(1) The Director of the Office of Emergency Management, pursuant to the authority to administer grant programs for seismic rehabilitation provided in ORS 401.270, shall develop a grant program for the disbursement of funds for the seismic rehabilitation of critical public buildings, including hospital buildings with acute inpatient care facilities, fire stations, police stations, sheriffs’ offices, other facilities used by state, county, district or municipal law enforcement agencies and buildings with a capacity of 250 or more persons that are routinely used for student activities by kindergarten through grade 12 public schools, community colleges, education service districts and institutions of higher education. The funds for the seismic rehabilitation of critical public buildings under the grant program are to be provided from the issuance of bonds pursuant to the authority provided in Articles XI-M and XI-N of the Oregon Constitution.
(2) The grant program shall include the appointment of a grant committee. The grant committee may be composed of any number of persons with qualifications that the director determines necessary. However, the director shall include persons with experience in administering state grant programs and representatives of entities with responsibility over critical public buildings. The director shall also include as permanent members representatives of:
(a) The Department of Human Services;
(b) The State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries;
(c) The Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission;
(d) The Oregon Department of Administrative Services;
(e) The Department of Education;
(f) The Oregon Fire Chiefs’ Association;
(g) The Oregon Association Chiefs of Police; and
(h) The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.
(3) The director shall determine the form and method of applying for grants from the grant program, the eligibility requirements for grant applicants, and general terms and conditions of the grants. The director shall also provide that the grant committee review grant applications and make a determination of funding based on a scoring system that is directly related to the statewide needs assessment performed by the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. Additionally, the grant process may:
(a) Require that the grant applicant provide matching funds for completion of any seismic rehabilitation project.
(b) Provide authority to the grant committee to waive requirements of the grant program based on special circumstances such as proximity to fault hazards, community value of the structure, emergency functions provided by the structure and storage of hazardous materials.
(c) Allow an applicant to appeal any determination of grant funding to the director for reevaluation.
(d) Provide that applicants release the state, the director and the grant committee from any claims of liability for providing funding for seismic rehabilitation.
(e) Provide separate rules for funding rehabilitation of structural and nonstructural building elements.
(4) Subject to the grant rules established by the director and subject to reevaluation by the director, the grant committee has the responsibility to review and make determinations on grant applications under the grant program established pursuant to this section. [2005 c.813 §2; 2007 c.740 §25]
(Powers of Local Governments)
Section: Previous 401.284 401.286 401.288 401.290 401.292 401.294 401.296 401.300 401.305 401.309 401.310 401.315 401.320 401.325 401.330 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008