[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 175 (Friday, September 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55886-55887]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-23041]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Office of the Secretary


Selection Criteria--Transportation Infrastructure Improvements 
Associated With Medical Facilities Related to Recommendations of the 
2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission

AGENCY: Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), Department of Defense 
(DoD).

ACTION: Final notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice responds to comments on the selection criteria to 
be used to select grant applicants for funding from the Office of 
Economic Adjustment (OEA) for construction of Transportation 
Infrastructure Improvements associated with medical facilities related 
to recommendations of the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment 
Commission. The July 21, 2011, Federal Register notice announced 
proposal requirements, the deadline for submitting proposals, and the 
criteria that will be used to select proposals. Because this is a new 
one-time program, however, the July 21, 2011, notice also requested 
comments on the proposed selection criteria for these grants, as 
provided in Section V, paragraph 1, of that notice. This notice 
responds to the comments that were received and issues the final 
selection criteria for the program.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David F. Witschi, Associate Director, 
OEA, telephone: (703) 604-6020, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Federal Funding Opportunity Title: 
Transportation Infrastructure Improvements associated with medical 
facilities related to recommendations of the 2005 Defense Base Closure 
and Realignment Commission.
    Announcement Type: Federal Funding Opportunity.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 12.600.

Background--Funding Opportunity Description

    OEA, a DoD Field Activity, is authorized by Section 8110 of Public 
Law 112-10, the Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2011, to provide up to $300 million ``for 
transportation infrastructure improvements associated with medical 
facilities related to recommendations of the Defense Base Closure and 
Realignment Commission.'' On July 21, 2011, OEA issued a Federal 
Funding Opportunity notice for these funds in the Federal Register that 
announced proposal requirements, the deadline for submitting proposals, 
and the criteria that will be used to select proposals. Because this is 
a new one-time program, however, the July 21, 2011, notice also 
requested comments on the proposed selection criteria for these grants. 
This notice responds to comments that were received and issues the 
final selection criteria for the program (Section V, paragraphs 1.(a) 
through 1.(d) of the July 21, 2011 notice). All other information, 
including the proposal submission date and application and submission 
information announced in the July 21, 2011, notice, remains unchanged. 
The 30-day comment period for the selection criteria ended on August 
19, 2011.
    Comments and Responses--Seven respondents provided a total of four 
different comments. The public comments were considered by OEA in 
determining the final selection criteria for the program.
    Comment 1: One commenter agreed with the selection criteria and 
proposed no changes.
    Comment 2: One commenter proposed no changes to the selection 
criteria, but requested additional information regarding the 
disbursement process to be used both for direct OEA grants and if the 
funds are to be passed through another Federal agency for 
implementation.
    Response: For direct OEA construction grants, disbursement to the 
grantee will be by the reimbursement method. In the event OEA chooses 
to enter into an interagency agreement with another Federal agency to 
implement a particular project, OEA will transfer those funds directly 
to the

[[Page 55887]]

other Federal agency after execution of an interagency agreement.
    Comment 3: Four commenters noted that selection criterion (b) does 
not clearly address the transportation impacts on the community, noting 
that any expenditure of funds related to BRAC-affected areas should 
expressly take into consideration the larger effects on the community 
outside the perimeter of a military facility. They requested that the 
medical facility and its needs be considered in the broader context of 
the larger community--business and residential--in which it resides.
    Response: Although selection criterion (b) was intended to capture 
the overall magnitude of the transportation problem, to include its 
effect on the surrounding community, we agree that this criterion 
lacked sufficient clarity on that point. Therefore, selection criterion 
(b) has been modified to state more clearly that the effect on the 
surrounding community is also being considered.
    Comment 4: One commenter requested the addition of three new 
criteria addressing: (i) The extent to which the project contributes to 
on-base parking demand (negative factor) or relieves parking demand 
(positive factor); (ii) the effect of a project on pedestrian, bicycle, 
and transit access to the DoD facility; and (iii) the degree of 
mitigation (positive factor) or contribution to vulnerability to a 
terrorist attack or major accident (negative factor) of an existing or 
proposed transportation facility.
    Response: The commenter raises several valid issues pertaining to 
specific design considerations/effects that may be relevant to a 
project depending on the nature of the transportation problem and the 
proposed solution. Rather than create additional criteria, however, we 
believe these issues can be adequately addressed with a modification to 
selection criterion (d) that addresses the degree to which a project 
resolves a transportation issue. We have, therefore, added these issues 
as examples in selection criterion (d) of how a project might resolve a 
transportation issue.
    Final Selection Criteria--Accordingly, Section V, paragraphs 1.(a) 
through 1.(d) of the July 21, 2011, notice are revised and re-issued as 
follows:
    1. Selection Criteria--Upon validating the eligibility of the 
interested respondent to apply for assistance, an evaluation panel, 
designated by OEA, evaluates proposal content conforming to this notice 
as the basis for inviting a formal grant application. The proposed 
selection criteria, with relative weights, are:
    (a) The extent to which the transportation issue impedes the 
provision of care, i.e., the military medical mission (e.g., the 
greater the number of patients, patient visitors and patient care 
workers impacted, the more serious the consequences to patients, etc., 
the higher the score), 25%;
    (b) The magnitude (e.g. overall number of people affected, degree 
of failure, etc.) of the transportation issue that affects the military 
medical facility and its surrounding community, expressed in terms of 
accepted and appropriate transportation planning and assessment 
techniques (the greater the magnitude of the issue, the higher the 
score), 25%;
    (c) The applicant's ability to execute the proposed project, 
including the extent of other funding for the project and the ability 
to meet project timelines and budgets, acquire site control, permits or 
concurrences of affected parties, etc. (the greater the demonstration 
of the applicant's ability, the greater the score), 25%; and
    (d) The extent to which the proposed construction project resolves 
the transportation issue (e.g., improves both vehicular and non-
vehicular access to the facility; reduces parking demand; improves 
public safety and mitigates potential vulnerability to a major accident 
or incident, etc. The more the project does to resolve the 
transportation issue, the higher the score), 25%.
    All other information announced in the July 21, 2011 notice, 
including the proposal submission deadline and application and 
submission information, remains unchanged.

    Dated: September 2, 2011.
Aaron Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2011-23041 Filed 9-8-11; 8:45 am]
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