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To enact sections 122.97 and 122.971 of the Revised | 1 |
Code to create the SiteOhio certification program | 2 |
within the Department of Development to certify | 3 |
and market eligible commercial, industrial, and | 4 |
manufacturing sites and facilities. | 5 |
Section 1. That sections 122.97 and 122.971 of the Revised | 6 |
Code be enacted to read as follows: | 7 |
Sec. 122.97. (A) As used in this section: | 8 |
(1) "Eligible applicant" means a person or a political | 9 |
subdivision. | 10 |
(2) "Eligible project" means a project that, upon completion, | 11 |
will be a site and facility primarily intended for commercial, | 12 |
industrial, or manufacturing use. "Eligible projects" do not | 13 |
include sites and facilities intended primarily for residential, | 14 |
retail, or government use. | 15 |
(3) "Person" has the same meaning as in section 5701.01 of | 16 |
the Revised Code. | 17 |
(4) "Political subdivision" means a municipal corporation, | 18 |
township, county, school district, or any other body corporate and | 19 |
politic responsible for governmental activities in a geographic | 20 |
area smaller than that of the state. | 21 |
(5) "SiteOhio certification program" means the program | 22 |
created under this section. | 23 |
(B) There is hereby created the SiteOhio certification | 24 |
program to certify and market eligible projects in the state. The | 25 |
program shall be administered by the department of development. | 26 |
(C) An eligible applicant may apply to the director of | 27 |
development on forms prescribed by the director for the director | 28 |
to certify an eligible project. In addition to the application, | 29 |
the applicant shall submit any additional materials required by | 30 |
the director. The director shall establish scoring criteria, | 31 |
scoring instruments, and materials for use by the department of | 32 |
development in reviewing applications under the SiteOhio | 33 |
certification program. The content of the scoring criteria, | 34 |
scoring instruments, and materials shall be at the discretion of | 35 |
the director and may include, where practicable, evaluation of | 36 |
certain quality of life indicators and community assets. The | 37 |
scoring criteria, scoring instruments, and materials shall be | 38 |
published and made available with the application. | 39 |
Subject to any limitations imposed under division (E)(2) of | 40 |
this section, the director shall approve an application and | 41 |
certify the applicant's eligible project if the applicant meets | 42 |
all of the scoring criteria established by the director. | 43 |
(D) After the director of development certifies an eligible | 44 |
project, the project shall be listed on the department's web site. | 45 |
The director shall market certified eligible projects to | 46 |
interested persons. | 47 |
(E) The director of development shall adopt rules under | 48 |
Chapter 119. of the Revised Code necessary to implement and | 49 |
operate the SiteOhio certification program. The rules may provide | 50 |
for eligible applicants for certification to be charged fees to | 51 |
cover administrative costs incurred by the department in the | 52 |
administration of this section. Any fees collected under this | 53 |
section shall be credited to the SiteOhio administration fund. The | 54 |
director may do either of the following: | 55 |
(1) Contract with one or more persons to administer all or | 56 |
part of the SiteOhio certification program. | 57 |
(2) Limit the number of eligible projects the director | 58 |
certifies according to the available resources and capabilities of | 59 |
the department. | 60 |
Sec. 122.971. There is hereby created in the state treasury | 61 |
the SiteOhio administration fund. Money collected from the fees | 62 |
remitted by applicants for certification under section 122.97 of | 63 |
the Revised Code shall be credited to the fund. The director of | 64 |
development shall use the fund to pay the department's | 65 |
administrative expenses for administering the SiteOhio | 66 |
certification program under section 122.97 of the Revised Code. | 67 |