County staff reported on an EPA Brownfields grant exit meeting and explained why Franklin County’s application scored below the top applicants.
The county’s representative said, "we scored a 128" out of 155 eligible points. He explained that more than 200 grant applications were submitted and 71 were chosen; the successful applications scored between about 153 and 155. Staff said the county performed well on the first criterion (scoring 100% on applicability) but was marked down on repurposing and poverty-level metrics, and that the EPA provided line-item guidance that the county can use to improve future submissions.
The chair said the county can request adjudication documentation via FOIA once the awards are finalized and that staff will review EPA feedback to determine how to address deficiencies, noting that more detailed information will likely be available in September. Staff also said some scoring shortfalls stemmed from the absence of a proposed repurposing plan for the site and that repurposing would have strengthened the application.
No final decision about reapplication timing was made during the meeting; staff said they would take the EPA’s written feedback and consider next steps for improving competitiveness on future grants.