130A-309.115. (Expires October 1, 2023) Grants to local governments.

(a) The Department shall use funds from the Solid Waste Trust Fund established by G.S. 130A-309.12 to:

(1) Provide grants to counties to reimburse their expenses for activities under this Part.

(2) Provide technical assistance and support to counties to achieve the purposes of this Part.

(3) Implement this Part, including costs associated with staffing, training, submitting reports, and fulfilling program goals.

(b) Each county that requests a reimbursement grant from the Department shall also submit to the Department a proposed budget specifying in detail the expenses it expects to incur in a specified time period in connection with the activities under this Part. The Department shall review each submitted budget and make modifications, if necessary, in light of the availability of funds, the county's capacity to effectively and efficiently manage the abatement of abandoned manufactured homes, and any other factors that the Department reasonably determines are relevant. When the Department and a county agree on the amount of the county's budget under this subsection, the Department and the county shall execute an agreement that reflects this amount and that specifies the time period covered by the agreement, and the Department shall reserve funds for the county in the amount necessary to reimburse allowable costs. The amount of a reimbursement grant shall be calculated in accordance with subsections (c) and (d) of this section. A county shall not receive a reimbursement grant unless it has filed all the annual reports it is required to submit under G.S. 130A-309.117.

(c) Reimbursement grants shall be made in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, but in any event, all reimbursements shall be calculated on a per-unit basis and based on the actual cost of such activities, not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each unit. For a county designated as a development tier one or two area pursuant to G.S. 143B-437.08 where the costs associated with the disposition of an abandoned manufactured home in a manner consistent with this Part exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) per unit, a county may request a supplemental grant in an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the amount in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000). The Department shall consider the efficiency and effectiveness of the county program in making the supplemental grant, and the county participation must be a cash match.

(d) A county shall use reimbursement grant funds only for operating expenses that are directly related to the management of abandoned manufactured homes. If an operating expense is partially related to the management of abandoned manufactured homes, a county may use the reimbursement grant funds to finance the percentage of the cost that equals the percentage of the expense that is directly related to the management of abandoned manufactured homes.