Section 501.90  Standards for the Determination of Permissible Uses of Block Grant Funds

a)         The following standards are used by the Department staff in determining necessary activities and authorized expenses payable under the provisions of this Part.  These standards are designed to achieve equality among known prospective grantees while taking into account the limitations imposed by the availability of appropriated funds.

b)         Necessary Activities:

1)         Response planning, preparation, radiological training and drills.

2)         Participation in the exercising of transportation and fixed facility nuclear response plans.

3)         Internal post exercise critique and corrective action.

c)         Authorized Expenses:

1)         Personnel Services

A)        Wages, plus fringe benefits, actually paid to local governmental employees for participation in necessary activities as described in subsection (b) of this Section.

B)        Compensation shall be based on hourly rates for the number of hours of actual participation in necessary activities as described in subsection (b) of this Section.  For personnel not normally paid at an hourly rate, an hourly rate shall be determined by dividing the periodic salary or contract amount by the number of hours required to be worked (or if there is no such requirement, the hours typically worked) within the period.

C)        Compensation for "matching funds" type employees shall be limited to wages actually paid from the local government's share of total funds contributed.

2)         Individual Travel

A)        Travel allowances actually paid to local government employees for travel performed in connection with their participation in necessary activities as described in subsection (b) of this Section.

B)        Compensation for transportation, lodging, and per diem or meal expenses shall not exceed the rate in the State of Illinois Travel Regulations, 80 Ill. Adm. Code 3000, in effect at the time the expenditure was incurred, unless a local government ordinance, rule or regulation applicable to all employees of the local government specifies a higher rate.

3)         Equipment Use

A)        Costs actually paid, incurred or obligated for local government owned or leased equipment used during or in connection with a necessary activity as specified in subsection (b) of this Section.

B)        Compensation for equipment use shall not exceed the rates indicated in the following table without complete documentation:

C)        Expenses for use of motorized equipment not listed in the table above shall be fully documented.  Such documentation shall include the date of use, type of equipment, entity that used the equipment, miles or hours that the equipment was used, and cost per mile or hour for equipment use.

4)         Miscellaneous Expenses

A)        Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Telecommunications

i)          Installation, service and maintenance charges for those telecommunication lines, circuits and equipment used exclusively for exercising nuclear emergency response plans.

ii)         Telecommunication lines or circuit usage charges relating exclusively to the exercising of nuclear emergency response plans.

B)        EOC Operational Materials:  costs of maps, charts, plexiglass, status boards and similar materials relating exclusively to the exercising of nuclear emergency response plans.