122.27 Eligibility for financial assistance.
122.27 Eligibility for financial assistance.
(A) In order to be eligible for financial assistance under section 122.24 of the Revised Code, an applicant shall demonstrate to the director of development the applicant’s capacity to undertake and oversee the project, as evidenced by documentation of the applicant’s past performance in economic development projects.
(B) In order for an applicant to be eligible for financial assistance under section 122.24 of the Revised Code, both of the following apply:
(1) The governing body of the entity that has been designated as an eligible area by the director of development under division (A) of section 122.25 of the Revised Code, by resolution or ordinance, shall designate the applicant that will carry out the project for the purposes described in section 122.24 of the Revised Code and specify the eligible area’s financial participation in the project.
(2) The board of county commissioners of a county that has been designated as an eligible area by the director of development under division (A)(1) of section 122.25 of the Revised Code shall certify, by resolution, that no existing industrial park is located in the county that would compete against an industrial park that would be developed and improved in the county through the use of financial assistance provided to the applicant under the rural industrial park loan program. Guidelines regarding situations in which industrial parks would be considered to compete against one another shall be established by rule in accordance with division (A)(8)(d) of section 122.25 of the Revised Code.
(C) Solely for the purpose of applying for assistance for infrastructure improvements, a governing body may designate itself as an eligible applicant.
SECTION 2. (A) There is herby created the Ohio Agriculture to Chemicals, Polymers, and Advanced Materials Task Force, which shall consist of thirteen members as follows:
(1) Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, two of whom shall be members of the majority party and one of whom shall be a member of the minority party;
(2) Three members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, two of whom shall be members of the majority party and one of whom shall be a member of the minority party;
(3) A representative of the Ohio Chemistry Technology Council appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(4) A representative of Polymer Ohio appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(5) A representative of the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center appointed by the President of the Senate;
(6) A representative of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation appointed by the President of the Senate;
(7) A representative of the Department of Agriculture appointed by the Director of Agriculture;
(8) A representative of the Department of Development appointed by the Director of Development;
(9) The energy advisor to the Governor appointed by the Governor.
Appointments shall be made, and the Task Force shall hold its first meeting, not later than fifteen days after the effective date of this section. The representative of the Department of Agriculture shall appoint a chairperson, and the Task Force shall elect from its members a vice-chairperson.
(B) Not later than four months after the effective date of this section, the Ohio Agriculture to Chemicals, Polymers, and Advanced Materials Task Force shall submit a report to the General Assembly and the Governor. The report shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide an overview of the agriculture industry and the specialty chemicals and polymer industry in this state;
(2) Describe the conditions of and trends in those industries in this state;
(3) Identify and describe potential alignments between the agricultural industry and the specialty chemicals and polymer industry in this state;
(4) Include recommendations to the General Assembly for expanding the agriculture industry and the specialty chemicals and polymer industry in this state and for providing methods to increase alignments between those industries.
Following submission of the report, the Task Force shall cease to exist.
Effective Date: 2007 HB233 02-14-2008