Lorraine Werner
Community Programs Program Director
USDA, Rural Development
RUS – Rural Utilities Service
Water and Environmental Programs
Funding and Managing Your Project

What can RD fund
Water,
Waste water,
Solid waste

And where to get the money?
USDA Rural Development
WWDC
SLIB (County consensus, MRG, etc.)
Dept. of Commerce
EPA
Others . . . .

Infrastructure Needs
Report: Wyoming is facing $ 400 Million in wastewater and water infrastructure needs.
This figure does not include Solid waste.

Infrastructure Needs
USDA Allocations – 2016
Wyoming, 2016:
Spent to date:
Loan Grant
$ 8,391,000 $ 2,456,000
$ 2,516,000 $ 1,895,000

Funding (Very) Basics
Criteria for Loans with Grants:
- ability to pay
- poor . . . . . look at MHI
- health-related issues
- sustainability (has to work)

Funding (Very) Basics
Sustainability
- PER (think it out first)
- tight contracts
- environmental concerns

Funding (Very) Basics
Improved rules - STREAMLINED PROCESS
Best Practices

Eligible Loan and Grant Purposes
To construct, enlarge, extend, or otherwise improve rural water, sanitary sewage, solid waste disposal and storm wastewater disposal facility. Refinance other debt (in some cases).

Eligible Loan and Grant Purposes
We finance:
Legal, engineering, administrative services, fiscal advisory, recording, environmental analyses and surveys, mitigation measures, planning, or acquiring rights

Eligible Loan and Grant Purposes
Costs of acquiring interest in land, rights, such as water rights, lease, permits, rights-of-way; and other evidence of land or water control or protection necessary for development of the facility.

Eligible Loan and Grant Purposes
Purchasing or renting equipment necessary to install, operate, maintain, extend, or protect facilities.
CRADLE TO GRAVE

- Facilities that are not modest in size, design, and cost
- Loan or grant finder’s fees
- Any portion of the cost of a facility which does not serve a rural area

Grant Funding
Applicants are advised that the percentages are maximum amounts and may be limited due to availability of funds or grant determination procedures.

Loan and Grant Applications
Applicants are encouraged to contact the
Agency processing office early in the planning stages of their project.

Year round, PER and ER can be submitted before we have an application for review.

Application Requirements
10 ITEMS TO OBLIGATE including:
1.
Two copies of the Preliminary Engineering
Report
2.
Two copies of the Environmental Report

Pre-funding:
Engineering Contracts
Preliminary Engineering Report
Environmental Report
Post Obligation:
Design
Bid
Construction management
On-site Representation

Engineer Duties (cont.)
Pre-funding:
Engineering Contracts
EJCDC - RD Bulletin 1780-26
Preliminary Engineering Report
RD Bulletin 1780-2
Environmental Report
RD Instruction 1970-B and C

Engineer Duties (cont.)
Pre-funding:
EJCDC must be reviewed by RD; if different format is used must be review by OGC.
Environmental Report New regulations with less publication, and more categorical exclusions. DON’T FEAR THE NEPA!

Engineer Duties (cont.)
Preliminary Engineering Report:
Describes Project
Describes Community
Existing Conditions, History
Alternatives
Costs
Construction costs, Engineering, Legal, O&M,
Easements/Land, Permits, Interim financing, etc.
Recommendation

Engineer Duties (cont.)
PER; NOTED WEAKNESSES
• Life cycle cost analysis
• Short lived Assets
• Technical feasible alternatives
• 1780-2 format
• Maps and Pictures of what we are fixing; electronic and 2 hard copies

Engineer Duties (cont.)
Post Obligation:
Design
Biddable Plans and Specifications, ADA
Bid
Bid meetings, recommend selection
Construction management
Materials selection, change orders, pay requests
On-site Representation
Full-time trench-side observation, reports

• Predevelopment Planning Grant
(PPG)
• Special Evaluation Assistance for
Rural Communities and Households
(SEARCH)

Water and Environmental Planning Grants
Purposes
Provide financial assistance to eligible communities who lack resources to pay for completing Rural Development applications, feasibility studies, (PER/ER), design assistance and technical assistance.

Water and Environmental Planning Grants
Funding Levels
PPG: $30,000 or 75% of eligible costs, whichever is less.
SEARCH: 100% of eligible costs not exceeding $30,000.
One time only disbursement of grant funds after all work is accepted.

Water and Environmental Planning Grants
Eligibility
Public body, not-for-profit, cooperative, or federally recognized tribe.
Project serves communities with MHI below 80% of
Statewide MHI.
PPG: Project serves an area with a population of 10,000 or fewer.
SEARCH: Project serves an area with a population of 2,500 or fewer.

- Standard of Care
- RD reviews at 50%, 98% completion
- Construction contracts follow
Bulletin 1780-26 (EJCDC)

- Addenda concurred by USDA
- Lowest responsible bidder
- Engineer recommends after bid review
- Contract administered
- Community attorney review
- Parties sign contracts, USDA concurs

Available funding for final design and specs as well as construction financing through lenders at interest rates less than RD’s for projects over $500,000.

Safety
Contractor dictates
Protocol
Roles of Contractor/Owner/Engineer/Funding
Communication
With Contractor/Residents

Chad Rupe, State Specialist
Chad.rupe@wy.usda.gov
307-233-6721
Deborah Dunn, State Specialist
Deborah.dunn@wy.usda.gov
307-532-4880 ext. 4
Brenda Allen, State Specialist
Brenda.allen@wy.usda.gov
307-532-4880 ext 4.

Ryan Urbanec, State Engineer
Ryan.urbanec@wy.usda.gov
307-233-6722
Roy Prior, State Engineer
Roy.prior@wy.usda.gov
307-233-6713
Lorraine Werner, CP Director
Lorraine.werner@wy.usda.gov
307-233-6710

For more information…
Rural Development: www.rdusda.gov/wy
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.