ALC-Review

Our members are going to take a sea row ahead and get the speeding started starting out i'm gonna need a motion to suspend the rules we have a supplemental agenda that we're gonna be taken up at the end of the today's meeting so if I get a motion got a motion the second all in favor say I post washing careers all right cathy with that what you could have started off thank you mister chairman we're going to start off today with methods of finance item b packet the first pages the letter from df transferring over the contract for the methods of finance to be on the agenda the next pages the chart the first four or four arkansas tech university the first one is for their football score board it's to purchase and design a new civil board for their football program seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars and they note for all of their projects these four they they have facilities repair and renovation reserves the second one for arkansas tech is ross pindergraph elevator and children replacement for mechanical renovation of the pindergraph library the elevators and children's million eighty six thousand two hundred and fifty dollars number three again for tech met gave a hall interior renovations including flooring painting upgrades classrooms ceilings and their new lab equipment to be purchased for the renovated labs eight hundred forty thousand dollars and then number four also for organs are tech with their sproon hall this is interior renovation including florida painting update to the classrooms and new gardens or the auditorium nine hundred sixty thousand dollars again those are all facilities repair and renovation reserves number five sau tech this is for the arkansas fire training academy for improvements and upgrades to the existing facilities and grounds two hundred and forty nine thousand dollars. They note that they have federal arphones for that project then we have a fort smith for simulation liabilitization lab in the health sciences building one million one hundred forty three thousand five eighty six they note that they are private donations for that project on the next page number seven ua mona seller this is for the uam forestry d and a center arkansas forest held resource center sixteen million eight hundred thousand this is from federal federal arp of phones number eight UA ms this is for the barton building to convert office base into a temporary helding area for animals and plants for observation and this is for renovation of the bill medical research center five hundred and seven thousand seven hundred nine dollars and you a ms note that they have revenues for this project those are all the moves on today's agenda all right members of her explanation or any questions. All right see no questions with objections the adams will stand as as reviewed. This return and the next item is item see this is an alternative delivery construction project or a project over the billion dollars and this is going to be for you pound world this is for campus wide heating and air conditioning upgrades they will upgrade their current hack system to improve air quality and they will evaluate existing hack equipment across campus and priorities the replacement of a handling units and high efficiency filteration systems to increase their venelation they received four proposals they interviewed all for entities then the contractor that they have selected is cdr contractors though professional design professional be inside engineering it's a fifteen million two hundred eighty thousand seven hundred twenty dollar project and they note that they have higher education emergency relief for this project that's the only alternative delivery construction project on today's agenda. All right members you've heard an explanation of any questions for the committee. All right see no questions without objection these the sudden will stand as reviewed mr chairman the next group of items are are grants are we have greens today from dhs number is one thing a or all going to be a minutes to exist in grants with area agencies on aging and these grants are to improve the quality of life for adults with disabilities that takes its over two page three and grant numbers nine through thirteen or all going to be federal grants for a partnership for success program to reduce the answer and progression of substance misuse and it's related problems by supporting the development and delivery of state and community substance misuse prevention and mental health programs are promotion services again that's number nine three thirteen that takes us over to page five number fourteen there is for a state fund did for the senior citizens community connection center initiative number fifteen another federally funded grant this one is for the children's ad because he centers of arkansas networks aring those who are at risk of becoming overwhelmed with heighten numbers of children's and children and families requiring assistance and finally for dhs on page six number sixteen is an amendment to a federal grant that they have for evaluating the partnership for success grant program which is part of the division of aging adult and behavioral health services and those are all the grants on today's agenda all right representative capital you have a question yes a question for DHS area I just see on aging okay with a contract number well it's actually several so I think it goes all the way down to contract eight it's just a generated about it. The. Metro house chiefstaff dhs jay hill director for division of aging it up hybrid welcome gentleman representative can only organize pursue to question mr chair these are really just dealing with the area agents agency contracts you have several but my world question is we're given an additional funding is this going to be expanding services to individuals are we going to be able to provide more services or are we just giving a money. For the same services these so these are older americans act dollars they are. Finding that we did back we received additional funding on a noticeable ward from acl so these are oa dollars that are provided to the ase in each of their titled areas home delivered males congregate meals family services and sports they internally farmed out to each of the eight and then dispersed appropriately throughout their catchment areas. Okay I guess my question is are they going to be able to provide more services to more individuals with this or I mean I guess that's why i'm asking are they going to be able to expand their services. So yes for instance in the meal land congregate meals home delivered meals the additional funds that will go to the police to disparce to the senior centers will absolutely provide more signing for additional meals for additional services beyond what. What their current contract allows okay but there's not gonna allow them to expand meals on wheels to actually get to more seniors that can't make it to the senior citizen centers I would think it would in that it does allow them additional funding to provide more meals to to exact span to increase the amount of services that they're providing to send yourself it's actually i'm I guess what i'm behind ask is it's going to get more food to more saying there's okay alright thank you all right they go. Alright singer hammering of a question is this for dhs yes sir thank you urb afternoon german my question is going to be under some of these grants that are given. Like to nonprofit agencies what's the measure to know that for the money that we're giving them that we're getting value for return. Such as maybe number fourteen transforming life ministries or. Community in parliament council. Number eleven center this was a program we we were able to use some of our finding this year we had we had some one time funding that we created a program to expand services and give opportunities to singer centers or senior community organizations that were not affiliated with an area agency on aging and so this particular entity has six. Six centers located in six different counties around the state that we made ten thousand dollar awards to primarily for the end and we said there were there were nine total awards but because this one does exceed it goes to sixty thousand dollars for the parent entity that will channel these dollars out to six individual centers most of these centers are expanding food services or meal services for seniors in their communities they're very small communities by large some are enhancing transportation but each of these is a non affiliated senior community organization when I say not affiliate non affiliated with our standard. Services that are provided through the triple actually area on aging they are ten thousand dollar awards all submitted a detailed budget through an application process to to the division that we intern have the built in and have made light them aware that we will go back and we can audit those for insurance that the services that the dollars provided did pay for the services that they be at four OK I know if your mind pull your michael closer from the select number eleven for example what she is focused on seemed to lean a long language of food in other services but like a number eleven for example the money seems to be given for the for helping reduce the answer and progression of substance misuse and related problem please reporting development etc etc. As far as anything measurable to know at the end of the day that we're going to get a hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth the value for what we're getting in this specific area had how do you how do you measure that how do you know it's working so senator directors don't is gonna is going to join us at the table that is a substance abused grant that is not a sort of grant that was provided for senior services as directors don't she may be able to elaborate on there. Hi am police down department of human services i'm the director the division i'm sorry the office of substance recent minimal health services so is dual safe and other hammer in this there's no valuation component that as well. This comes the spunding comes through a discretionary grand I federal ground war subsidiaries prevention. And it's an addition to some of the money that we send out from blockground. And so the federal are federal partners sampson the sense to the beautiful health services administration requires that we have a valuations of that for just that very thing are making sure that one that are state is doing the thing that it's right for our state but also then we provide that information as reporting back to the to sansa in they also look at it across the united states to say that their money is going for things that are actually working so we have that evaluation of built then. Okay so if I ask for it you can give it to me if I want to review some reason see what the responses are then. Of course okay thank you. They miss sure the job one second I think it's sent remark chances that you were there fifty three thank you mister chairman i'll be very brief records don't thank you for your answer to senator hammer's question it's kind of a follow up on their these items nine three thirteen related to this reduced the answer and progression of substance some issues now does this include at obviously drugs hard drugs whatever but is this included alcohol is included tobacco does it include prescription drugs that might even be prescribed to an individual but could still be misused. It doesn't its inclusive now sometimes these grants can have a narrow focus but really when you're talking about prevention of that you really can go and back quite a bit earlier and in just coming from so i'm background as i'm a i'm a clinician i'm a middle health clinician and so I think what we know when we're trying to provide subsidiary's prevention services if there are risk factors that happen to children and families but mostly children that can card substance abuse disorders you know it it is is really about what's happening in their community and in their home is that where it what we're really trying to do is provide enough support so build on this protective factor so that children don't grow up to abuse settings so it's really hard to say i'm gonna help you not abuse the so it pretty much encompasses everything including tobacco. Yes there are people component pieces that can can also help reduce tobacco the risk for tobacco use thank you thank you mister you'll said time I got represent cabinet back in the. Thank you mister chair you said something it may may think you know how this goes when you answer a question I know that i'm pops in my mind so when you were talking about the non profits and that you were holding you're gonna be able to make sure that they're spending the money the way they're supposed to do do we do the same thing for the police area I just think on aging the we do any type of article to make sure that that money is being spent the way it should be spent what it was actually supposed to be spent for yesterday and we do audits from the division we make site visits we do sit down to look at how they are spinning their dollars this week all the triple as also in her data are on their encounters on how they utilize phones how many meals for instance are presented how many counters they have in their facilities now that data is uploaded in is made made available and set to our federal agency through to acl. And the additional cells not just to us it's also the failed our federal partner our provider is looking at the dad and have also held his dollars a utilities that data that you can get to us into staff so that we can look at how the triple eyes were spending that money okay i'd appreciate that thank you so much don't get the staff when get that out the members alright thank you to understand more questions than you all right members say no for her questions and without objection these adults will stand as reviewed mister chairman in the next group of items will be kind tracks the packet is e on e one is the letter that we receive each month from the office of state procurement along with the contracts that they are sending over for a review I in the letter I want to point out that the second paragraph references a catering services contract that needs to be ratified we will have a letter on that contract and i'll point that out when we get to that in the last paragraph notes that there are two rfs if you'll remember last month we started looking at when osp does approvals for an agent cd us an RF they provide us with that documentation at that time so we have two of those other than that mister armstrong notes that it appears the other contracts that have been presented have been lawfully procured and properly presented so will go on now to the rf's the first two rfs are found down item e pages three through five I believe page three is the rf request that was made by the insurance department for actual services they note that they need you to create new state contracts and they wanted a minimum of three x rail vendors. To be able to perform a required statutory financial examination and financial analysis the department also notes that they've been unable to maintain actuaries in the house due to the financial improve and professional resources necessary to obtain them and there will be three contracts that i'll point out late around for the insurance department that have used this rf process on today's agenda the next or few that has been approved by osp is found on page five and it's for a issue jumps for not financial advisory services and they note that they needed financial advisers contractor to provide impartial and timely capital debt management strategies and advice retaining to their campuses capable there financing review and evaluate most long term viable solutions for for the campus and they too are wanting to select multiple vendors to have the most well qualified when they are working on these financial transactions and they will have two contracts on today's agendas that i'll point out to the time and so those with the two osp. Approvals for rfs that are on today's agenda. Private members any questions. Alright so you know those and reviewed our first set of contracts will be construction related contracts and they start on page settlement seven of item e the first one is a su mountain home this is an uncalled professional design services contract number two black river technical architectural services this is for their law enforcement academy for construction of barex number three is the minute to an existing contract for parks here attention tourism and this is for engineering services number four on the next page page eight is an amendment to a contract again for parks tourism this is state parts division for engineering services and finally number five for them for architecture services number and they were all amendments to existing contracts number six is an original new contract for the department of public safety argued so commission on law enforcement standards and training and this is for their design services for the east camden in spring dl location updates number seven is the military this is for national guard ready to center design services and the number eight on page ten is for northwest arkansas community college is that a member to an existing contract that they have a private grant and this is for facility to house college at program it associated with work force trail building and those are all the construction related contracts on today's agenda. Alright members are any questions representative war lodge have a question on one of these. Yeah. Yes I do have a current question for northwest architect communicate all right I can get somebody up here for. Northwest have a sole community college. Nick following the system commissioner for the division of higher ed the scholarship from north was architecture you got to be able to make it down this afternoon some he said it's some information to try and help answer questions just have them contact me and miss chair i'll put a hold on this till friday and i'll talk to a moff line again we will put a hot on this until friday and represent it will just let staff know when you get that had a conversation in your questions answered thank you thank you all right members seen no for her questions and without objections these adults will stand and reviewed with the exception of contract eight for court was organizable community college next mr chairman are the intergovernmental contracts of starting on eleven department of health with uams this is an amendment to an existing contract to continue metal goal consultation in trauma system development for them number two is dhs on amendment with UA l this is for the parenting prevention program using positive apparent in program number three on the next page is for the department of public safety division of arkansas state police this is for min to an existing contract for looking at observation or seat belt you survey in arkansas those are all the intergovernmental contracts on today's agenda. All right representative cavinal your question yes sir thank you department of health okay partner helping up here. And then I have a second question for the public safety. We had interdish yourselves in this your position for the record then representative you'll be reconnected received your question at go more department health casey carpent department of health. Joe martin department available here this is going to be on the professional consulting services number one with um is this contract being paid one individual the reason I ask is because we keep talking about the one doctor that's going to be the advisor so. Is all this money getting paid to one individual. Yes maybe it is. So we're gonna pay one individual eight hundred and thirty three thousand dollars to help advises on the trauma center that is over seven years. What are they advancing us on the trauma medical consultant advises the trauma system on multiple things including designations of hospitals they said on the designation committee as kind of clinical representative they do multiple other things such as contract review they help us with any clinical issues obviously with hospitals they will work with us on any emails glitching issues also that is something they will help okay but this actually says we're contracted with uams so are we paying you ms and the new ams is paying the doctor on he he is a general surgeon with uams and we pay you a mouse the contract value which is part of his salary and his time that he gives us for the system and so he gets additional money that uams pays regular job and then he gets additional hundred and thirty five thousand or something for being this advisor this pays for a portion of his fte percentage that he gives to the health apartment. Okay. Where we add on the process with this trauma center how long will we have to keep paying in this consulting or this advisor feet or is it going to be a continual advising fee so we we are required by statue to actually have a drama medical consultant so it will be the life of the trauma you know the the the statute has long as we have a trauma system and arkansas now I will say is that this you know contract obviously will park potentially back up for bed again after the saving your contract is in. Okay alright thank you thank you represent all right senator hammering of a question yesterday thank you the amount that has been questioned is that compensation to take care of the doctor because he's spending his time away from being able to treat patience and do what you would do normally heading up at these responsibilities. So yes sorry it is a portion of his full time employment as FTE percentage that we pay for you know one hundred percent and we pay for a certain percentage of that fte for him to come work with you a the help department for the trauma system right shell. Really this is. Of what he would be financially compensated this is that portion of that total compensation that is a signed to him performing these responsibilities that if he was not he'd be an operating room or he'd be direct face to face with patience and then that correct yes are thank you. Thank you ceaser all right you guys are excused. All right represent cabinet apartment above safety yes sir okay we get so by appear from. And if you all just give us your names and positions for the record than representative you'll be recognized procedure question thank you. Karen period cfo department of public safety. Bridge why how we saved your office administrator department of public safety thank you thank you for being here my questions gonna be dealing with contract number three the with ui you have a faith bill. And it can't my intention is because it is the purpose of this contract is to contact observation or seat belt use survey in arkansas. Or what are we doing. And this is a requirement from the national highway traffic safety under the how is safety program that each state have an observational seat belt so bad conduct it within the state. So to get. And why do we do it that money that we get from the fiat's what is. The money is to operate the how is safety program. Okay and so part of the federal. Handcuffs is that we have to spend this counter money to be able to do a survey so they can see somebody is watching that some ways weren't seat belts well is to come out with the seatbelt use rate for each state determine a seat belt use rate for each day in compliance with their regulations and done in accordance with their methodology and and regulations okay thank you so much. All right so drawing sir question you recognized they just done back but represented kevin I was talking about nobody's before. Is there anything in the agency is there a group retaining. That gets together to do discuss what we agreed to. I'm federal dollars. There it is one person do that the director do there has it handled. Other state the how is saved the office we put together a how I say big plane and accordance with this regulations that how a safety plan is reviewed by the governors how we safety rep which is colonel hagger and it is approved by him and submitted to how to the national howard traffic safety administration where they are probably. Okay the current I would expect to be knowing how many of the people are in that discussion. There the number of groups in this involved are with the discussion and including our dot we work together with their strategic holidays they've been planning. To pick together our house if you plan on how we safety is is critical and realize that it and it's not used this entire many things on federal dollars that I try to have wasted dollars from damned damn because always wanted his in the conversation what all their green do. Think it to get dollars in some time we don't know to citizens start getting. The result of what they were very do so I hope it had a broader net group. That you can get some objective insight into what the end result is yes it boot there are multi multi agencies involved with our strategically safety plan group thank you. Representative brown you are recognized for a question. Thank you mister chair i'm just curious about how this program's going to work it may be barely answered it and apologize to be have but are we going to be putting forth more effort to absorb how many people are and are not wearing your seat bail to we're going to be using cameras there can be more tickets issued or are we gonna be surveying the tickets had already been issued for people not wearing their seatbelts now there's a the survey is not cut and that did the determined how many tickets are issued or anything like that is simply observing a statistically balanced sample of observations state wide the university develops the survey they go out and survey the counties in their statistical four ball and they are put together a report. And we submit that report to the national highway traffic satellite so the survey are you just gonna ask people if they were their seatbelt are we going to use cameras are we going to know they are they sent out engineering students from the university they go out and do actual observations on the side of them at the roadway to determine who's wearing their seat thank you pre shipper answer. Representative johnson you're recognized for a question. Thank you miss chairman this is bit of a follow up on representative brands question. So they stand on the side of the road with minoculars for an overpass and they look down into your car and see if you have known as that what is met by observation yes they they observe they stand on the side of the road way usually it intersections and observe whether or not individual the driver in front seat passenger or in their seatbelt and i'm just trying to envision this I have a friend who actually in his car and he put to see it better than he takes a like a bathtown put it on covering himself up so he want drop its big mac on its clothes or whatever how would I mean this just seems difficult to do in any kind of accurate manner if i'm i'm not and that be little in it people need to wear their seatbelts I mean I think it's saved my life at least once but still I just it seems like an awful lot of money to have people stand on the side of the road in and look I mean i'm sure there's other technological ways we could do it maybe they can flag drones around I don't know but I guess it just seems like an awful lot of money and I can get this federal money and know they love to throw money at things like this but i'm also on this advertising peace is. There are we see a lot of what I consider psays ready on television. Are those purchased advertisements or are they under the fcc requirements as the public interest do they and otherwise does this money pay for those ads or does it are simply pay for the production of the air it pays for both the production of the ads and also the hearing of the ads and the paid ads are not considered psased we have another program error psa's that are done by the arkansas broadcast okay so that's like in cooperation with the arguments of broadcast association that but they're the station still do you have a requirement because their license to and will call it donate certain amount of time so in effect we do both yes okay then answers my question thank you thank you mister chair thank you sir johnson so this is your head discretion over this as a mandated by the. As at the national highway traffic safety administration and i'm assuming it's because in twenty eleven the legislature passed a bill you know making that were in a seatbelt of primary traffic offense. The. M. Is it part of that program is aware of you know argues also on a several states from many states that has a primary site not bonded the box is as part of that program that because we took all these millions of dollars from the feds for law important different laws forcement agencies. We had a pressure primary seatbelt bill and is as part of this study part of that overall program but it's part of the overall program but each state has to have a regional seatbelt survey whether they have a primary receipt ago okay. Freedom. All right. Center hammer you're up thank you in our doubts meeting earlier today with the commissioners they've got a program that they're doing advertising as far as you like click it or take it kind of thing does this coordinate with those efforts to collect that danner as far as this is a survey where you said they're staying on the corner but as far as collecting other data from other sources like argument is it all brought into this report as well. The. Into the seatbelt survey report that we do you have data collected from our dad is not included. Maybe I misunderstood your question no no is what I was asking is this is a survey in based on your explanation what the survey is it's like visual site but but some of our federal dollars are they not attached to how much we get based on the survey results or do we as a contention upon us getting increased or decreased federal funding for like highway programs based on this survey. No is. How how much what are our three boat survey rate i'm trying to phrase the question i'm the answer of the correct way but. Are we have to have a seat belt survey or we we could lose some of our funding is that what you're asking our finding is tied to complying with the requirement to have a regional match that i'll leave it with this is there a lot of other agencies for example our dot you know that's doing things and i've just run a given image or a picture to the feds of what we're doing is it just based on the survey alone are you able to collect data from all the other agencies that are doing things to help the proof seat belt usage and his ad included in this if not I think would be good to do that to give a more accurate picture that that's all i'm asking for a day to degree thank you center or almost done ladies have promised that this fine so which one alright sir gilmore thank you some glad we're having fun because my question was more descender mark johnson and how often he will spread the tablecloth in his car and enjoy launch thank you senator. The chair will recognize you more often sir to go more that was good all right ladies without work out the key was empty unless you just want to sit around all right members see no for their questions and without objection these others will stand as reviewed mr chairman our next group of contracts would be the outstake contracts beginning on page thirteen of the e packet the first two are going to be for asu and these are for financial advisory services and these two are the two that are referred to earlier when ospave asu the authority to be able to use the request for qualifications for their procurement for these financial services number three as you mid south this is or maintaining an insuring all areas of the college or clean and prepared for the next day number four is a contract for commerce arkansas economic development commission this is for a broadband grant systems and services professional services for that on the next page number five six and seven or commerce state insurance department these are for their actual services and again these war from the letter previously approved by osp for the use of an RFQ for these services number eight department of education this is a statewide education assessment system this is a contract amendment there's not making in the additional funding changes to this contract but we're seeing it because they are addressing and making modification and changes to some of the terms of the contract one of the modifications and examples they gave me was adding brail services to the contract among some other things so that's a contract number a contract number nine also for the department of education this is a new card. Are with the same assessment company this is for their k three literacy screener system and this of act twelve ninety four of two thousand twenty three requires at all third grade public school students must be given literacy screen screener which will test for is lexi and other reading disabilities and this will be the contract to cover that on the next page contract number ten is with energy and environment environmental quality this is a contract that they have for software implementation number eleven DFA this is a contract of member and it's adding no dollars and this is for management consulting services for safety and they note that they have the funding they're doing some adjusting in the line items are to cover some expenses so again that's a no dollar change to that contract number twelve is a contract for dfa management services with indemnia and this is a contract that's especial procurement so on your pink packet of letters letter number one through three are going to be the special procurement request and authorization from office of state procurement and in reading through their these special procurement is approved for a year it seems that this is a contract they own some equipment in dimming a crip equipment and they are wanting to move it from the data center in the mac building to the data center out west dfa has another contract with the company that provided this equipment but the contract does not address movement and relocation of the equipment outside of the initial installation and so they also note that this equipment. Cannot be moved by another vendor so this is a requirement that they have to get this contract in order to move this equipment and they also note that the IS plans to decommission the mac building data center so number thirteen on page fifteen that particular contractors for the department of l and this is a contract for the operation of the medical marijuana patient portal evaluation of applications and issue it's a medical marijuana and information cards and reporting tracking and monetary never fourteen dhs this is a new contract for asset their vacation services number fifteen dhs this is an amendment to an existing contract working on development of an evaluation designed a tool to use for the our home eleven fifteen demonstration wager waver. Excuse me number sixteen. Dhs. And this is a member to an existing contract not adding any dollars but this is a contract. For self directed financial management counseling services and this the current amendment is updating their performance indicators number seventeen is a contract for a department of public safety emergency management for gis cloud service and a wbs hardware support number eighteen department public saver state crime lab and this is for post modem tax ecology testing services number nineteen department of transformation and shared services this is a new contract for a little over five point five million dollars this is forced tigic management consultant of for the state to be able to soul take governor standards goals arrive providing more efficient and effective services dark answers and on a note this is a one year contract although at at a rate of five point five million annually number twenty is department of transformation insured services division of information systems and this is an original contract and this is for an assessment in relation to the department of finance administrations in a greater revenue system tax system number twenty one is department of veterans affairs and this is at a contract for temporary staff at the north right bedroom symmetria. Number twenty two UALR this is for a contractor who will conduct an executive search for dean of the college of business health and human services for ualr those are all of the outer state contracts on today's agenda. All right represent cabinet your question yes I think you mister chair it's for economic development commission economic development commission appear that what's the contract number. There was a camera what's the number on that oh sorry number four okay. This. The. Yeah. The. Good afternoon ours and happy old cheaper staff at commerce. Good how is the broadband director representative recognized pursuit your question thank you for being here my question this is going to be on the broadband grants and system services you're just asking for a four point six million but that's all you say so as this force four point six million is it going to professional services or is it actually really going to grants to expand broadband yes so the broadband grant program at the state this particular contract is to replace ums who has been our programmatic subcontractor since the beginning of the programs this would be a new programmatic subcontractor for our office. So we're going to pay them this contractor four point six million dollars a year to do the broadband sort of a potential of a seven year time frame there are there's initial two year term and earn five optional one year renewals that are possible. For a told all potential value of twelve million dollars yet to have so over the course that we're paying a consultant. I'm a small site where this one says this is through. Was it. Though twenty six is that when it is. I guess this the first one is so we're going to pay it through four point six million dollars for basically about a year and a half it looks like yeah over a two year time frame four point six you know I would note the current again cause you has been with us since the inception of the program back in twenty twenty this particular current fiscal year the contract with ums was not to exceed three point six million. For one year this would be four point six over two in the initial to your term. The gate so what are we I guess we're need an expand broadband so much but we're going to spend twelve point five million dollars on a consultant to help us with that what are they going to do for twelve point five million dollars that we can't do that we could take that twelve point five and put toward actual broadband deployment in rule arkansas that has none sure and I appreciate the question so. I think to set the stage and said the table for everyone right you know we have a very lean team when I first started and came in and august to twenty two we had a staff of two myself and kimberly since that time we've expanded to about seven and where it max capacity now would not plan to go any further than that and I think you know as a state and administration we don't want to try to grow so government beyond what it should be and in order to do that we have to have good programmatics of contractor partners that help us get the work done so we look at what you message on for us to date and what will do moving forward with michael baker look at holistically across the process. We need a contractor to help us build an application portal to take in applications that will go out and build broadband across the state with the one billion dollars coming from us commerce that'll find our program moving forward we need people to go under the field and monitor projects and give a status reports and check and make sure that the work is actually getting done to serve our people in on the backside we have to make sure that we're compliance with all federal laws and regulations across not you only not only us commerce but also us treasury and other federal regulations that are put on us and so it's a very tall task I would say as an animal to this. You look over the four the past four calendar years our office is administered about five hundred fifty million dollars in grants over four calendar years in the next wave of the program we're going to have to do one billion dollars in one year so we're gonna have to double the awards and a quarter of the time in that is going to take some heavy subcontractor capacity okay so win. You a ms handled it my understanding was the people that were actually employed by you a a mess i've been told this multiple times were actually housed in with your office and they actually worked out that office is that does that not correct we have yeah we had space for you within our bullet those people that worked the broadband for a uams are they the ones that you hired. They are not the ones that well the problem of commerce hired them yes but it was prior to be coming on board but I mean so the people that ran the broadband for uam you took them out of UI m as this payroll and moved them over to your parents. No not you personally but I mean you know yes ma'am and I appreciate the question so. The when we went to this public rf process we received nine total bids for programmatic management moving forward you must was not one of those bitters. Right but the employees that work for uams on the broadband that were housed with commerce. Where are they at now they are still with you amazing and when the contract ceases at the end of the fiscal year I you know I can't speak for okay so they're they're going back to uis yeah well they always were with yeah I know but they're actually moving to a mess are not gonna be working on broadband for us at all the particular group will not be working for us okay thank you the representative are etc. Thank you mine is for number nineteen department of transformation and share service. I don't have a question okay thank reverse it running everyone for them okay sir thank you john again alright represent brunt and grade requestion. Yeah. They aren't. Do you thank you very much mister chair pardon me but I did forget your name. Any anyway why we're getting your light on doing glint right I believe that I have attended some meetings that you have conducted where you're in couraging people in communities to. Work with you to identify areas where service is very poor and then your objective in getting this broadband out. Is to cover those areas where we do not anticipate our major providers. Going out to build we this is build out in more rural areas where our larger providers will not be going is that correct they'll be a correct statement in our would say every single county and arkansas still has locations we still have homes and businesses they need to get bill to or upgrade it for the very first time as of today we would pick that steep wide number and about a hundred and sixty thousand locations across all of our concern but you are correct in that as we progress through this program right it's going to get more expensive because the locations that we're going to buy necessity are going to be more rural less dents more expensive to get so you would be correct so then in my area of sure would we have areas where people don't have very good service in those areas. The focus is you are not going to focus on that build out you're just going to notify the the major providers in that area that they need to do a better job at servicing that particular neighborhood or that street or whatever is that correct is that is that how this is working i'm struggling to figure it all out sure and so broadly you are correct we've had meetings across the state over the last year year and a half important is to back up to the original context of the question was it yes we encouraged every county to from its own broadband committee and work with our team at today we've had about fifty counties do that so for a soveney very proud of that back that two thirds of our counties are on board with helping to work with our team moving forward but yes one things that were doing is leaning into our local folks right because folks on the ground are going to know themselves and their neighbors and their communities better than we would sitting in some chair and little rock rate so we're leaning on down to say what you're going to know yourself in your neighbors you know the pockets of communities where the internet access may not be the best and so we have them can I help us with that but yes it it gets a little new one so just because someone has access doesn't mean that it's up to the standard of today and we may have to upgrade them any some michael baker international is going to help you pars that out our or let contracts for these rural areas or yeah the best way that I can sort of get it kind of before the assembly would be so michael baker is kind of on new york new york uams right and then we have a separate group that's currently kind of the b d g of the past when you look at sort of how it was set up before. Yeah. So he's gonna any help determine where the contracts will be left my question michael bigger themselves will not but the company hoping on that particular portion what we're doing okay correct. Thank you mister chair figure representative round all right sir hammers your question for perfect. Thank you good afternoon you ams didn't want a bid on this or why was it that they're out of the picture now. Yeah I mean that's you know a good question I don't want to necessarily speak for ms in their intentions I would say you know overall we'll receive nine in the arpy process two were arkansas based companies in that field at umsterces not one of those bitters okay so they didn't bed at all they did not know they could have if they would have liked to but they did not okay and then the second thing would be in the previous administration under the insistence of the legislative body we actually got a consultant that came in and did an extensive statewide produce to great report I know you been out the county I know there's efforts at the county level now doing the surveys and all this kind of thing and i'm i'm wondering a all the previous work that's been done because I know things change over time but will be talking about a two year maybe three year window then you can not have change that much and i'm just wondering all the previous information all the money that we spend on the previous you know and now we're going to put this money on top of it what happened told the information before is it being rolled into their school and why do we need to keep doing the same thing to return to the money we're about to spend yeah I think center appreciate that question to what we're always building upon the prior the prior program the prior version and what you know that particular group dead they did a really good job going around the state and star rang a credit maps which helped us improve the grant program that we ran around three we introduced a lot of their recommendations which made the program better for the statement for the taxpayers when we receive a new bucket of funding from a different federal agency they have new requirements and so for instance some of the mapping processes that were done with the prior groups were sort of based on since this block mapping level mapping through the new way with this new program is based on singapore locations and so we do have to go do additional more in depth mapping then was done before and through a product of the restrictions that we receive from washington for the money that's coming down you interest bate that this is going to curious to the end then I mean you know much more federal money. Comes down but you can see that with what's coming to study get used to a drop off point at least tune it down a little bit now yet this this last week funding we expect to be on the last bucket of funding for this if not forever for a very very long time and we disappear that this funding will take care of the problem for all right thank you thing that should thank you center hammer are right sooner urban question yeah II think it's really good discussion about this and i'm glad that you've been able to really highlight you know what we've done and I think senator hammer's questions are very very good yeah I look at this kind of like when we have to hire tech however I think was the contractor based on all the compliance issues that the federal money presents so it sounds like they're going to have to be doing a lot of that compliance and then getting them to that really a fine level of detail on mapping which we've not been able to do previously because it really was required and we didn't have enough money to approach you know that kind of last mile funding so I mean I appreciate your comments I think you know it's obviously something that we bought very hard on we want to be efficient with our dollars we want to spend that's wisely but just making sure that you know they understand our landscape and this is my question to you it's an out of state contract and so one of the things that I get concerned about and we're talking about broadband is especially with out of state contract that they're not just gonna put the mississippi map or the mississippi plan on top of arkansas or the louisiana plan on top of arkansas but that is going to be arkansas specific so can you just I know we don't want the cookie cutter approach we want the armony to go towards like this very specific challenges that we have in the state speak to that just for a second because there are use that there were two arkansas based contract and so I think you sent an appreciate that you know one thing I would say we currently have. Forty one active projects right that were sort of maintaining and unnecessarily in the so under contract and we're still working through that with them with this be the speed round that we're going to run later this year we could go from forty one to in excess of three hundred and fifty right this is going to be a state wide grant round unlike anything that we've done before at the state level when I would say this is going to be it's an arkansas plan for for our estate yes we had two arkansas companies that that did bid originally although michael baker is technically not an arkansas based company they do have an office here in the rock downtown then employees forty people who live here and work here and and our kansas and we part of this project and they also have another field office I believe in northwest arkansas well so the contract may not be for technically mistake company but the employer cancels and we look forward to working with them thank you pretty welcome thank you center. All right represent a baby so patient thank you mr chairman always I try to be a have learned that as of aged director howling I guess my question is you mention that you have seven old staff now started with two and and and go much grown by five more positions under your leadership my question here's can you provide this committee with the specific jar duties and responsibilities of that seven member team and then what dude is the this contract that we're going to I guess a war to move forward with and what the responsibilities will be there and and I guess another question not how I just that provided to the committee are to the members because we don't have time to go through that that's the staff it out to him. And then how the size of your department compares with the states our neighboring states and and and the jobs of the third taking care of their broadband and then a final question as I understand the ramp out and in the rollout of the greens for the billion dollars and and going to three hundred and fifty projects over the forty that we have now water the plans for reducing that staff in your department down once these initial rollouts go in and we award the federal money out out to the the rural communities at what point we start down sizing that department in and shifting those duties so if you could provide some of that information back to us I think that's something that would be insightful and it might put a few other said ease about where we're going with this plan yeah great great point will provide that for the committee I guess. By friday or whatever the normal course of businesses and I would say I think I may have reached this before for folks and you've heard it and i'm pretty sure i've got to be one of the only if the only director is the government whose job it is to work himself out of a job right so for a successful there is no more broadband office and so we'll will get that to you. Alright centre here one of this contract you know are they going to be paying a new amount for any services out of the money that we're about to give them under this contract. Nothing i'm aware of I do I believe so great show the employees that are at ums now that are currently doing this work you don't know what's going to happen to them are they going be rolled into the other duties that you ms or do you know yeah I can't again I can't I can't speak to what new ms's kind of programmatic strategies will be I do know that that particular function department within ums that has been working on this project works on other projects as well so they i'm sure they will have other things to do but again I don't want to speak for them specifically. All right sooner for a questions and without objections these items will send as up excuse me sir everyone I don't see the key i'm sorry nineteen it was for a transformation service okay the other run. Thanks so what does it have if you'll go ahead and introduce yourselves in your position for the record yes i'm less like that's kind of secretary of transformation shared services chess compatters and cheap legal counsel at transformation shared services welcome all right senator recognized preservation question here you go okay just quickly so i'm i'm familiar with mckenzie and company your previous contracts as they've been under for our state years years and years ago so I know they do lots of different things so could you just give me a little bit more detail and information about specifically what they're going to be helping your work. Yes so they are going to work as what work to help us with strategic means about plane for the state really moving arkansas forward and and really helping us modernize state government looking at the organizational strategic alignment of of the fifteen executive cabinet level departments looking at a personal are pay plan and i'm evaluation system of our employees looking at procurement real estate it and they have leave me and. Okay size just wanted to see if that what we talk about and peer this morning it's related to the spot yes this is absolutely yes what we're talking about this morning gotcha okay that's good and then am and then technology is also going to be a part of the yes you know it really is about you know improving the customer experience for our taxpayers and then also really looking to improve things for our state employees and modernizing our processes and you know automating all processes that we heard and and utilizing technology and software that we already have that we're already paying for and just expanding that use to become more efficient and improvement and make things better for all of arkansas okay so are they also going to be able to look at other states who have have potentially used federal phones to create those type serve eighty systems. Of networking and integration the reason I ask this because you know if in federal a federal dollars paid for it. Even if it's in the state of missus be we should be able to to get those same systems because federal dollars have already paid for them so yes I know in particular there's one system that we have gone to missus b and looked at its house at mississippi state university. You know for work force issues and being able to identify pretty much in real time. Uh a level of work force that would be available for a potential manufacturer to come and locate the state of arkansas would they be able to help kind of identify those systems that federal funds were used in order to like bring those to arkansas but at least part yeah that and that's a very good question we specifically have that conversation during our discussion space of the rfp process is what federal dollars we could happen to in our research and in putting the rep together we did. Connect with other states and found out what they were doing in federal growing up you know opportunities and fleet me and edumate and said that was part of our conversation too that's included in this as well as to look at other states and learn from what they've done yet no thank you I appreciate that and I would just but a pen in your head on that one with mississippi's date university I can't remember the name of the system but it's not the potential federal grants but it's worked federal dollars have already paid for a hundred because then we would be able to uhm take those systems and bring them and house with that happen to pay for them again is my understanding yes I know that's a a great idea and we have specifically incredible we would like their expertise to help us identify that okay thank you that's it thanks thank you so much biggest. Forty three representative brown thank you mister chair and I have just one more question regards this is this going to are these people going to help. Um as. Secure our systems are it systems are they going advise us on the best way to approach that. That is something that we've asked them to look at overall with it we do have a summer security officer for the state that is the part of the division of information systems that's part of transformation insurance services so but yes we've asked them to specifically look at that to make sure that we are tapping into all of our options and opportunities and making sure everything is secure within our state network thank you. Thank you they grew up so brown all right you are excused all right member seno for questions and without objections these adams will stand as reviewed. Mr chairman we're now looking at in state contracts and they begin on page nineteen of the e packet the first one is for the port back culture with tariff catering company this is a special procurement and on pages four through seven of the pink packet or the letters that explain it and also this is contract that osp is sitting over for ratification and so pages seven through nine cover that i'll explain the special procurement was that they had planned in advance for arkansas ground conference in in hot springs convention center and come to find out the convention center requires turf catering be used for the food it was a separate bill and the invoice was over what could be paid so a contract was needed with this company osp has approved their special router a special contract that's in the pages four through six but the ratification is needed because the contract is dated. Yeah. The date of the event which is already taken place so this was seventy three thousand eight hundred ninety seven dollars in sixty two c and again it's for catering food at the architect ground conference in hot springs it's special procurement as well as ratification in order to pay those expenses number two is department of commerce organs out economic development convention this is a new contract with start up junkie for managing in a date program number three is DHS with arkansas health care personal this is for skilled nursing and other medical personnel at the state hospital number four another contract for providing highly qualified skill nursing and other medical professional for the architect health center number five dhs with argues on children's hospital this is for the arkansas health and wellbeing program for intervention of child welfare involved families number six r DHS consolidated use services this is an amendment to an existing contract they have for residential group homes second sex offenders may all juveniles in dy as custody number seven is a dhs was smacking this is for meal services for the civilian student training program number eight is DHS and this is avoid this is for an amendment for continuing their residential group homes from mel juveniles a number nine is the department of public safety division of arkansas state lease with crayon for johnson robinson would this is for their advertising and marketing services. Number two are public safety division of organs i'll stay police and this is for administration of their dental and vision insurance for their uniform health plan and number eleven is for veterans affairs with arkansas medical staffing and this is for a temporary medical staffing for the veterans home in north little rock and fayetteville and then while we're added to suspended the rules earlier on your additional packet we have the one additional contract which is also for the department of agriculture are with the communications group this is for public relations services for the architect soil being promotion board this is also a special procurement and in part of the packet I have the letter that notes that. The agride apartment took over the soil had been bored at after a change in the law and they took over in august the solar being promotion board was in need of a new contract for the services they actually requested to use it rf through the office of state procurement and the office of state procurement denied that request so then they asked to do a special procurement and was approved by osp for a short term in order to proceed with the services through that process so on the next page you see the letter from on the next page is is the kind rack and the. On page three of that packet is the letter from agriculture and then on page four is the justification form for the special procurement so those are all of the instant contracts that are on today's agenda. Alright represent a ward law europe for a question ag department price sector I signed up in here still. Priorities are strong to the table too please. Come on a bad. The. Was chairman whenever you're really good then it is themselves and is our west war from the arkansas department culture. Scott burning architect apartment bank would arm strong office of state procurement representative war lawyer recognized proceeding questions in reading his latter it looks like we're here in mister armstrong you're welcome to charming but I think this a ratification because it wasn't correctly is that true. That is correct okay so when you done this or when you approve their special mccurement. There was no procurement initiated and then they proceeded with services in the total of seventy three thousand dollars nine hundred and eighty seven dollars and sixty two cents a correct. From the information they didn't do an RFP they didn't do an art q they didn't do a specific they just they just winded it and then you came back and approved this special curement on a back side for this amount of money correct actually it was right before they did it and in the last paragraph of my special procurement determination I point that out to him that properly this should have been done prior they should have submitted it for a review prior to procuring the contract in getting it set up true and I read that but outside of the review they did not proceed with procurement prior to the indicated to me that they had done a progerman but it was for the location and not for them food that was told the three thousand dollars gave so second reward you and your team I mean how do you all want to rectify this going forward because this is an annual vehicle is that correct. It's it's this year was the second year that we've had that arguments on grown conference it's it's mostly funded through federal special crap black grant program that we host in conjection with other trade associations I think we had eight total that participated this year fully admit this was not this was not handled the appropriate way it surprises it as was mentioned we had had the contract for the venue but not for the catering so it was kind of a last minute request it surprised this tried to rectify that as quick as possible so we've we have cancelled our internal folks on how to appropriately deal with procurement we're making sure where by scott the appropriate training to make sure that this does not happen again but fully admit that this this should have been presented prior to you but it was a little bit of surprise on the catering contract so we're not only presented prior to both precured and the correct manner on the prior to I mean I don't know that I have trouble with the special procurement or so source whatever procurement that you were to used I just think the procurement should have been done correctly to follow state pickerman absolutely. Thank you mister how yield any other members thank you represent a right said or hammer your regards for a question thank you to the to the venue itself utilizes for so please they require you to utilize that one catering vendors are correct. That's great that was the part that we did not recognize until until like right when it happened that they that we would have to catering services well do you sharp that they knew to see how much you could save if you were to go outside that venue and get a different catering service and have how many did you feed for the seventy three thousand we had over five hundred that participated in the conference again this this was the the second year that we've hosted that the the first year we had it and literally but the venue was was too small that's why it moved to heartsprings was for the larger bin similar I think we we have captured lessons learned on this process for it for next year if if we move forward with hosting that again which we hope to be able to do but but you're absolutely right making sure that we're following the appropriate procurement laws and and making sure that we're bringing the best value for it for the participants yeah well I don't I don't know in this case you're kind of between rock and hard spot if if they said yet to use this cater you did which I had to do under the circumstances here to do it with them. And not I don't know you had much of a choice given the way you were but okay appreciate thank you thank you center all right representative because are recognized for a question thank mischair sector ward are just question about tarf were were you notified of that signing the contract that that was the only cater or was that something that they slid in on year afterwards. So for what I understand from our team that was handling this conference was that they had to be they were not aware at the beginning and then that I believe it was the day before before the conference started was when they found that out and II know that that is true i'm from my screen for no tart busy only one it does I could make your center but I would think that would be something they need to have their contracts when your son that would be up front for any counter food items but if they did that something that party to deal with them and a spring clothe to make sure they do do that so I can follow up with you on there i'm going to appreciate that thank you thanks miss chair thank you representative all right senator gilmore. The. Thank you mister I have just following a long lines of questions in my colleague rips and wardle have grave concerns about any agency border commission or anyone that might be trying to circumvent procurement law and so I am i'm glad we're having this discussion because I think it's important I understand your situation the uniqueness that it is my question I think is to mister armstrong and the last programs your letter says. Your current process they were initiated in october of twenty three but not yet finalized. What what is that what does that mean maybe i'm completely missing something or whatever but it could you just want me through that yes my understanding from speaking to the cfo of the department. Was that they had done the initial procurement of the venue and that process had been in october we'd had a conversation in the process of them seeking special procurement because they were no longer free to bid for cating services based on the contract that they had signed and obligated themselves to after doing a competitive process. Was the. He wasn't aware that this was going to require a a extraordinary procurement process and I let him know that I think in the future it won't require an extraordinary procurement process it'll just require ordinary planning that if you're aware of this need in. October you include that in your competitive solicitation to make sure you're looking at the overall price of the venue and the food. But that was not done unfortunately in this case the process for the venue was done but the food part was not completed until they got the special procurement which allowed them to contract without a bidding or an rfp but it did not allow them to proceed. Without a review and so that's why payment has been held until right now could be presented for a review so we could have this discussion. Okay although you were much cause I think it's very important that any agency more commission followed the law thank you. Thank you senator center hammer you regard for a question thank you. The seventy three thousand only seven it covered two days is that just curiosity home emails did that clued. I believe that it was the lights on two days i'm not sure I could I could did you to the specific started so the conference start it was essentially a thursday prior to saturday morning conference but I think the meals were were primarily just the watch bills. Okay but my calculation were about a hundred twenty three dollars a person if you're at six hundred and that. No negotiation on that with the with the venue. I can check to see their extent of their negotiations I did not summit that particular contract out but I can I can follow up with young hell how much they pushed to try to negotiate that price down and how many mills that covered okay they'll be great they don't know seem like you're held over barrel as i'm saying thanks. Represent a ward law. Thank you mister chair is questions for mr armstrong and II think you answered it with being given more but i'm a little slow in use a lot of big words someone need you to break it down for me. But how do you come to the to the conclusion that you're going to sign a special procurement like this when they didn't follow the law in the first place and and you cannot with through some of that from back in november january I just want to know I was paying attention I just got it dumb it down for me i'm not that smart. Adam believe that for a minute representative I know you too well so but I will break it down for the benefit of of myself to make sure I am clear and you let me know if i'm not. There's two different elements here one is the preterminate process in the other is the review process but they're both part of our console procurement law. When we get to service contracts of fifty thousand dollars or more so that the selection of the progerman method is what gives an agency or a board or other public entity the authority to contract using a particular method in those are broken down based on the amount that at stake you know if it is less than twenty thousand dollars it's very informal if it's over twenty thousand dollars and less than seventy five there's other processes like competitive bidding but not necessarily sealed they can be done we just call and collect quotes or send an email but once you hit that seventy five thousand dollars then it's got to be a sealed bed or an rfp or when he's extraordinary ones like a special or an emergency. And in this case because of the way they got backed into this contract. A competitive bid wasn't an option for them because they had already obligated themselves to the venue and. That I was led to understand then that because they were obligated to this venue they had to use this winter for the catering services and I got this and I think the I ended up signing the day before so I understood that they were over a barrel but I also knew that the review process I didn't want them to have the impression that this was done and it was copressed and in total compliance they were excused from having to beat it because they got a special procurement authority but there was no waiver or advanced ratification right so I said yes to the process that you're using to a ward but you really need to present it under arkansas procurement law before it can be final. So let me say a violent standard again like I said i'm or slow as you don't believe but is true. What what if you wouldn't have agreed with their process and how they got to that point a day before when they called you. How would you have handled that at that point so if you if you wouldn't have agreed with a sole source because they didn't bet it they didn't puccur it correctly rfp what happens at that point mr aunt strong well I think at that point we're still here that they likely not or no I want to speak to you do you think a sector that you guys would have proceeded to pay I don't know that support everyone in the out take the fifth of may but you know I can start now but we're not in the situation but I didn't want to put him in that situation of word then they would have to decide what to do but it would have if they had paid we would have been here like now presenting it for ratification we would said well that was an unlawful payment and you have to come to ratification but what it did is excuse them from having to go get bids last minute II didn't want to jeopardize their function that have been apparently planned in in the works I thought of the lives the number of people who would be impacted by a sudden notice that they weren't going to have this convention and I thought that the cost of such a disruption I would say that II agree what you sign up to that condition and I appreciate secretary in his department setting down your say and they understood that it wouldn't correct and they're going to do it right so known and they've educated everybody so i'm good I just want to understand the whole process so I know how that takes place going forward so thank you mischief. Thank you representative representative you're right as for a question thank you mister chairman again II want to echo white center to give more in in represent war word live stated today on the procurement laws I understand and in appreciate to acknowledging that the rules were not followed a n and coming before the body to get this reviewed involved procedures I think other agencies in the state should be put on notice and take and hear a word of caution what is it worth to the wires and would it be sufficient that this body is going to hold folks accountable procurement laws and following those rules and right now we have agencies and not going to name any part of a corrections that are not following these guidelines and rules and at some point that's going to come to roost and represent that they're going to be here next month i've got it on a good authority so we'll have the opportunity there to hold an accountable so all right thank you very question that's all are you snucky and with a statement in other questions. All right you german excuse thank you all right never seen over her questions and without objection these are little standards reviewed. Mr chairman the only other item on our agenda are the reports that were received and there are three reports in your packet dealing with previously reviewed can't tracks contracts under the threshold and then there are also critical emergency procurements being reported to the committee today alright right members seen offered our business comporters committee we are journal.