The Landscape Cost Sharing Program

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In February, 1989, the Texas Transportation Commission established the Landscape Cost Sharing Program. The program was created to allow private businesses, civic organizations, and local government donors an opportunity to support the landscape and aesthetic improvement of the state highway system by sharing the project development, establishment, and maintenance cost of landscaping the state highway system. The program is administered in accordance with Sections 2.62 and 2.65 under Title 43 of the Texas Administrative Code. The Landscape Cost Sharing Program is a state funded bank balance program that is appropriated as part of the unified program call. The current program is funded at $1,000,000 per year. The Design Division is responsible for administration of the state contribution for each project based on 50% of the total estimated project cost as proposed and agreed upon by the contributor and TxDOT.

Landscape Cost Sharing Projects are initiated by the donor (city or county). The donor submits an application to the appropriate TxDOT district office. The application documents all donations toward the project. Donations toward a project can be in the form of cash or non-cash services. Examples of non-cash services include development of a design plan, labor, materials and landscape maintenance activities. Applications are evaluated by the department and an agreed value is placed on the non-cash contributions toward the project. Following evaluation of the application an agreement is developed that stipulates the funding calculation for the project. Usually the department matches the agreed value of the non-cash services and cash donations. The donor's cash contribution is then added to the department's match. The sum represents total funding available for the project.

The donor must agree to perform landscape maintenance during the lifetime of the project. The first two years of landscape maintenance are considered as an eligible non-cash contribution toward the project. All project activities, cash and non-cash donations, and landscape maintenance responsibilities are documented in a project agreement. The project agreement is executed by both parties prior to the initiation of any project activities.