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Florida Highway Beautification Council (Updated
September 22, 2009) (Note: In order to view the PDF files listed
on this page you need to have installed
Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Presently, grants from the Florida Highway
Beautification Council are not available. When funds
for grants become available, an announcement will be
posted in this space. If you would like to be
notified of changes and updates to the Council News
web page, and also receive periodic e-news
concerning the Highway Beautification Council,
e-mail the
Council and ask to be placed on the subscription
list. For general questions or to provide feedback,
please contact the
State Transportation Landscape Architect.
The Florida Highway Beautification Council (FHBC)
was created by the 1987 Legislature when it enacted
Sections
339.24 and
339.2405, Florida Statutes. This legislation
placed the seven-member Council (Council members are
appointed by the Governor) within the Florida
Department of Transportation.
Membership
of the FHBC must include: Two private citizens, a landscape architect, and
representatives of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, the Florida
Nurserymen Growers and Landscape Association, the Department of Agriculture
and Consumer Services, and the Department of Transportation. The
primary duty of the Council is to review; score, and rank submitted Highway
Beautification Grant Applications. Based on the results of this annual review
process and the availability of funds, the Secretary of the Department of
Transportation may grants. No single grant can exceed 10% of total
available funds. Applicants may apply for more than one grant.
An Application, as well as additional information
about the grant program, can be found at the links
to the right of this page, or at any Florida
Department of Transportation Office listed in the
phone book. The Florida Highway Beautification
Council can be reached at 605 Suwannee Street,
MS-37, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0450, contacting
the
State Transportation Landscape Architect, or
850.414.5267.
Please reference
Rule Chapter 14-40 Highway Beautification and
Landscape Management.
- Part I of this rule chapter has complete instructions for designing and
implementing a highway landscape project. The detail for roadway signage
acknowledging donated landscape projects can be downloaded from the list
of resources on the right side of this page.
- Part II describes the Florida Highway
Beautification Council Grant Program.
- Part III deals with
Vegetation Management at Outdoor Advertising
Signs. Note the three figures referred to in
the rule chapter and available for download on
the page.
Additional design criteria is provided by the
Office of Roadway Design and includes:
The Office of Roadway Design offers
training opportunities.
Applying for a Grant
All applicants should schedule a meeting with
their respective FDOT District Landscape Manager and
District FHBC Grant Coordinator on or about July 1,
before proceeding with a grant application.
Eligibility requirements, ranking criteria, and
instructions for applying for a highway
beautification grant are found in Part I and Part II
of
Rule Chapter 14-40, Florida Administrative Code,
Highway Beautification and Landscape Management.
Before preparing a grant application, please
contact the District
Grant Coordinator. Together you can
establish a schedule. It is important to schedule
enough time for a thorough review of the draft
application by the Grant Coordinator. Then the
application can be revised by the applicant to
comply with all department requirements before the
grant application deadline. Only complete
applications will be forwarded to the Council for
their individual review and ranking. Late
applications will not be eligible for grants.
Recommendations to Complete the Application
Form
Page 1 of the Application form: Complete
applicant information including the street address
(no post office box). List all participating
organizations. Please be sure that the principal
contact (Contact Name) signs the application at the
bottom of page 1.
Page 2 of the Application form: A thorough
Project Description with photographs will help the
Council understand the project. Please provide the
U.S. and S.R. (State Road) Numbers separated by a
slash (/). If only one exists, please circle, as
appropriate, either U.S. or S.R. #. The Total
Eligible Grant Costs can only provide for the costs
of purchase and installation of a sprinkler
(irrigation) system, the cost of plant materials
and fertilizer, and may provide for the costs for
labor associated with the installation of the
plantings.
Scroll down below for additional information
related to the application form. |
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Typical Grant Application Calendar: May -
Annual Business Meeting
July - Begin preparing application
October 1 - Application deadline
January - Annual Ranking Meeting
January - Grant Awarded
Florida Highway Beautification Council
Resources:
Detail
for Roadway Sign Acknowledging Donated Landscape
Projects
Florida Highway Beautification Council Grant
Application (Form Number 650-050-10)
Florida Department of Transportation Map of All
Districts
Florida Statute, Section 339.24 Beautification of
State Transportation Facilities
Florida Statute, Section 339.2405 Florida Highway
Beautification Council
Sample Grant, Construction, and Maintenance
Agreement
Sample Resolution
Vegetation Management +
Outdoor Advertising
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Preparing Cost Summaries on Page Two
- List estimated costs which can be paid with
the grant and write the total on the line for
Total Eligible Grant Costs.
- Labor costs should explain the type of labor
(government staff, contract, volunteer, etc.),
with an appropriate cost breakdown (hourly
rate). Count all volunteer labor (after the
agreements are signed), no matter what they
contribute to the project. The Council will
accept up to $16.00/hour for volunteer labor.
- List estimated costs which cannot be paid
with the grant and write on the line for Total
Applicant Matching Costs. Design fees can be
included as part of the match, but only up to
10% of the total project cost.
- Add the totals to get the Total Estimated
Project Cost.
- Estimate of Applicant Annual Maintenance
Costs - Enter the appropriate figures for
water, sprinkler/irrigation system (inspection
and repair), landscape areas, and safety. Enter
these total estimated maintenance costs on the
Total Estimated Annual Maintenance Costs line.
These costs are unrelated to Grant and Match
costs, and are only to inform the Council and
local government officials about the level of
maintenance that is anticipated if a grant is
awarded.
Resolutions and Agreements
The Resolution(s) mentioned on page 4 of the
application form provide authorization for a local
beautification group, individual, or staff to apply
for a grant on behalf of the local government.
Please note, two separate resolutions are not
necessary. Both may be combined. The key words to
include in the resolution(s) are the name of
organization or department or person is authorized
to apply and the local government will enter into
all necessary agreements. A sample Agreement and
Resolution can be found to the right of this page. |
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