Professional service agreements

Professional service agreements. (1) Procedures. (a) This section does not apply to counties, cities, towns, villages, or Wisconsin tribes. (b) A grantee who subcontracts or hires an agent to undertake any portion of a project requiring more than $5,000 of grant funding awarded under this chapter shall enter into a professional services agreement with the contractor or agent prior to the commencement of any contracted work using a form designated by the department. Agents include professional service providers, consultants, contractors, engineers, designers, attorneys, information technology specialists, planners, educators, and other professionals carrying out activities funded with a grant awarded under this chapter. A grantee who subcontracts or hires an agent shall comply with the cost-containment provisions under s. NR 193.08 . A grantee shall submit to the department the fully executed professional service agreement with its request for final payment. (2) Exceptions. In those cases where the department approves planning or design costs needed for project work that requires a permit, the department understands that the professional services agreement will not be in place before contracted work begins. Likewise, for an Early Detection and Response project under the Aquatic Invasive Species grant program, the department may authorize project work to begin before a professional services agreement is in place.