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<br />Page 15 of 44 <br /> <br />prior written consent from NTIA. Any use of eminent domain without prior written consent of NTIA constitutes <br />an unauthorized activity and/or use of funds under the award and subjects the Grantee to appropriate <br />enforcement action by the Grants Officer, including but not limited to the disallowance of award costs and <br />the termination of an award. <br /> <br />19. Inspection and Testing of Materials <br />The Grantee or Subgrantee, as applicable, shall ensure that all materials and equipment used in the <br />completion of the work shall be subject to adequate inspection and testing in accordance with accepted <br />standards. Materials of construction, particularly those upon which the strength and durability of any <br />structure may depend, shall be subject to inspection and testing to establish conformance with <br />specifications and suitability for intended uses. The Grantee or Subgrantee shall ensure that documentation <br />of same is cataloged and retained. <br /> <br />20. Grantee Permitting Obligations <br />To help ensure that Grantee’s BEAD projects are carried out in a timely and effective manner, NTIA <br />requires Grantee to take the following actions to streamline permitting processes: <br />1. Consistent with any relevant legal requirements and authorities, Grantee will establish procedures to <br />ensure that broadband-related permit applications are promptly accepted, and requests are approved <br />or denied within 90 days, including by: <br />a. Assisting state and local authorities in establishing a single, dedicated point of contact, which has <br />knowledge of the application and review processes, for broadband-related permits. <br />b. Providing technical assistance to permitting agencies to ensure sufficient capacity (e.g., Master <br />Agreement and Consultant Reimbursement Agreement templates, surge support for permit <br />processing, etc.) <br />c. Providing deference to the construction techniques chosen by BEAD Subgrantees (without <br />seeking to influence those decisions), absent any identified safety concerns. <br />d. Maximizing streamlined processing through permitting by rule; batch processing of substantially <br />similar permit requests; and waiving or expediting duplicative or burdensome broadband permitting <br />requirements where possible. <br />e. Following FCC rules regarding timelines, rates, terms, and conditions for access to municipally <br />owned poles and conduit for broadband projects—including provisions in the FCC’s rules providing <br />for “one-touch make-ready” and “self-help”—and requiring BEAD Subgrantees that own poles <br />(including cooperatives) to comply with FCC rules across their footprint. <br />2. Grantee will seek to minimize state and local permitting-related costs for broadband deployments <br />and ensure (1) permitting fees are a reasonable approximation of the state or local government’s <br />costs, (2) only objectively reasonable costs are factored into those fees, and (3) the fees are no higher <br />than the fees charged to similarly situated competitors in similar situations. <br />3. Grantee will establish Permitting Roundtables and/or working groups of relevant federal, state, local, <br />and tribal authorities and representatives of impacted industries—including utility pole owners, <br />railroads, communications providers, and BEAD subgrantees—that will: