| (vii) whether funding the project will contribute to
balance in the geographic distribution of benefits for coastal erosion
response projects in Texas or have received funding from the Account;
and
(viii) the cost of the project in relation to the amount
of money available in the Account.
(D) Based on the evaluation of the Applications and
availability of funding, the GLO will designate projects as either
priority projects or alternate projects.
(i) If, as a result of the evaluation process, the
GLO designates a potential project as an alternate project, the potential
project partner will be notified in writing. The GLO will retain the
Application and may reevaluate it if future conditions warrant funding
the project in the current state fiscal biennium. The Application
must be resubmitted by the potential project partner for consideration
for funding in a subsequent state fiscal biennium.
(ii) If the GLO's evaluation results in a designation
of a project as a priority project, the GLO will enter into a project
cooperation agreement with the qualified project partner.
(E) A project cooperation agreement must explicitly
define all activities and responsibilities for undertaking a priority
project between the GLO and a qualified project partner as set out
in§15.42 of this chapter (relating to Funding Projects From the
Coastal Erosion Response Account).
(3) As appropriate, the GLO may request the applicant
to work cooperatively or participate in a further review to identify
and select a preferred erosion response solution to address any erosion
problem(s) identified in the Application. The preferred erosion response
solution may be determined by the GLO through the evaluation of an
alternatives analysis and feasibility study, which may include modeling
and consideration of long-term results of various methods of design.
Based on this evaluation, the GLO will select the best erosion response
solution to accomplish the goals in the Application.
(A) Projects will be evaluated by the GLO on whether
the potential or qualified project partner has already made or received
a binding commitment to fund all or a portion of a given project and
whether the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of the preferred erosion
response solution is meeting the objectives stated in the Application.
(B) The GLO may, at its sole discretion, fund studies
or activities that evaluate erosion, identify preferred erosion response
solutions, or fund projects that investigate methods to help identify
and enhance community resiliency strategies.
(C) The GLO will determine whether a qualified project
partner should receive funds from the Account based on the final prioritization
of a preferred erosion response solution according to the considerations
detailed in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(D) Each state fiscal biennium the GLO may determine
that at least one project designated as a priority project may be
undertaken by the GLO without requiring a qualified project partner
to provide a portion of the shared project cost as provided in Texas
Natural Resources Code, §33.603(f). In addition to the considerations
detailed in subparagraphs (A) and (C) of this paragraph, the GLO may
consider the following factors in determining whether to fund erosion
response projects without a cost share requirement:
(i) whether the total cost of the projects that are
approved under this section exceeds one-half of the total amount appropriated
to the GLO for coastal erosion planning and response for the state
fiscal biennium in which funding is sought;
(ii) the relative amount of funding available to the
qualified project partner from sources other than the Account; and
(iii) the potential impact of the projects on coastal
erosion in relation to the total estimated cost of the projects.
(b) The GLO may use the criteria set forth in this
section to select a project for funding that will address an emergency
situation. The GLO may accept an emergency project Application at
any time during the state fiscal biennium. The Application must describe
the area that is immediately threatened or impacted by erosion and
how the emergency erosion project will address or resolve the identified
erosion problem.
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