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Grant Program Description The Division of Archives and Record Management (DARM) administers the Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support (PARIS) Grants Program. PARIS is funded by the New Jersey Public Records Preservation Account, which receives revenue from document filing and recording fees collected by county clerks. The fund’s establishing legislation provides that 40% of annual revenue be dedicated to a competitive grant program county and municipal public records management, preservation and storage.Grant Timelines and Award Dates All 21 counties and more than 40 eligible municipalities submitted drafts of their PARIS grant proposals to PARIS on 31 January 2006 and 7 February 2006, respectively. Awards were made in May 2006 for July 1, 2006 to June 30, 20072006 Grantees Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support (PARIS) Grants 2006 Grantees Procedures For each annual grant cycle, the State Records Committee (SRC) identifies eligible applicants and priorities for award of funding each fiscal year and publishes a public notice in the New Jersey Register and on its website at http://www.njarchives.org/index.html, establishing eligible applicants, priority projects and the schedule for the application process.
First-Year Funding Priorities (FY2006 implementation using FY2005 revenue):
- state-coordinated County needs assessment and strategic planning services;
- grants-in-aid for imaging systems and services, electronic records management systems, and electronic filing portals development and expansion;
- grants-in-aid for archival records preservation services; and
- grants-in-aid for municipal needs assessment and strategic planning for municipalities having populations of 75,000 or more.
Second-Year Funding Priorities (FY2007 implementation using FY2006 revenue)
A. Counties:
- grants-in-aid for continuation of first-year projects;
- grants-in-aid for archives and records management staffing;
- grants-in-aid for county-municipality shared services needs assessment and strategic planning;
- grants-in-aid for records storage facilities improvements and developments;
- grants-in-aid for imaging systems and services, electronic records management systems, and electronic filing portals development and expansion; and
- grants-in-aid for archival records preservation services;
B. Municipalities w/population greater than 75,000 in the 2000 Federal Census:
- grants-in-aid for archives and records management staffing;
- grants-in-aid for imaging systems and services, electronic records management systems; and
- grants-in-aid for archival records preservation services;
C. Municipalities w/population less than 75,000 and greater than 45,000 in the 2000
Federal Census:
- grants-in-aid for needs assessment and strategic planning to include and evaluation of the opportunities for shared services with the county government.
D. County Seats w/population less than 45,000 in the 2000 Federal Census:
- grants-in-aid for needs assessment and strategic planning to include and evaluation of the opportunities for shared services with the county government
Suggested Audit Procedures:
- Verify population by 2000 Census
- Verify equipment purchase, review Fixed Asset Inventory
- Verify new hires (personnel), review payroll record and confirming timesheetsCompliance Procedures and suggested Audit Procedures A. TYPES OF SERVICES ALLOWED OR UNALLOWED
Compliance Requirements-
Eligible Costs: Funds may be expended for public records management, storage and preservation as well as for active and inactive records, historical records, including planning projects to inhibit damage and/or restore records damaged in a disaster; for studies to provide county archival and records storage facilities, including county-wide needs assessment for shared services; new construction, expansion and/or repairs to existing storage facilities including designs and salary and benefits for staffing of records management programs.
Ineligible costs: Purchase of all types of telecommunications equipment and standard office filing cabinets including motorized filing cabinet, file folders to types of office equipment, office furniture and supplies, standard archival boxes, wooden or metallic shelving
Suggested Audit Procedures-
- Perform appropriate sampling in accordance with Application Spending Guidelines.
- Follow NJSA 40A:11 Local Public Contracts Law when purchasing items and services over bidding threshold.
B. ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be a duly chartered and incorporated county, city, township, town, borough, and village government in New Jersey and meet the criteria established by the SRC for the grant year in question.
Ineligible Applicants: Special Purposes public agencies such as school districts, fire districts, commissions, independent public authorities.
Suggested Audit Procedures
-Verify by contacting Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs
- View Local or County Resolution
C. MATCHING, LEVEL OF EFFORT, AND/OR EARMARKING REQUIREMENTS
Compliance Requirements-
- Matching funds are desirable, but not required.
- Sustaining positions created with PARIS Grant awards is required beginning with year 3 of the position.
Suggested Audit Procedures:
-Payroll audit
D. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Compliance Requirement-
- Interim Report due as specified in grantees’ executed contract, if any
- Final Report due within the first year of grant and/or approved project period.
Suggested Audit Procedures:
- Review reporting process to ensure compliance.
- Test accuracy of records for completeness.
E. SPECIAL TESTS AND PROVISIONS
Compliance requirements-
- See provisions of grant agreement.
Suggested Audit Procedures
- Review terms of grant agreement.
- Perform sampling in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
- Programmatic reports should meet grant’s purpose.
- Final Payment will not be released until all grant documents have been properly completed
Payment are made as follows:
- Up to 50% of total grant award on award of contract
- Additional funds up 90% of total grant based upon submission of interim reports.
- Remainder of total grant awarded after submission of final report on project within approved project period.
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