08/27/2007 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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f City, Township, and County Application for Election Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (EAID) Grant Program DEADLINE: ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 4:00 P.M., September 12, 2007 In accordance with the requirements of Title II, Subtitle D, Section 261 of Help America Vote Act (42 USC 15461) Minnesota Secretary of State, Mark Ritchie Contents A. General Instructions — Page 1 B. Administrative Questions — Page 2 C. Application Questions — Page 3 D. Certification — Page 4 A. General Instructions The State of Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State (OSS) is currently soliciting grant proposals from cities, townships, and counties for accessibility improvements to polling places in Minnesota. The accessibility improvement and the payment amount must be specifically agreed upon in a grant contract entered into by the political subdivision and the OSS prior to commencement of work. The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Election Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities (EAID) has allocated to the OSS a cumulative allotment of up to $263,000 to be given in grants to local governments. These funds are available to pay for actual, physical polling place accessibility improvements for individuals with disabilities and for polling place enhancements to allow individuals with disabilities to vote privately and independently. Of the $263,000, the amount of $242,000 has been designated for physical, accessibility improvements to the polling place, such as automatic door openers, disability parking spaces, etc., and $21,000 for polling place enhancements, such as accessible voting booths, magnifiers, etc., to permit privacy and independence for the voter. Typical grant amounts have ranged from, approximately, $100 up to $12,000 in previous years. Political subdivisions will be responsible for selecting a contractor or staff to produce the awarded accessibility improvement and to pay the contractor, including any cost overruns. The political subdivision will report the expenditures for the specific accessibility improvement to OSS in order to receive reimbursements up to the amount awarded. Political subdivisions will also be required to fully cooperate in any and all federal audits of the grant funds. In order to apply for these EAID funds, political subdivisions must answer all questions fully and completely on this application and list each proposed improvement and cost on the EAID Grant Program Improvement Worksheet (Attachment A). An unanswered question could result in the disqualification of the application. If there is a question(s) that is not applicable, please indicate. See last page of this document for contact information. 1