Questions and Answers: Rubberized Pavement Grant Program (FY 2024-25)

Questions about the Rubberized Pavement Grant Program grant application are accepted in writing only, no later than August 22, 2024. Similar or related questions may be grouped together or reworded for clarity and responded to as one question.

All questions and answers will be posted during the application period and are subject to updates. It is the applicant’s responsibility to check this website for the latest information regarding this grant cycle.

General | Eligibility | Materials | Funding | Application

General

1. Per CalRecycle requirements, do we (city/local governmental agency) have to wait until we receive the grant approval from CalRecycle before we can award the construction contract to the contractor? The contract award date has to be after the approval from CalRecycle, correct?  Or, the construction contract can be awarded, but the construction cannot begin until we receive the Notice to Proceed from CalRecycle?

The construction contract can be awarded prior to the Notice to Proceed from CalRecycle.  Any necessary pre-construction activities which are not grant reimbursable (i.e., project planning and design, bidding, milling operations, pavement repairs) are allowed during the application period prior to award.  However, all construction and installation using the rubberized paving material must occur within the grant term to be a grant-eligible cost.

As noted in the Procedures and Requirements, all grant expenditures must be for activities, products, and costs directly related to the delivery and installation/placement of the paving material. To be eligible for reimbursement, costs must be incurred after receiving a Notice to Proceed and before the end of the Grant Term.

2. What agencies have been awarded this grant recently in the bay area?

In the last two cycles, CalRecycle awarded jurisdictions in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo and Santa Clara County.

3. Are there any environmental concerns that agencies had struggled with initially but have become better educated enough to partake in the program after those concerns were addressed? Has any agency had similar concerns from City leadership prior to apply for the grant?

We have no documented environmental concerns related to rubberized asphalt concrete technology, nor have any grant applicants expressed concerns about RAC environmental issues that we are aware of. CalRecycle continues to monitor environmental issues associated with tire products and will address them as they come up.

Eligibility

1. The city was awarded $75,000 in FY 2021–22 and received a check for project completion in FY 2023–24. According to the application guidelines, “Applicants (and participating jurisdictions if a regional application) may not apply for and receive grants in consecutive fiscal years (i.e., if you received a grant using FY 2023–24 funds, you are not eligible to apply in FY 2024–25).”    Based on this information, I would like to know if the City is eligible for the current grant cycle.

Yes, the city is eligible to apply in FY 2024–25.  The remittance received in FY 2023–24 was paid from the funds allocated in FY 2021–22.  Grantees awarded in FY 2023–24 are not eligible for this cycle.

2. Can you confirm if a city may apply for the FY 2024–25, if awarded for the last two cycles and have one year left in the last cycle. They are in compliance and would like to apply for sites not being assisted.

The City is not eligible to apply if it was awarded in FY 2023–24 (TRP16).  However, the City is eligible to apply if it was awarded only in FY 2022–23 (TRP15).

3. Are we still eligible to apply for the Rubberized Pavement Grant? The city had three RAC hot-mix and six chip seal grants awarded.

Yes, the city is still eligible to apply using RAC hot-mix material.  The eligibility criteria and evaluation process for the Rubberized Pavement Grant Program for fiscal years (FYs) 2024–25 and 2025–26 limits eligible applicants to a maximum of six asphalt rubber hot-mix and six rubberized chip seal grants.  Once a jurisdiction reaches its maximum, it can no longer apply for that project type unless it is a participant in a regional application.

Materials

1. We would appreciate to receive the specifications for the Tire rubber powder for Asphalt purposes.  We were informed that there is a Green sheet which indicates the specifications required.

Tire rubber powder specifications can differ by manufacturer, and CalRecycle does not have this information. However, if the inquiry is about general asphalt rubber specification templates, we can provide those. These templates are available for informational purposes only to help users create their own specifications.

2. We are trying to install a bike path around our middle school field.  I am having difficulty finding a source for recycled tire asphalt.  I have contacted a local contractor to do the work, but I would like to have the name of a source for materials that I can refer to him to fulfill the grant requirements. Can you tell me where to purchase TRP in Northern California so that I can get a true estimate for the grant proposal?

Bike trails are eligible; however, schools are not eligible under this grant program. Trails are typically narrower and may have more angles than a street, which may be problematic for typical paving equipment.  Also, this form of paving project will likely yield smaller tonnages and higher costs than streets.  To be more cost effective, applicants may combine smaller projects with eligible roadway projects to satisfy the 2,000 tons minimum requirement.

CalRecycle produces an online-based California TDP Catalog that identifies several Tire-Derived Paving Materials and Product Suppliers in California.

Funding

1. For regional applications, is the total grant amount of $350,000 shared between the participating cities, including the lead city, or is each city eligible to receive up to $350,000 individually?

Regional applicant maximum grant award is $350,000 shared between the participating jurisdictions.  The Lead or a Non-Lead Participant is limited to no more than $250,000 of the grant award.

2. Are there any local match requirements for both individual and regional applications?

No, matching funds are not required for both individual and regional applications.

3. Can our city apply for the $250,000 grant individually while also participating in a $350,000 shared regional grant with a partner city?

An entity may not submit an individual application if that entity is also a participant of a regional application.

4. What are the potential drawbacks or limitations of applying through a regional application compared to each city submitting an individual application?

CalRecycle understands that it may be beneficial for two (or more) entities or jurisdictions to combine road pavement projects in order to achieve economies of scale and a lower overall cost to taxpayers.  If CalRecycle receives more requests for funding than provided for with available monies, participation in a regional application will rank higher than an individual application.  Participation in a regional application will not count as a grant award when considering future grant awards.

5. Does the Rubberized Pavement Grant Program cover the cost of the entire project up to the eligible amounts, or does the grant program cover the difference of the cost to use regular material vs. using recycled tires? I didn’t see in the documents where this is specified and needed some clarity.

Eligible costs for the Rubberized Pavement Grant Program is limited to the actual hot-mix or chip seal materials.  Pre-construction activities such as project planning, design, bidding, milling operations, and pavement repairs are not eligible for reimbursement.  The grant does not cover for differential cost between asphalt rubber hot-mix (RAC) and conventional asphalt (AC).

6. Can we apply for chip seal and hot mix asphalt grants as separate projects for a total of $500k?

No, each jurisdiction may submit only one grant application with max individual award of $250,000 ($500,000 for Tribal Entity).

Application

1. Could anyone help us figure out the best way for (City/County) to apply for this grant? How many previous rubberized pavement grants did we have?

The applicant will need to access, sign in, complete and submit an application in CalRecycle’s Grant Management System (GMS).  Access to GMS is secure and applicants must log in using a WebPass.  Please note, WebPass accounts are tied to a specific email address.  For additional information on how to apply, refer to the Application Guidelines & Instructions.

To determine the number of previous grants, visit our web site under the CalRecycle Grants Database Reports and select your county and “Tire Recycling Grants” in the Grant Category menu.  Please note that the list includes withdrawn grants and are included in the total number.  If you have questions as to whether a previous grant was withdrawn and/or if you are unsure of your jurisdiction’s total number of previous grants, email tiregrants@calrecycle.ca.gov.

2. I’m preparing our grant application and I’m trying to find a template or example of the Inducement for Furthering Specific CalRecycle and Environmental Goals document. It’s not something that our council has adopted before.  Do you happen to have an example of it?

CalRecycle does not provide a template for furthering specific CalRecycle and environmental goals.

3. Is there a specific format or minimum criteria needed for the EPPP? Our agency has a variety of policies in place that accomplish similar goals and curious how they could be determined equivalent if possible.  Can the City replace the EPPP policy with the City’s ‘Organic Waste Product Procurement’ policy for CalRecycle?  What verification do you need of the policy’s adoption by the agency?  They are in different formats from different timeframes and may be difficult to a consistent type of adoption or implementation.

There is no specific format or minimum criteria needed for the EPPP.  Policies with similar goals may be acceptable if it contains the specifics listed in the Environmentally Preferable Purchases and Practices Policy Requirement in the Application and Guidelines and Instructions.  If an organization’s existing EPPP policy doesn’t address the concepts listed on the EPPP information document, a resolution of the governing board will suffice to include the missing concepts into the current policy.  Applicants who have an EPPP Policy in place prior to submitting their application must certify to this fact on the Detail tab in the application.

4. In GMS, it asks “Has your organization adopted a policy that rubberized asphalt concrete…”.  If we plan to adopt a policy before the secondary due date, can we check “Yes”? Or does the policy need to be adopted by the application deadline?

Select “Yes” if you plan to adopt a policy before the secondary due date.  A copy of the policy/procedure must be uploaded in GMS by October 22, 2024.

5. Is a Certification on Using Tire Derived Aggregate (TDA) in Civil Engineering required. How is this certification obtained?

The eligibility criteria and evaluation process for the Rubberized Pavement Grant Program for fiscal years (FYs) 2024–25 and 2025–26 eliminated the requirement of applicable public work staff to participate in web-based tire-derived aggregate (TDA) training.

6. There is a note to certify on the detail tab acknowledges the listed applicable fleet management practices. When is this required?

Applicants must answer “Yes” to implementing best management practices for its vehicle and equipment fleet by the application due date in order to be eligible.

For more information, contact tiregrants@calrecycle.ca.gov.