizes funds to be awarded to local governments and schools districts to complete infrastructure projects through grants. In total, $21.5 million in grants are available. Of that, $10.75 million will be distributed to local infrastructure projects and $10.75 million will be distributed to school district infrastructure projects as defined in the bill. This allocation of funding is a one-time authorization available for the 2021 Biennium. Project Awards School District Awards Local Government Awards Applications Received School Districts Local Governments Eligibility Administering a Grant Eligibility Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants who are impacted by natural resource development may apply for eligible infrastructure projects. Eligible applicants are local governments including an incorporated city or town, a county, a consolidated local government, a tribal government, a county or multi-county waste district, school district, or an authority as defined in MCA 75-6-304 . Local governments must be able to demonstrate an impact to an existing or future population caused by a growth or decline associated with timber development within the county where the local government is located. Any eligible local government must have recorded production taxes of gas, or total timber harvested as reported by the Montana Department of Revenue, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, or other federal and state agencies. The level of impact must be further described by the applicant through the application responses. Eligible Projects Eligible applicants can apply to complete infrastructure projects that solve a deficiency related to the following project types: drinking water systems; wastewater treatment; sanitary sewer or storm sewer systems; solid waste disposal and separation bridges; facilities for government administration; public safety infrastructure related to law enforcement, fire protection, or emergency services; or school district infrastructure projects. A school district infrastructure project means a project that is related to life safety or security issues; for major repairs or deferred maintenance in an existing school facility; or for major improvements or enhancements to an existing school facility. Eligible applicants may apply for multiple projects. Eligible projects must be stand-alone with proposed project components being integral to addressing the infrastructure deficiency. Stand-alone projects must not be reliant upon a future scope of work. All grant recipients must meet start-up conditions no later than September 30, 2020, or the grant obligation is terminated. Eligible Funding The maximum amount of funding cannot exceed $750,000 per project from the DLA program. Further, the maximum amount cannot exceed $1.5 million, per county, from the DLA program. If an applicant submits more than one application, the applicant must present which project is the highest priority for funding consideration and is ready to proceed with project activities beginning October 1, 2019.