Senator Alan Clark

Revenue & Tax (Senate) — April 2, 2025 (45:18)

I mean, it looked like it was pretty straightforward. Yes, this will fit every case, big, small, and different. It's just updating the wording, really, is

Revenue & Tax (Senate) — April 2, 2025 (44:41)

So whatever the new municipality gets will be taken out of the county's funds, because the county will no longer be responsible for the municipality. And it's really, we have a particular situation, but it's forever a situation that arises. Be happy to take any

Revenue & Tax (Senate) — April 2, 2025 (44:04)

The, if y'all ask me any questions about this bill, you're going to have to loan me your reading glasses because I just left them laying down in the other committee room. So, this bill is mostly technical corrections that spells out what has to happen for a new municipality to get their turn back funds. Their share of the county's turn back funds, because that's divided by the population within the cities and the population in the county.

Revenue & Tax (Senate) — April 2, 2025 (44:01)

Clark, State Senate, District 7.

Meeting — April 2, 2025 (4:33:09)

Alan Clark, you're recognized. - Judiciary Committee is meeting 15 minutes upon adjournment in our normal meeting place, Rooms 171. - Are

Meeting — April 2, 2025 (4:02:22)

the bill to change the PBR to the PAR? We may have to. You know, maybe I've been watching too much Yellowstone, but I kind of like that old name.

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:25:35)

It would not be on a city council, on a water board, and so that those that did not have representation would have representation the city would still have by far the majority could do anything what they wanted to do but at least they would feel like they had some say so and that was

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:25:02)

half their customers outside their city limits and in the United States we the Boston Tea Party was not about taxes it was about representation and so there was a proposal and we would look at any other proposal, that was the one we finally came back to, was that a county judge could put, depending on the population outside the district, outside those who could vote for board members, could put one or maybe two on a water board.

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:24:28)

Thank you, Representative Richman. Yes, I mentioned education,

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:24:32)

I mentioned lack of authority, and selling water too cheaply. The third problem, and lack of consumer protection, the third problem that we came up with was lack of representation. and the especially we have we had some water suppliers cities specifically that have over

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:21:48)

and this is just going to get worse and worse. You're just beginning to see what's going to happen. And by the way, you know, I always tend to be pointed, all this has got through the Senate with no problem. Thank you.

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:21:13)

Okay. And so I appreciate, Mr. Chair, I appreciate you having this meeting today because just as you're having this problem in Perrin and we had the, down in my district, down below, well, it's actually not in my district, it's down below my district, the area that their well and pump was out, haul water, Carthage, for the longest time. We're going to keep, this infrastructure, a lot of it's 40, 50, 60 years old,

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:20:43)

sure that they're collecting they know what rates should be we've got to be sure that they collect enough to pay their bills so that you don't have somebody running to lower the rates when somebody is to lower the rates below cost. And so we need a comprehensive solution, don't we? I agree with the

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:20:10)

we also found a need and you don't have to answer this one for the legislature to step up and to say we've got to make sure that Arkansans have water and to do that we've got to make sure that the boards are educated and in a way that's not burdensome for them we really we tried to cover every base that is not burdensome to them but but they've got to have some idea of what they're doing and we've got to be

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:19:38)

And so we found lack of education, lack of authority to do anything or anything meaningful. and of course if you if ANRC was putting people in receiverships etc I think that the calls you would be getting from legislators would be just the opposite from today and so

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:19:05)

but undercharging. That's why 85% of our water providers estimated are upside down financially. That's correct. And I think it comes from an engineering group, but in 97, I think our estimated water infrastructure needs were, and I'd have to go back and look at the report, but I want to say were $7 billion. And in 2017, they were $14 billion. So we're going the wrong way fast.

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (1:18:32)

Mr. Benefield, I believe we found there was 649, but somewhere around 650 water providers across the state. So quite a few to deal with. And the real thing that we have to be concerned with is that Arkansans have water. And we also found, did we not, as you said, that the big problem is not folks overcharging

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (57:53)

and let me address the reason we couldn't get them on board is because Senator Wallace talked about the closed meetings and some of these, is because one, is the sticking point was more representation of the people that was the sticking point

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (58:06)

and you don't have to agree because i would normally ask wouldn't you agree but thank you

City, County & Local Affairs Committee (Senate & House) — Jan. 13, 2020 (57:05)

League, wasn't it? yeah I'm not I'm