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Getting Your House in Order By Charlotte Smith It’s been a year since the Louisiana Infrastructure Technical Assistance Corporation (LITACorp) burst onto the municipal assistance scene, and during that time, they’ve begun their mission of aiding municipalities in gaining much needed grant funding. The non-profit, a collaborative partnership with both the LMA and the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, is advancing the economic prosperity of Louisiana communities in an effort “to assist political subdivisions with competitive federal grant opportunities made pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).” Recently, LITACorp Senior Advisor Alex Holland gave a talk on all the organization can offer. She rounded out her talk on reminding attendees that being in, and staying in, compliance is a key factor in the securing of grant funding. Basically, if you aren’t doing what’s expected of you on a municipal level, no amount of perfect penmanship and correctly ticked boxes on your grant application will secure you the funding you need. After noticing how many municipal leaders sat up and began to take serious notice of Holland’s words, I chatted with her in an effort to find out exactly what she meant and what municipal leaders need to know. Alex, thanks for giving me your time. How important is staying in compliance when it comes to getting grant funding? It’s not only important to stay in compliance, but it’s necessary. Grantmaking agencies have an obligation to invest their funding into organizations who not only have the capacity to administer those funds and implement high-impact projects, but who can also demonstrate a Alex Holland Senior Advisor, LITACorp willingness to deploy taxpayer funding efficiently and effectively and within the parameters of established policies and regulations. What are the best places, or who are the best agencies, to use for municipal officials to stay up-to-date on matters of compliance? First and foremost, the Louisiana Municipal Association is an incredible resource for municipal governments throughout Louisiana. The Police Jury Association of Louisiana is too for parish governments, and we work closely with both. The annual events that these organizations host are a great way to bring elected officials and government staff together to exchange ideas, but their greatest value is in the training that is offered to attendees so that they can keep up with the important issues that impact local governments on a regular basis. State agencies and divisions, such as the Division of Administration, Department of Environmental Quality, and Ethics, are great resources for compliance issues. I think it important for Page 16 LMR | OCTOBER <strong>2023</strong>
and state funding today, or for those considering applying in the near future, it is essential that the grant award guideline and the policies and procedures are read Local governments need to make grant compliance a top priority when they begin to apply for, receive, and administer grant funding. municipal governments to keep open lines of communication with state regulators. Ultimately, regulatory agencies want local governments to be in a position to succeed, but that starts with understanding the policies and regulations that elected officials and local governments are responsible for upholding and abiding with. At that point, municipal officials make decisions that either keep their governing body in compliance or do not. When in doubt, ask for help! If you aren’t in compliance, and you get turned down for grant funding, does that cause further issues or delays even if you bring yourself back into compliance? For example, if I get refused due to an audit or other compliance related issue, am I ineligible for a certain amount of time, even if I fix things on my end? This is a difficult question because I imagine this will vary by funding agency and could even be approached on a case-bycase basis. I think the biggest takeaway here is that municipal officials need to make sure their house is in order before proceeding to apply for federal or state grants. In all practicality, local governments need to establish trust with grantmaking agencies and trust is built over time when local governments demonstrate a high level of accountability through proper financial administration and comprehensive reporting. How can LITACorp help with compliance related issues? At the local level, it is extremely important for municipal officials to work closely with legal counsel and department heads (e.g., Public Works) to ensure the government administration is operating in full compliance with state and federal laws. For municipalities administering federal in full and understood before proceeding with grant implementation. Municipalities should understand what they are on the hook for so they know how to proceed in a way that is compliant with all relevant laws and regulations. LITACorp can assist local governments with understanding grant guidelines pre-award (i.e., during the application phase) and post-award (i.e., during the grant administration phase) so municipal officials understand these compliance issues before they apply and after they are awarded. Ultimately, following these established procedures will ensure you as a local government are viewed as a strong/ high-capacity grantee to the grantmaking agency. We hope this results in future funding opportunities for compliant local governments in the future! So, let’s say I’m a local government. I’m now in compliance, and all is well. What’s next in terms of how LITACorp can assist me in a different way now? LITACorp can serve local governments in a variety of ways. Our Technical Assistance Team can assist with getting local governments registered to apply for federal grants, help prioritize projects based on need and readiness, identify potential funding opportunities, complete grant applications, assist with grant administration once awarded, and more. Most importantly, LITACorp can assist local governments with grant compliance once they are awarded a federal grant. We want to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and we certainly do not want to find Louisiana local governments in a position to have to return the grants they rightfully receive. Local governments need to make grant compliance a top priority when they begin to apply for, receive, and administer grant funding. Why is it imperative that municipalities look into making sure things are in order now? There are historic levels of federal funding available today and for the next 4-5 years through recent appropriations activity. Louisiana municipalities cannot delay their due diligence on these compliance matters because it could negatively impact their chances of benefiting from the wealth of grant funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, annual appropriations, and other supplemental appropriations (e.g., in response to natural disasters). So, there you have it – compliancy is key when it comes to securing grant funding you can use to improve upon your village, town, or city. Discussing any issues you may come up against with your administration, and working on ways to combat those issues as a team, can save you the heartache of finding out your application has been declined. If an approval is what you’re after, and I do believe it is, then there’s no better time to get your house in order than now. Author’s note: Alex Holland is Senior Advisor for LITACorp. She can be reached by emailing alex@litacorp.org. LMR | OCTOBER <strong>2023</strong> Page 17
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