Questions and Answers
Q: Will the Application Assistance Webinar presentation be available afterwards for review?
A: Yes, a copy of the presentation can be found under Additional Materials on the Municipal Road Safety Grant Program page.
Q: What is the application deadline?
A: Friday, June 5th at 4 p.m.
Q: Do we need to mail or hand deliver a signed copy of the application to your office?
A: OGR does not require a hard copy to be delivered to our office. You will sign and submit the application online via the Cognito platform. After submission, you will receive a confirmation email along with a copy of the completed application including any attachments that were uploaded. Be sure to save these files for your grant records!
Q: Can you share the "good example" of a SMART goal?
A: Yes, it is included in the webinar presentation. Additional information can also be found on the Applicant Guide for Municipal Road Safety Grant, which is available on our MRS site.
Q: Can you save the application in Cognito along the way or does the application need to be finished in one sitting?
A: Yes, there is a save feature on the application.
Q: Are traffic cameras allowed within equipment (2) / community (3)?
A: Automated Traffic Enforcement Systems (e.g., ALPRs, Cameras, etc.) are not an allowable item under this grant opportunity per NHTSA funding restrictions.
Q: Would solar powered, light up stop signs be considered a permissible equipment purchase for the MRS grant?
A: Illuminated stop signs are not allowable through the MRS grant.
Q: Can equipment purchases include attachments for items (i.e. If requesting new PBTs, can extra mouthpieces also be purchased?)
A: Yes, accessory items essential to the equipment’s operation may be included, provided the costs are reasonable. Accessories for existing or previous equipment purchases and/or equipment purchased with other funds are not allowed.
Q: Are speed trailers eligible as part of the grant for purchase?
A: Portable speed radar and/or message trailers may be allowable provided their use is grant-specific and primarily used only for program related activities. Departments may be asked to contribute a portion of their own funds toward this purchase if being used outside of grant-related activity.
Q: When documenting our inventory of equipment, such as radars, should the total number include those that are defective/inoperable? Or only ones that are active and properly functioning?
A: Please provide your total inventory and clearly note how many items are inoperable and/or defective. This helps ensure transparency during review and avoids any discrepancies regarding new and existing inventory.
Q: In the statistics portion of the grant application, do "citations" include only CMVI money fines, or also written warnings? Also, should we include statistics where speeding was, for example, cited as part of a criminal complaint or arrest? Or strictly CMVIs?
A: We will accept the data you are able to pull from your system. Including both CMVI fines and written warnings can help provide a clearer picture for the Problem ID section; however, we understand not all departments have the ability to report both.
Q: In the OUI arrests stats portion, does this include criminal complaint/summons, or only physical custodial arrests?
A: Please include both custodial arrests and criminal complaints/summonses.
Q: Can traffic safety officer-related trainings as part of "Element III" include in-house department trainings related to new equipment we are requesting (i.e., if we requested and were approved for new PBTs, could we host in-house training on proper use)? Or are trainings limited only to specialized/approved courses through MPTC?
A: The intent of this funding is to support specialized training. In-house training for an entire department would generally be considered a departmental responsibility and not allowable. However, more targeted training (e.g., for a traffic unit) may be requested in your application for consideration.
Q: Is there a penalty for not using all of your Traffic Enforcement Overtime funds?
A: No, there is no penalty for not exhausting all of your funds. However, OGR may consider this as a factor when reviewing future grant funding.
Q: How do we know if Command Staff can participate in traffic enforcements?
A: Command staff (including Chiefs of Police, if determined to have “non-exempt” or status otherwise documented) may participate in and be compensated for overtime enforcement patrols provided they are performing an active enforcement role and not exclusively in a supervisory capacity. Documentation of such status shall be requested if not established by the department overtime policy submitted with the application.
Q: What type of documentation would be needed for Command Staff?
A: Official documentation between the town and the department that establishes their status to participate, for example, an MOU or an excerpt from their contract.
Q: How do you know whether a Federal Approved Fringe Rate Agreement is needed?
A: This documentation is needed if including fringe costs within your budget/application. Typically, most budget proposals for the MRS grant will not include this as a cost. Additional information can be found on page 17 of the AGF.