Sec. 05.04.15.08. Grant Approval and Disapproval

A. Initial Eligibility Determination.

(1) Each application shall be submitted to the Department or local administrator, as applicable, for initial review to make a preliminary determination of the eligibility of the applicant and the project.

(2) If an applicant is determined preliminarily to be eligible, the applicant will be provided with a letter acknowledging receipt of the application and notifying the applicant of the ongoing review process.

(3) If an applicant is ineligible for a grant, the applicant shall be informed in writing of the determination and the reasons for it.

B. Building Evaluation.

(1) Each building for which an eligible application is received shall be inspected for the purpose of preparing a work write-up by:

(a) The Department;

(b) The local administrator;

(c) A nonprofit corporation that acceptable to the Program; or

(d) A licensed contractor who is acceptable to the Program.

(2) The applicant shall be provided with a copy of the work write-up or an analysis of the modification and instructions for obtaining the contractor’s proposals to complete the work.

C. Grant Approval.

(1) Upon receipt and approval of all documentation and the contractor’s proposals, the local administrator or the Department shall undertake an analysis of each grant as to amount and other grant terms and conditions.

(2) Approval to make a grant is as follows:

(a) Grants in amounts of $25,000 or less may be approved by the:

(i) Level II local administrator, when a level II local administrator originates the grant; or

(ii) Program Director, when a level I local administrator or the Department originates a grant; and

(b) Grants or a combination of Program grants in amounts greater than $25,000 and up to a maximum of $60,000 may be approved by the Director or Deputy Director.

D. Grant Commitments.

(1) Grant commitments shall be made on forms provided by the Program.

(2) Grant commitments shall specify a time limit for closing the grant which may be extended with the approval of the Program.

(3) If the grant closing does not occur within the specified time, the local administrator or Department, as applicable, shall notify the applicant that the commitment is officially canceled.

E. If a grant application is rejected, the Department or the local administrator, as the case may be, shall notify the applicant in writing stating the reason the grant is rejected.

F. Reconsideration. Applicants may request reconsideration of a rejection in accordance with the procedures contained in the Program guidelines.

G. An initial decision or reconsideration of a decision is not a contested case within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act or COMAR 05.01.01.

H. Withdrawal of Application. An applicant may withdraw a grant application at any time before closing by delivering written notice to the Department or the local administrator originating the grant. The applicant shall bear any costs incurred for items other than internal processing including, but not limited to, title examinations, credit reports, and appraisals.

I. Cancellation of Application.

(1) The Program or the local administrator may cancel an application at any time during processing if the applicant fails to provide information requested by the Program which is required to evaluate the request.

(2) Notification of the cancellation of an application shall be made in writing.

(3) A canceled application may be reinstated upon the applicant’s written request within 60 days following the date of the cancellation.

(4) Any time after 60 days following cancellation, a new application with supporting documents may be required.