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ALC-Review

July 30, 2024 ·1:30 PM ·Room C, MAC ·17:57
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 0:00
Co-chair, do you have any comments? All right. With that, we have a pretty short agenda today, so we'll see if we can get this done expeditiously. And
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Speaker 2 0:11
with that, we're going to turn it over to Ms. Kathy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Can
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Speaker 3 0:16
you all hear me? Okay. The first thing we're going to start out with today are methods of finance. In the B packet of the agenda items, there are four that have been submitted by the Department of Finance and Administration. On the next page, the first one is for Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism for State Park Improvements. This is $9 million, and they note that they have ARPA funds, which are federal funds to cover those projects. Next is UA Community College at Batesville for Gateway Center Project. This is $3,747,500. They have a bank loan as well as reserves. for this project. Number three is UALR, General Campus-Wide Renovations and Improvements, $3,000,000. That one's being revised, excuse me, to $6,085,000. They have campus reserves. And the fourth one also for UALR, which is for 712 11th Street Demolition. This is a demolition of a building that is next to the Bowen School of Law. This is $559,971 and they note that there are campus reserves set aside for that as well. Those are the methods of finance on today's agenda. Alright members, are there
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 1:36
any questions from the committee? Senator Irvin, you're recognized for a
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Senator Missy Irvin Unverified 1:40
question. Thank you Mr. Chair. It's actually just latitude for a comment. Just really a shout out for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. The Arkansas graveler race was incredible. And it went through the north part of the state of Arkansas. And I see that their method of finance here will include trail development and facility development, but just great, great job. It was just incredible. So I just wanted to say that publicly for the department. Thank you. Thank you, Senator.
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 2:06
All right. Seeing no further questions and without
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Speaker 2 2:10
objections, these items will stand as reviewed. Mr. Chairman, the next item on the agenda
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Speaker 3 2:20
are grants, and we have one batch of grants here today from Arkansas Heritage. These are grants that are funded through the annual state partnership federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. It's also funded by Arkansas Conservation Tax Appropriation and a generous grant from the Wigate Foundation. They can use these fundings for augmenting support for arts curriculum development and summer after school artist and residency programs. They also have other grants in the summary providing annual general operating support and providing administrative and marketing skills. There was a panel that reviewed this and then on the next page is the listing of the grantees. It shows the grant period, the provider city, the area being served, the service being provided, the amount that they requested, the amount being awarded, and then the breakdown of the funding source. And a total on the final page of a little over $1.128 million is what's being awarded in these various grant programs. Those are all the grants that are on today's agenda. All right, members, I'll give you a few seconds to
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 3:36
kind of look through there and see if there's anything that you have any questions on. All right, see no questions. Representative Beatty coming at the tail end. You are recognized,
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Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr. Unverified 3:59
sir. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would just like to request from staff a list of those that applied for a grant that were not awarded grants. If I could see that information provided to us. Thank you. Okay. Representative, we can get that out to you and we'll get that
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 4:15
out to all members. All right, members, are there any other questions from the committee? All right, seeing none and without objection, these items will stand as reviewed.
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Speaker 3 4:29
Mr. Chairman, the next group of items are our contracts in the D packet. The first page is the letter from Jessica Patterson with OSP noting that these are the contracts being submitted today for a review. None of the contracts presented appear to have been procured in violation of Arkansas procurement law. So our first group of contracts are construction related contracts on page two. The first one is the Department of Agriculture for Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. This is an addition to an existing contract to study and analyze small disadvantaged water systems, providing professional engineering services. And they note that there are multiple studies that they are in the process of completing with these federal funds and invoices are being held at this time until the review of this contract could take place. The second one is the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism for State Parks Tourism Division. All right, members,
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 5:55
you've heard an explanation of the contracts. Are there any questions from the committee? All right, seeing none without objection. These items will stand as reviewed, and I do want to remind the committee that we are not meeting an LLC, so once they
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Speaker 2 6:08
go through today, these will be
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Speaker 3 6:16
final. The next group of contracts are the out-of-state contracts, beginning on page three. The first one is the Arkansas Public Service Commission. This is an original contract for professional services for technical and economic issues related to the utility industry. The next one, number two, is DHS Medical Services. And this is an amendment for the contract that they have for prior authorization and retrospective review services. Those are the out-of-state contracts on today's agenda. All right,
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 6:46
members, you've heard an explanation. Are there any questions for the committee? All right. Seeing no questions and without objection, these
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Speaker 3 6:56
items will stand as reviewed. The final group of contracts are our in-state contracts. The first one is the Department of Agriculture. This is Agri contract with Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion. This will be for the new year for a conference and meeting rooms and catering services. And it's for $192,962 for a special conference that they have in Hot Springs. Number two and number three are both going to be for the Department of Education and they're for special education hearing officers. Number four is for the Arkansas School for the Deaf. are on campus, so that is that contract. Next is number five on the next page, page six. This is for Department of Education Educational Television for Janitorial Services. Number six is DHS, and this is for an amendment to an existing contract that they have for specialized women's substance abuse treatment services. Number seven is DHS, an amendment with Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care for Medicaid beneficiary relations and provider relations services. And the final one, UAPB with Waste Management. This is for solid waste disposal, recycling, and collection, and landfill services for the university's campus. Also note that this is a sole source contract, and the justification is on the yellow piece of paper that we've provided for you. It's notes that the operation at the campus, 12 months occupancy, actually costs will exceed the physical demands necessary for daily garbage disposal. And so that's why they're contracting for these additional services. those are all of the contracts on today's agenda all right senator ervin you're recognized for a question number six please say that again please number six number
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 9:18
six dhs okay we got somebody from dhs here great and if y'all would go ahead and introduce yourselves and your positions for the
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Speaker 33 9:45
record Can you be recognized to proceed with your question, Senator Irvin? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Paula Sohn, Arkansas Department
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Speaker 35 9:52
of Human Services, Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
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Senator Missy Irvin Unverified 9:57
Mitch Rouse, Chief of Staff. Thank you. So I see the coverage area. Could you be specific or do you have the ability to be specific about exactly what the named entities are in these counties that do provide the substance abuse for women?
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Speaker 36 10:14
So this is RVAC is the name of the entity that's providing this. And Specialized Women's Services is a residential service for women with substance use disorders, and they can bring their children. So pregnant and parenting women can bring their children to the facility with them. And so we are paying for those services within that facility.
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Senator Missy Irvin Unverified 10:35
Okay. Do you have a list of these in this service area? I mean, I live in Stone County, and I'm just not familiar with this.
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Speaker 33 10:45
Yeah, so how we've got that working with our specialized
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Speaker 36 10:48
women's services is they have a coverage area, and any of the women that live within that coverage area can go and seek treatment at that facility. The facility itself is around
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Senator Missy Irvin Unverified 11:01
Russellville. I see. So there's one facility that serves that entire coverage area? Yes. Do you know how big? This is a huge problem. Yes, it is. And so, and it's really difficult. I just ran into this two weeks ago with a woman who had a substance abuse issue, who was in jail, and trying to find a placement for her was very, very difficult. And so I'd like, I think, more information about how many available places they have for treatment, how that process is, getting them into the treatment, how that's communicated throughout the communities and then the service area counties. because I can tell you nobody had a clue, and so if we're spending this money, I just want to make sure that we're spending it the right way, that we're able to get the people who need the help in to those treatment facilities because it's not happening in my area, and I cover Newton, Searcy, Stone, and Cleburne, and Faulkner. So that's a large portion of my district. And so I think if you could just get me more information about their process, how they're communicating, the ability for women in this service area, and then what's their process and what's their availability.
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Speaker 36 12:30
Yes. So availability is a challenge. so we would have two providers for two different regions. One would be just adult substance abuse residential services for any adult, and then this specifically for women who are parenting, and I believe it's children under the age of eight and under can go with that mother and stay there. So this is another one of our contracts where we are funding some of those services and some of those beds but they're also billing like a qualified health plan or commercial insurance can reimburse for that service and so you know and then there's beds that they can pay for through our funding our funding is much lower rate because of the limitations there and then it then commercial insurance is so yeah I'm fine with all that I just want to make sure that we're paying for it that
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Senator Missy Irvin Unverified 13:22
there's a way to connect these women that need the assistance and need the help in the placement. And so if you can just, I'll just get with you offline. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Absolutely. Yeah. And Paula and Mitch,
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 13:35
if you all can just, you know, send staff a list of the, you know, the facilities where they're located in the coverage area with the cover, and then also approximately how many beds. And if there's a waiting list or a certain timeframe to, you know, to get into one of these rooms, that would just be some very simple relevant information. That'd be appreciated. Representative
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Representative Les D. Eaves Unverified 13:57
Ease and Senator Hammer. I have a question for
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Speaker 34 13:59
Department of Ag on number one. Hang on one second. Senator
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Senator Kim Hammer Unverified 14:03
Hammer is yours. Okay. Senator Hammer. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The grant money that this is grant money, correct? Correct. Okay. Are there things in that grant process that would preclude other organizations who may already be set up to provide these kinds of services such as John 317 or other spiritual based providers from being able to access these
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Speaker 36 14:29
funds? So we have the funds. So we, we did a procurement for those, those specialized women's services programs. So residential with the children's residential. And so we funded four providers of those services. So, um, those are, are basically funded facilities and they can use that funding for the beds in their facilities is how specialized women's services work so we don't we had we did not um so we would not have other providers that could access those specific funds
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Senator Kim Hammer Unverified 15:01
so is this this going to the facility or the providers that provide the services to the facility
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Speaker 36 15:07
so it is one in the same the provider owns the facility and so it is more specifically for women who are coming to live at those facilities and get probably, you know, 30 to 60 days of residential substance abuse treatment with their children. With their children. That's right. That this particular
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Senator Kim Hammer Unverified 15:25
contract is. Yeah. And I guess that'd be the distinguishing differences if it's a provider that takes the children and not just the mom. That that's what makes this unique then. It is. Okay. That's all right. Thank you. Thank Thank you, Senator. All right,
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Speaker 11 15:38
members, are there any more questions for ... Okay. Thank you all very much. And then we get somebody from the Department of Ag down here ... If you can introduce yourselves
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 16:07
and give us your positions for the record, and then Representative Eves, you'll
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Representative Les D. Eaves Unverified 16:12
be recognized and proceed with your question. I'm Amy Lyman. I'm the Director
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Speaker 55 16:17
of Brand Programming and Outreach. Fred Guido, where I'm Deputy
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Representative Les D. Eaves Unverified 16:21
CFO for the Ag Department. Just a quick question. What conference is this that you're describing here in this contract on item number one? This is the Arkansas Grown Conference. Can you tell me what that is? Yes. we actually partner with eight associations to bring them all together in one place so that they can have their annual meetings rather than having to have them all separate and spend their money to try to get to those we have more than 600 people last year in just our second year and 120 vendors what i kind of remember something about this a year or so ago was this one of the one where the contract kind of got messed up or the
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Speaker 55 17:02
way it was done was something odd about that you You are correct, and we got in front of it of the issue this time, and with the help of Office of State Procurement, this was a sealed bid and all those kind of things.
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Representative Les D. Eaves Unverified 17:16
Okay. I appreciate the information. That's the only question I had. Thank
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Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified 17:21
you. Thank you. All right, members. Are there any other questions, members of the committee? All right, just a reminder that today's review will be final, so without objection, these These items will stand as reviewed. And I believe that concludes the business agenda. Yes. All right. Thank you all very
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Speaker 61 17:42
much for being here. We are adjourned. The rest of the car? Yeah, man. So I got some, you know, some, some, some, some, some, that, that bailing wire from Ricky. I'll tell you what, you can do 90 miles on the interstate, that thing is going to hold on. So I dropped it down. Oh, yeah. And I dropped it off in the airport. That was really good. I got it. I got it. Thank you.
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Agenda

A. Call to Order - Comments from Chairs

B. Methods of Finance

1. Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism

2. U of A Community College Batesville

3. UALR

4. UALR

C. Discretionary Grants

1. Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism

D. Services Contracts for Legislative Review/RFQ Approvals

1. OSP – RFQ Approvals

2. Construction Related Contracts

3. Intergovernmental Contracts

4. Out-of-State Contracts

5. In-State Contracts

Speakers

Senator Scott Flippo Chair Unverified
17 segments
Speaker 2
3 segments
Speaker 3
16 segments
Senator Missy Irvin Unverified
8 segments
Representative Howard M. Beaty, Jr. Unverified
2 segments
Speaker 33
2 segments
Speaker 35
1 segment
Speaker 36
8 segments
Representative Les D. Eaves Unverified
7 segments
Speaker 34
1 segment
Senator Kim Hammer Unverified
5 segments
Speaker 11
1 segment
Speaker 55
2 segments
Speaker 61
2 segments