The MPCA provides funding to local partners to assist with intensive water quality monitoring at approximately 130 long-term river and stream monitoring sites.
Supported activities
- Stream sampling at long-term sites across Minnesota
- Timely submittal of data
- Data analysis and modeling using FLUX32 model
- Communication with MPCA and other local partners
Eligible expenses
Eligible expenses are costs directly incurred through work activities solely related to and necessary for producing the deliverables in approved work plan and incurred on or after the date the agreement is executed. Eligible expenses include but are not limited to the following.
Personnel
- Include "hourly rates" for staff providing assistance and management of the project (including, but not limited to, data management, report preparation, training, field planning and monitoring). Actual hourly rates shall be averaged over the two-year term of the agreement. (Hourly rates should include indirect costs, including employee taxes and insurance, business support, direct rental, insurance, and supply costs. These are costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefiting more than one cost center or program area in the partnering organization, and are also referred to as shared or central services costs.)
- The proposer will be requested to provide documentation in support of the cost rate calculation.
- The following items must be itemized: hours, base salary, indirect expenses.
- Local partners shall not duplicate costs already itemized as a direct expense within the indirect cost calculations for staff rates.
Subcontractors
Subcontractor costs are actual costs for subcontractors as specifically approved by MPCA. Hourly rates, number of hours, unit cost, quantity, and direct subcontractor expenses must be itemized in the budget and be consistent with eligibility objectives. Mark up of subcontractor rates is not allowed. Hours for staff directly involved with the management or oversight of a subcontractor may be included.
Equipment and supplies
- Approved equipment and supplies must be specific to the supported activities.
- Itemized repair and service charges for water quality meters, probes, and handpads/displays.
- The MPCA shall provide these items to local partners upon request at no charge: a secchi tube, extended rod swing sampler, Van Dorn Sampler, bottle for taking photos, weighted tape, and gage key.
- Quantities and unit prices of equipment and supplies shall be included with the initial cost proposal. Eligible equipment and supplies include, but are not limited to:
- Field meter and display
- Field meter accessories (grease, cable, reel, storage container, etc.)
- Replacement DO, pH and conductivity probes
- Replacement DO caps
- Calibration standards
- Digital camera
- Portable GPS
- Personal floatation devices
- Waders/knee-high boots
- Gloves
- Rain gear
- Ice auger/replacement blades
- Ice picks
- Ice cleats
- Ice chisel
- Ice ladle/slotted spoon
- Ice sampling rod
- Winter survival kit/shovel
- ANSI Class 2 safety vest
- Roadside safety cones
- Vehicle safety 360-degree flashing light
- Road work sign
- AIS sprayer
- Flash drive/digital disks
- Consumable supplies (sunscreen, bug repellent, ice, distilled water, packing tape, batteries, permanent markers, coolers, etc.)
Other
- Laboratory analytical costs.
- Eligible labs include the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Environmental Laboratory, laboratories listed on the MPCA’s Sampling and Laboratory Analyses Services-Environmental Master Contract (LAS-EMS), Minnesota state laboratories, and university labs within Minnesota.
- Applicable lab rates shall not exceed the rates listed within the LAS-EMS.
- The chosen lab must be certified by MDH (for all certifiable parameters) to perform all the analyses listed above or sub-contract the analysis of uncertified parameters to one or more labs in the LAS-EMS which meet this requirement.
- Mileage/travel. Billed at current Internal Revenue Service rate.
- Costs associated with shipping/delivering water samples to the laboratory, data submittal, and equipment shipping fees
- Lodging and meals of personnel approved in the work plan in the same manner and in no greater amount than provided for in the current Commissioner’s Plan. Reimbursement of meals can only be claimed when sampling or attending WPLMN approved training over the normal meal period and located beyond a 35-mile radius of the permanent work station.
- Breakfast reimbursements may be claimed only if the employee is on assignment away from his/her temporary or permanent work station in a travel status overnight or departs from home in an assigned travel status before 6 a.m.
- Eligibility for noon meal reimbursement shall be based upon the employee being on assignment, over 35 miles from his/her temporary or permanent work station, with the work assignment extending over the normal noon meal period.
- Dinner reimbursement may be claimed only if the employee is away from his/her temporary or permanent work station in a travel status overnight or is required to remain in a travel status until after 7 p.m.
Ineligible expenses
- Any expenses incurred before the contract is fully executed including proposer’s expense for preparing the draft work plan and cost proposal.
- Any expenses incurred during work plan and budget negotiations.
- Bad debts, late payment fees, finance charges or contingency funds, interest, and investment management fees
- Attorney fees
- Engineering/consultant fees
- Employee worksite parking
- Administrative expenses not directly related to or necessary to complete the work
- Lobbying, lobbyists and political contributions
- Mark-up on purchases and/or subcontracts
- Taxes, except sales tax on eligible equipment and expenses
- Activities addressing enforcement actions that involve a financial penalty
- Memberships (including subscriptions and dues)
- Reimbursement to non-staff stakeholders for their attendance at stakeholder participation meetings
- Food (excluding eligible staff meals described in previous section)
- Alcoholic refreshments
- Entertainment, gifts, prizes and decorations
- Merit awards and bonuses
- Length of service or participation awards
- Donations and fundraising
- Computer(s) and software, unless unique to the project and specifically approved by the MPCA as a direct expense
- Purchase or rental of mobile communication devices such as pagers, cell phones, and personal data assistants (PDAs), unless unique to the project and specifically approved by the MPCA as a direct expense.
- Continuous flow monitoring equipment
- Equipment for sample parameters not listed within the work plan
- Laboratory analyses for parameters not listed within the work plan
- Environmental monitoring equipment for compliance purposes
- Boats, outboard motors, and/or trailers
- Vehicles, unless unique to the project and specifically approved by the MPCA as a direct expense
- Vehicle, boat, outboard motor, and trailer service fees.