Grants & Awards: LGRMIF:

Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General

• What is the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund Act?

Eligibility

• Who can apply for a Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund Grant (LGRMIF)?
• Do we need to adopt a retention schedule and appoint an RMO every time we apply?
• Can Fire Departments apply for LGRMIF grants?
• Can a local government apply for more than one grant?

Application

• Can I apply for a grant online?
• Must I apply for a grant online?
• What is the deadline for submission electronic applications?
• What is the deadline for submission of paper forms?
• Is there a character limit for parts of the Project Narrative in the eGrants System?
• Is there a time limit for how long I can work in the eGrants System?
• How do I give rights to use the eGrants System to my grantwriter?
• May we submit faxes or copies of vendor quotes?
• When do I need to submit a floor plan?
• Are photographs helpful for documenting the extent of a problem?
  

Categories

• Can we submit an application involving two distinct categories?

Budget and Personnel

• Are there matching requirements for these grants?
• What is the difference between professional staff (code 15) and support staff (code 16)?
• Is funding available for developing a website?
• Can we hire retired people who used to work for our local government?
  

Quotes and Vendors

• What if shelving costs are $30,000 and installation is part of that cost. Would three quotes be needed since it would be a service over $10,000?
• When working with a vendor, should we tell them how much money we are looking for in a project?
  With a conservation project, sometimes you do not know the actual condition and what needs to be done. How do we come up with expense figures?
• My vendor does 100% quality control of the images they produce. Do I have to look at the images also?
• What if we are seeking a consultant in a very specialized field?
• If a grant proposal involves microfilming, imaging, or otherwise producing copies of long-term records that could be discarded according to state retention schedules, could that be a negative?
• We didn’t choose the lowest quote provided. How should we handle that?
• Are quotes required for products and services on state contract?
• When using a vendor quote, do we include the whole quote or just the page with the prices?
  

Award Notification and Project Management

• If we are not awarded the money, are we told why?
• How long do I have to complete my project?
• Am I able to transfer monies from one budget category to another during the grant year?
• What are the final reporting requirements and when are reports due?
• Where do I send my final reports?

Where can I find answers to other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)?

General

What is the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund Act?

The Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund Act (Chapter 78, Laws of 1989) established a dedicated fund to improve records management and archival administration in New York’s local governments. The Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) is comprised of the fees collected by county clerks and the New York City Register for the recording of selected documents, and for the assignment by county clerks of index numbers for certain court cases. The Act authorizes the Commissioner of Education to provide training and technical assistance, administer a grant program for local governments, and appoint a Local Government Records Advisory Council (LGRAC) to advise on the operation of the LGRMIF program.

Eligibility

Who can apply for a Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund Grant (LGRMIF)?

LGRMIF grants are intended for local governments in New York State, and most local governments (excluding entities in New York City and housing authorities) are required to have appointed a Records Management Officer (RMO) and adopted an appropriate State Archives records retention and disposition schedule by the application deadline.

Do we need to adopt a retention schedule and appoint an RMO every time we apply?

No, once you have done both they continue year to year.

Can Fire Departments apply for LGRMIF grants?

Fire districts are eligible to apply for LGRMIF grants because they are considered local governments. However, not-for-profit volunteer fire companies and volunteer ambulance and emergency rescue services are not considered local governments, and are therefore not eligible to apply for LGRMIF grants.

Can a local government apply for more than one grant?

No, unless the second application is for a project in the Disaster Management category. The maximum amount for awards in this category is $10,000 per grant when an applicant applies for this as a second application.

Application

Can I apply online?

Yes, as of 1 October 2009 you can apply for an LGRMIF online via our eGrants System. You can access the system at https://eservices.nysed.gov/ldgrants%20. All signature forms must still be signed (in blue ink) and submitted in paper.

Must I apply online?

Yes, you must apply electronically. The eGrants System will save your local government money in paper and postage, you won’t have to worry about the order in which you submit the forms and supporting material, and we will be able to process all information concerning your application more quickly than we can in paper. Please contact the Grants Administration Unit at (518) 474-6926 if you need assistance in submitting an application online.

What is the deadline for submission electronic applications? What is the deadline for submission of paper forms?

All electronic applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm on 1 February 2012. The required paper signature forms that accompany your online application must be postmarked no later than 1 February 2012.

Is there a character limit for parts of the Project Narrative in the eGrants System?

No. Applicants may go into as much detail as they need to fully describe their projects.

Is there a time limit for how long I can work in the eGrants System?

The system will “time out” if there is no activity for 30 minutes, which means you could lose some or all of your work if you had not previously saved it. As a precaution, we advise that you write your Project Narrative and Project Budget on your own computer hard drive and cut and paste text into the online application, and be sure to hit the “Save” button often when working in eGrants.

How can my grantwriter gain access to the eGrants System?

Your password and username for accessing eGrants represent your institution. Your government’s RMO may disclose this information to a grantwriter, but we strongly urge all RMOs to retain responsibility for reviewing and submitting the final application.

When do I need to include a floor plan?

Inactive Records projects involving renovation to an existing facility or the installation of shelving, require the submission of a floor plan. When Minor Remodeling funds are requested a floor plan is also required.

May we submit faxes or copies of vendor quotes?

When you are submitting electronically, then you must submit any materials from vendors or consultants as attachments in eGrants in one or more of the following formats: For text-based documents: Microsoft Word (DOC); spreadsheets: Excel (XLS); and images: PDF, JPEG, BMP, or PNG.

Are photographs helpful for documenting the extent of a problem?

Yes, but don’t provide too many, and don’t substitute photographs for a detailed description of the problem in the Project Narrative. When you apply electronically, you will need to attach the photographs as image files in one of the acceptable image formats (PDF, JPEG, BMP, or PNG).

Categories

Can we submit an application involving two distinct categories?

Yes, but indicate only one category on the Application Sheet and be sure to address the requirements of both categories in addition to the General Category Requirements and any requirements for category types, such as Cooperative and Shared Services. Choose the predominant element of your project in choosing the appropriate category.

Budget and Personnel

Are there matching requirements on these grants?

No, but it is always helpful to show in-kind contributions to the project as it helps to illustrate how the local government will continue to support an activity started with grant funds.

What is the difference between professional staff (code 15), and support staff (code 16)?

Ultimately, you can decide, but generally, someone doing professional level work, such as developing retention schedules, writing series descriptions, etc., would be code 15, while clerical/support work, such as boxing records, data entry, and reorganizing files, would be code 16.

Is funding available for developing a website?

Any website with a records component will be considered fundable. Keep in mind that no maintenance funding is available. The LGRMIF will only fund start-up costs.

Can we hire retired people who used to work for our local government?

You may do this, but the salary you pay to a retiree should be appropriate for the grant project involved; the salary should not reflect what they were making when they used to work for you.

Quotes and Vendors

What if shelving costs are $30,000 and installation is part of that cost. Would three quotes be needed since it would be a service over $10,000?

No, it would not. The key is the unit cost of the shelving. Since one unit of shelving is well below the $10,000 threshold and installation is part of that per-unit cost, three quotes would not be required.

When working with a vendor, should we tell them how much money we are looking for in a project?

It is best to tell the vendor the problem to be addressed and what you would like to do about it. Allow them to come up with a dollar figure for the cost of what needs to be done.

With a conservation project, sometimes you do not know the actual condition and what needs to be done. How do we come up with expense figures?

Such a situation may require an evaluation by a conservation expert under the Historical Records category. Be sure to submit a copy of the conservation treatment report so reviewers can evaluate whether the proposed treatment is appropriate.

My vendor does 100% quality control of the images they produce. Do I have to look at the images also?

We strongly recommend that you do your own image verification to ensure that the vendor did not miss images in the course of filming or scanning. This is especially important for projects where you propose to destroy the original records.

What if we are seeking a consultant in a very specialized field and so cannot obtain three quotes?

If this is the case, be sure to demonstrate the effort you made trying to obtain quotes and justify why you need someone in a specialized field.

Is it appropriate to request funding to microfilm or image records that could be destroyed according to a State Archives’ retention schedule but which we have decided to keep?

The reviewers may not see this as an appropriate funding request. You will need to make a strong case for why you are choosing to invest in records that could be destroyed.

We didn’t choose the lowest quote provided. How should we handle that?

If you choose a quote other than the lowest quote, justify why you did not choose the lowest and explain what makes the one you chose more desirable. The reviewers will evaluate whether the case you make for a higher quote justifiable or not.

Are quotes required for products and services on state contract?

No. The requirement for three quotes for products and services over $10,000 do not apply for products and services that are on state contract or from a preferred vendor.

What if we have been working with a vendor to complete similar work? Do we still have to provide three quotes?

If you have a longstanding relationship with an existing vendor and your local government does not require you to re-bid for the services of this vendor periodically, then you can provide a quote from that vendor without providing two other quotes. Unless your government has no written procedures on procurement, your application must demonstrate compliance with these procedures by providing copies of the official procurement procedures you are following along with an explanation of how you will follow these during your proposed grants project. In the absence of any written procedures, you must provide a description of your standard procedures along with a separate written explanation of how you will be adhering to these.

When using a vendor quote, do we include the whole quote or just the page with the prices?

Include the entire, detailed quote. For Purchased Services over $10,000, also provide the Request for Quotes (RFQ) you distributed to vendors, even if the vendor is on state contract or is a preferred vendor.

Award Notification and Project Management

If we are not awarded the money, are we told why?

Yes, a summary paragraph will provide information with the no-fund letter as to why the project was not funded. In addition to this, the Regional Advisory Officer may be able to provide you with more information and help you consider how to revise and resubmit your application next year.

How long do I have to complete my project?

One year. Monies cannot be expended before July 1, and cannot be encumbered after June 30 of the following year. Due to recent delays in announcing our grant awards, however, we are advising applicants to plan their projects out over a six- to eight-month timeline.

Am I able to transfer monies from one budget category to another during the grant year? If so, what is the process and timeline?

Local governments can transfer monies if the change doesn't violate the intent of the grant award and if they justify the request in writing. The local government must first gain approval from its State Archives Regional Advisory Officer, and then complete and submit before June 1 the online Budget Amendment Summary, which can be found in the center of the Application Checklist page. Lastly, please sign (in blue ink), and mail three copies of the FS-10-A (Project Amendment) form, if applicable (see online instructions), to the State Archives' Grants Administration Unit with a postmark of no later than June 1. The FS-10-A form is available in the eGrants System.

What are the final reporting requirements and when are reports due?

The following reports are due by July 31, one month after the end of the project: Final Narrative Report, Final Project Budget, Final Statistical Report, Final Expenditure Report, and Final Signoff. Award recipients can find these forms, with instructions for submitting the forms, online in the eGrants System.

Where do I send my final reports?

That depends on the form. Instructions for completing and submitting all post-grant award forms are available online in the eGrants System.