All projects recommended for funding will move through the planning and design phase at the same time, regardless of status. At the culmination of the phase, which is expected to be around December 2025/January 2026, all projects will go through an independent review of the MPLCP Level of Design. The immediately funded projects that pass the review will be recommended for a construction phase grant immediately. The waitlisted projects that pass the review will be recommended for a construction phase grant as soon as funding becomes available. There are many factors involved in funding becoming available, including the MPLCP's annual cap as set by the Governor’s Office of Administration and Finance and potential delays in contracted projects.
Waitlisted projects are free to move forward into the construction phase locally at any time after passing the MPLCP Level of Design. Should a community decide to do so, construction phase funding will still be made available as soon as possible, as more of a reimbursement. As noted in program regulations (see above), if additional space is available in our annual cap, we may be able to offer early partial payments to waitlisted projects that are moving ahead with their construction phase before the full construction phase funding is formally awarded.
The 2022 MPLCP regulations contain language about the waiting list in section 6.10 on page 19.
Your municipality can decide whether to obtain an estimate at the completion of the independent review of the MPLCP Level of Design. This would be beneficial to projects seeking to move forward prior to receiving a provisional construction phase award, making the project eligible for partial payments if the MPLCP's annual cap allows (see item 5 in the box above). Otherwise, the MPLCP will require estimating to be completed when the project is notified that funding will be available. The Construction Phase grant award amount will be calculated from the estimate the project obtains, whether for moving forward prior to or at the time of funding becoming available.
Awarded municipalities are required to sign contracts with the MBLC that include a series of assurances to which the municipality promises to adhere. These assurances are listed in program regulations and cannot be changed. One of these assurances is "22. The assurance that a grant agreement with the Board for the construction phase of the project will be signed in the fiscal year following the signing of a grant agreement for the planning and design phase, unless the municipality withdraws from the MPLCP before entering the construction phase or the project design is unsuccessful".
The MBLC is aware that waitlisted libraries may not be able to comply with this assurance, as they will only sign construction phase agreements with the Board once their funding is available within our annual spending cap. Due to regulations we must include this assurance in all contracts, but your status as a waitlisted library supersedes this assurance.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 2024-January 2025 | Commissioners vote to approve immediately funded and waitlisted grant recipients; MBLC executes contracts with grant recipients for Planning & Design Phase awards |
| October 2024 - December 2025 | Planning & Design for Standard Grant recipients |
| December 2025 - January 2026 | Independent review of MPLCP Level of Design |
| January 2028 | Estimates based on MPLCP Level of Design for projects still on the waitlist (if funding is available); Construction Phase grant awards calculated for waitlisted projects |
| March 2028 | Commissioners vote to approve Construction Phase grant awards for waitlisted projects |
| March - June 2028 | Certified votes for local approvals and appropriations for Construction Phase local funding for waitlisted projects |
| July 2028 - June 2029 | Design work from completion of schematic design through construction documents for waitlisted projects |
| July 2029 | Bidding for waitlisted projects |
| August 2029 | Contracts with general contractors for waitlisted projects (usually 16 to 24 months) |