§ 694. Eligibility; application procedure

(a) A municipality shall be eligible to apply for job development zone status if it has a population of at least 2,000 and meets two of the following three criteria:

(1) it has a per capita income at least ten percent lower than the statewide per capita income;

(2) it has had an employment loss;

(3) it has an area unemployment rate at least 33 percent higher than the statewide rate.

(b) The Agency shall solicit applications from eligible municipalities. Any eligible municipality desiring to receive designation as the job development zone shall complete and submit an application in a manner as shall be prescribed by the Secretary.

(c) Applications for job development zone status will be rated by the Vermont Community Development Board established by section 685 of this title on the basis of applicants' ability to implement and administer a successful job development zone program, the quality of applicants' plans for conducting a job zone program, the level of support and commitment of resources demonstrated by the applicant during the application process, and the need of the applicant community for job development zone status.

(d) The job development zone may geographically include a municipality or a portion of a municipality, or a combination of contiguous municipalities or portions of municipalities if so approved by the Secretary.

(e) The Secretary shall review the recommendations of the Vermont Community Development Board and make the final designation of the job development zones. (Added 1985, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)