Agriculture, Forestry & Economic Development - House and Senate

If everybody would pay attention and be courteous to each other and remember to make you thoughts a sinked and clear. The. We'll see if senator called well has any comment. The. Mister chairman do you have any comments no plan that everyone's here we've got several good topics today fair funding seems to have fallen through the cracks last few years now I look forward to the discussion here what sector award has to say on it. Thank you mister chairman at this time I did ask for an emotion to approve the meeting of the meeting from november k in a second all in favor i'll oppose motion passes senator colwell would you start us on uh d I will thank you mister chairman secretary ward would you come to the table please and. If you would identify yourself for the record yes are west war from that architect thank you would you just give us a synopsis of bringing us up to date where we are on firefounding yes sir so appreciate that topic and appreciate the several members and I know fair funding is important topic for for for all of us from the department standpoint from the governor standpoint from legislative standpoint so your week we have been working just a kind of to back up to last year you know there was additional finding hundred seventy eight thousand dollars that that the legislature approved to the restricted reserve to technology county and district bears up to to what they'd received in twenty twenty two so there was a commitment at that time to to work with from the department to work with fair manager association and there is that that are participating in payers from the county district state level to continue to work on that to find a more long term solution for fair funding and the hopes to present the out during the during the legislation during the fiscal legislative session that will start in april so we have been working on that we had have been discussions with with the governor's office and budget just looking at the funding and and what that might look like to II can't make any promises or ultimately of course the the the appropriations and in that decision what will come down to the to the legislature during the during that session but we're actively working on that I have pulled together state holder group that that represents all the distant different entities that received fair funding to try to make sure that we're approaching that in the right way but the summary we we are working on that we hope to have AAA good more long term solution that will be presented during the fiscal session coming up in april. Sure to give more they consider your word i'm glad to hear you say that because here and you say that you're working through the process I guess means to me and and I would sort of agree that fair funding is not fire so thank you I thought I thought I heard a little bit of scattered applause there but the point is made and so i'm glad to hear that you're working on that look forward to see what that is thank you. We have to a few people in audit and when I ask when we have two chairs appear would would you in president of the fair many associations on the table please. I'm sorry. Were you where does that leave you said this I did no no the get off that he will I want uh well if you would turn your microne introduce yourself for the record please i'm willed and win my name is slicey basin i'm the current afmair arkansas association president. Okay do you have a statement yes sir I don't. Through the years and passed president of the arkansas manager association and I blobby form for years. And for the last twenty years we've had problems getting up are construction money every year because back years ago it come out of the g g I uploads without a problem and due to changes it it's very apparent all across the state of arkansas. Got a problem. It's in your counties. In the county fares are going berlin gonna disappear from each or from a lot of the counties in state of arkansas. So that's why today that we have come before this group are construction finds or something that we have to have in order to keep these local county players and district but it is going. We are. Maplied here today is to ask for permanent funding. You know used to we could come up here back years ago and set around the table downstairs and the capital building and get a lot of things done today it's not quite that way. The. In his dude a lot of changes but we are hoping that it does not poll through the cracks anymore construction phones are things that we have to hail in our local county buyers you know part I would still go to the banks part of these fairs go to the banks every year in bar money. To bail themselves out this year so far i've had about twenty one cold. Appears you cannot make it that just cannot make it in I know that the seven thousand dollars we normally get on the buying your basis is not much. But it also tails a banker that we're going to be able to pay something to so that's one of our big deals we are the buyers in some over from small counties not the majority of it in here. You're there the majority of them were suffering and suffering great today so that's why I am here is the ask you some way another. To put in permanent funding. That we will know that we'll have on annual basis for our local county payers and district players thank you. Oh well let me bring up to a lot of our members who don't understand what give money is because I agree I have money only the first two years out of down here and normally that was general improvement by allocated to each member of legislature that we could basically distribute to the organizations within our district that qualified in we saw fiat and in canada for one of them and that has fallen through the pract no longer existed for the last eight years we we've kept him in hand to my author on our funding and you you make a good point to bring out it may need to be permanent if it does we we might can address fair phoning this year through the the bike at hearing but probably in twenty twenty five we're going to look at passing the bill that would address some type of permanent funding so check award you have anything to add to that or anything that would be different. No sir other than that I would just agree the fair funding has has been complicated because it came from different parts of money and as mrperiod well mentioned you the construction funds with a separate account that had to be approved every year and services trying to trying to get the fair funding into one part of money and I consisted here's what it is so it's it's not multiple avenues that you're asked in a lot of that has had to go back through the reorganization of state government through a governor hutchin and in fayers just get left out. And so again I have II think that it's it's important issue my county we don't have a fair specific market one of the few we do protest pay with two other candidates you have three kid fire but fairs are more than just carnival and being a committee we can sit there in argue all day long about the education at these kios growing up showing fairy animals or preserving fruits and they shows what they learn in life and actually get more of a hands on education participating in the fair than what we do sometimes reading out of the book and so I do think it's extremely important that we take an in fund our fair for the education reason if that's the aspect they they have a good time doing it so there's you are we we've got a couple members with questions. The. The. Senator johnson. Where so that is two different parts of money is the pot fool for construction phones in this by any. Before we go into physical session. So that I don't know if I can appropriately answer that question so so the separate the funny that's been distributed with all general revenue funding. The construction phones has historically been rainy day funds are restricted reserve so II think it's a matter of. Is is there. Funding there and that restriction reserve a count I would deferred him. The budget experts but II think there I think there is it would just be a matter of is is that something that would be wind to be approved for so can your department request that from the governor in a letter to filth to fill that part is that appropriate we can we can make that request yes or we can have that conversation. I'm not i'm not a member of it I wouldn't suggest that motion for requesting the. Go ahead I would just add it up I think that that was part of part of the conversation when the additional restricted reserve funding was approved towards the end of last year was there was that that conversation would take port of what was what would be presented for the physical session in april this was my understanding was that bett commerce at the construction funds will be part of the conversation for the fiscal session so whenever you were talking about the stake holder groups and if it were at the stake older groups has anybody in the state of groups outside what you would define as a county fair. We we've got county bears district fares and junior lifes participating state various participating broad broad participation to make sure everybody had a chance to weigh and on on a proper use of so statutorily what is required. For that funding to me if we don't you accept. What is what is actually status story for for that this money to go to. The that act seven hundred it was passed in twenty twenty one was I think it's twenty twenty one was was fairly bride to include any short of fair or last year I think it ultimately war or come down to be to the appropriation bill and a lot of them in the appropriate appropriation bill of all its distributed you know we're old and we watch in their absolutely absolutely. Represent a garden. Chair my question is basically the same with just a little bit more denise garner washington county and we love her fair working in sustainable food systems for ever and we use the fair a lot and i'm just wondering besides what comes from the state what comes from the first themselves what funding comes from the pairs themselves and what what can we do is a community to help subsidize some of these things that the state really needs that need sitting so what I have i'm literally counting in we have a very very small fair we don't have a cornerable we have our home economic six debits and lifestyle shows and community of the end we fundraise through out the year and our community is one basically through the construction that we've received in the past we've been able to construct buildings we have a a wonderful in close fairborn with air conditioning and and heat and so we try to read that out as much as we can to help earn the many to can I keep things but with anything of course running it out you know you've got a rental fee you have insurance you also have your utility bills on top of that and so so as far as that gets we do bingos and and anything that we can do almost monthly to craft fares and we have we have two craft fairs a year that we that are community comes together and there able to sell their goods and and things of that nature just to help you know phone on our power and I know that fairs across the side of arkansas and diet utilize their fair grounds and their buildings and their properties to do that as well severe county as the county next to us. And I have a small business and I actually go to their craft fares as well and they do that in order to to pay for the rodeos and up keep and bathrooms and and things of those natures because and with anything you know if you're using it it's breaking down so there's always something to be done uhm new codes new standards where you know you're updating plumbing and bathrooms and pipes in and all of that you know for years our bathrooms weren't handicapped and through another organization that uses our facility it's called the southern sportsmen's foundation and they do hits for a disabled people and so they went together with is and we don't charge them rent for so many years and help to find the bathroom facilities so that we're up to date in an and all that so you know we work with other organizations in our communities to secure funding as well but but that's that's what we normally do to to get all of that done but sounds like I love the partnerships I love working together it sounds like you're you guys are doing that but I just want to make sure that the communities know that we can help to yes yes so whatever we can do to help and and those partnerships are great so thank you. Sir the king. You recognize yeah I just want to thank you for your comments I was here few years ago whenever we did have gif and it's much criticism that got we were able to to do a lot of good work and helped that unfortunately we had some legislators do some things that they should not and given it's one of those classic examples of that so there needs to be some better ways to streamline finding in there's ways to do that you know we might even look at even appropriation bills go the northwest economic develop in development districts that are way they're more closer to you you can work with the county judges you don't have to work with your crashing and little rock you know have that you work with your elected officials back only certain areas so there's a lot of ways that I think the legislatively can get back to helping you more directly and hopefully get back closer to the world we used to have back there when we could really do some really good and fundamentally so thank you for your comment representative hawked you have question. Thank you chairman you're tom up fundraising and haven't really worked to get that. How much and i'm new to this i'm involved in selling county but how much or is there a matching money from the county corn courts and things like that for these construction funds like i'm just trying to get a better understanding of how much responsibilities on the on the county themselves to to get some construction funds very few counties met anything in the state of arkansas today very few in fact there's known that I know this matching anything in the payment. You know lane cannot be good when the talk about. Telen county has got one of the better payers going in the state of arkansas any but. And you had a carnival that come in over this past year they did excel. Because your people was there in the big reason the idea that is because of some little rock went down that way. They felt that they were more sight there. I was there in our talk to a minute talked to them. To the your colonial people. Have been going to selling county for years much children one of them lay up there for years. But does selencary putting thing in that buyer. I don't think the answer is no that's why my son question in you're talking about working with canny judges that's almost a thing of the past when he comes today onto the payers we've got one county in the state of arkansas is trying to take over the paragraph. And I don't know what they're going to do with it but i've gotten several calls or what they that's fine that we're asking you people today to consider putting something in permanent that these fairs across a state of arkansas won't have to worry with we've got to do something if we're going to keep them going. And i've been doing this for a long term. And if we don't then this is going to go but the waste ad you know senator call will wall ago was talking about education this is what this is all about in nineteen hundred and ninety three they invited me to the university of arkansas speak to the. To a group up there on how much money. That the county payers broke brought back in to the communities. The. And that was a big deal that was a big deal we research there I come down here to the capital and we got all kinds of information and we went and we reserve that across the state. And this couldn't nearly thirty years ago. Which you couldn't believe then how much that put back in the state of arkansas a lot of folks say these carnivals take all your money out of the county that's not true that's not true when you get the country folks come into town and you get grandpauls and grandma the mothers and that is coming in every day to watch what their grandchildren is doing and lincoln county that's a prime example. It's on record it's here in the lifetime poultry's got all the step in full know something that they'll pull it up are you over there you can see what candidates are supposed to be doing. We've got thirteen thousand people in the county and three thousand dollars it come in spin of ten three but we still have eight thousand people come through them the gates. So that's what I counted. Or some of these smaller counties. The. But you people or make in the laws for all of us. In there some of us still in this day that like agriculture in what it does for us I am a farm. I'm a business man also. I've been there for a fifty long year that top school proud of it and you can look at my grey hair and know i've been here long term. But the point i'm trying to make to you. And we run this through several of your counties. When you see the per base student. Our four each student in a cattle born. You don't see him in the jail house or brown in in there some of the points that were still drawn to me. Thank you senator. Representative richmond to recognize. Thank you missed chairman over here on this side first question I have is for stay colders on this do you know what been talking about the coordination and trying to get the funding correct department ag cultures do you feel confident that you've been involved in enough meetings you've had an opportunity to express your concerns during this distance phase of trying to address this finding issue with the department of agriculture and in get your input into it. Well I heard about the stake holders. But as a better I haven't had an invitation to be at that I don't know who's all net committee do you. Lesser. So that the tells me something but we would love to be embarrassed that stake holders committee. But to answer your questions notion I don't. I haven't been in bobby and in follow up mischief yes sector reward this is a question for you and i'll let you guys. Kind of figure it out as far as he gets embarrassing who doesn't am not going to wade into that because I don't want to be here the rest of day but the the funding level of what you're working on right now trying to address this issue for county fairs. Are you are you at least going to be close to what the level of funding used to be for construction and for the general revenue do you think that what you're going to present to the budget committees have gone to be pretty close for each county so they can look at that and go okay we're close enough that we're going to be able to continue to do the work and count on what we've had in the past. Yes sir that that is the intent to present to basically be very close to what they received this past year and try to make that and just think more permanent funding solution where that's what I thank you sir and and the just one car manner for me on this and it's concerning legislation addressing this there's not one thing that you've said sir that I disagree with as far as county fares and how important they are and everything on this deal but I will say that that you people. Need to get with us. And I hope us address legislation that is going to tackle each one of these issues so that we're not only addressing what's happened in the past but have some four side so whatever we come up with will address potential problems in the future we need that help from you guys as well thank you thank you mister center king. Real quick so. Back to gift now we did money was easier again that we could do that something second directly get it to you without having to worry about little rock but the other thing is do you think people's tax dollars should go to premium on private fairs or should they stay with county figures with the taxpayers and the regular. Yeah. Yes sir I think it all stay with the canny buyers the district players I know that we've got a couple of private bears going on in the state and we've got a lot of problems with it but I will also say this for that concerned. That is one of the best buyers that we've ever been to is that one of those private bears they have they are they have got children coming from all over the state of arkansas. So to answer your question from mast and point of view I think we ought to put additional moneys into that category that our secretary is talking about to cover that particular payer. But we don't need to cut our county players nor or district fairs in order to do that. But I hope i've answered you question I do think that that is really. A hot spot and it is doing wonderful state of arkansas. Thank you members do you have any other question representative hot amounts share followed to what I was just saying a minute ago it's more of a statement than i've got a question on how what center king was saying II believe that we should have more emphasis on our locals the county committee the county corn courts need to be more involved in it and whether it's done in the fiscal or whether it's done in the twenty twenty five session I think we need to look at legislation to maybe. Really get them more about an make them match some state funding because I don't think that really at the end of the day the state is the sole responsibility for for a lover fair affairs don't give me wrong but I don't think it needs to be the soul funding source for district and county fair assurance I think that our county corn courts need to have a hand in this to to come up some some cash as well and so I think when you look at that now we need to look at that with the secretary with legislators on on how we go about doing that so that's my statement and my question once again off of senator king are you are you saying that the state is funding private fairs in the state of arkansas right now or or is that is that what I got out of what you just said was that we're funding private fares not sure he has a question about private things but I mean are we the way that it was directed sounded to me like we so their state money that is going to private fair I think that you need to probably ask the secretary that there was money last year that went to a fire that's a open you won't take that before I answer it out i'd appreciate your eagerness but all recognized people if you don't mind sir as that I appreciate your ageness but I will recognize people if you don't okay i'm sorry about that and I do know about a new procedure so I apologize secretary ward you would probably be up for internet just I resure so what one of their is is that argues are you which is which would be separate from a county or district fair that did receive funding this past year i'll also add that you're there are I don't know if I would say wide discrepancies withdraw discrepancies and how some of the affairs or organized so that that is probably also an additional piece that needs to be added for a fair funding they're organized as a fable one c three or whatever that may need. About one one hundred percent agree what whatever that funding that is that's a piece it needs to be addressed as well thank you sir members do you have any more questions. Representative you recognize that banking mission chair I you know since i've been here and and being a a number sky and a money got from a banking background. It it never ceases to amaze me sometimes we get carter we have large appropriations or large expenditures the amount of discussion and and time we spend on those those large numbers and then we get into something right here that we're looking at the collectively the money that goes to fires probably less than a million and a half dollars right on seven thousand construction in the end with the premium funds that are that were there maybe another six hundred and fifty thousand dollars so collectively members of this committee we're talking about a million and a half dollars. And that money is spent in all of our local communities where we live with our residents span on educating our children and and and some of the folks that even live in rural arkansas they don't understand the agricultural industry and what that impact means to this state so the place they get there to the county and they see things are exposed to things that sometimes are protected from so I think everyone in this room would agree that the investment this small amount of money back into those communities does it require a big feasibility study or return on investment I think we can all look at their and see it every day when we are in our communities that this money goes. As an investment and it can be an economic development investment back in your communities so I want to tell you I think the folks in this room are in supporter of a finding some permanent funding to take care of a me and and a half dollars again i'm on hit that number of million and a half dollars and we've all said in discussions where it's been exponentially larger amounts of money or there's been far less discussion on that dollar a mail so I give you my word and I and I hope I speak for most folks in this committee it will find that mean in a hair and I think we're going to we're going to deal with that effectively but again it's investment in our communities a and II appreciate you give me some latter to mister chairman thank you representative baitis senator stone you recognize thank you michere sector war just for clarifications and make sure I understand were there county fairs that had their bines could do provide money for private bears. So all the way the end of the day when when the additional restrict to reserve funding was added county fares received the same amount that they received and twenty twenty three as they received in twenty twenty two help how bad number got skewed a little bit that arkansas expert was added and sale when they were originally added that reduced the fundamental county counting fares where to receive so there's a yes it is a yes yes I would also add to you counted to that same point there were a couple district bears that were that were previously removed from funding so those were added back in as well so when you added those baking and it reduced what county fares are received but yes yes if the answer thank you miss representative row you're recognized thank you and agree with with your say in how important that he is locally the county fairs and stuff like that but into much worse I would do and be glad to introduce a bill that would cover annually and now it just like just like. Bill of red here was saying it makes a lot of different local people and as support our students in the hands on learning a look and i'm all for doing in that I know you can help us with thank. Thank you center dual more. The. Thank you as share but i'm gonna echo what my colleague ribs and the baby said and mister wynn thank you for being here and as my constituent we visited quite a few times about this and and in some of those discussions because I think it's important to porn out and for you in the folks in the audience to hear I think it's important that the fairs that are functioning in these small communities like a lot of the area I represent also understand the important role that they have as we work to get permanent funding which sounds like we're going to do and we should do I think it's important though that these fairs also understand the role that they have we got fairs that operate very well and we've got fairs that are doing the absolute least possible they're not they're not open to including more people who were more active and want to be more active they're doing the least possible that they can and I find that frustrating not criticizing our fairs but I find it frustrating because what it does is the ones that are doing it right it hurts them right and so out I would encourage you guys as representing that community in the fares of in highlighting the importance of the work they do and the emphasis that it's going to get from this this body as we work on legislation and so II appreciate wes realizing that in the administration realizing the importance of that and working on that being proactive in addressing that looking forward to to see that that proposal because I think we need to address it we want to address it but again there's some owners to the fires i've got some counties that frankly you go to the fair and i'm like why my even here because there's nothing going on do not go to some counties like lincoln county has a great fair and they're very active in their very involved in I enjoy going to that so I think we need to look at that and I think we need to see who's doing what and why they're doing it and how they're doing it right and focused that and try to replicate that. So that would be my admirishment to the fares as well thank you send your life you recognize they give his chair so I came in later was over it added so let me try to catch up with something worth now because we were we're talking about permanent money in sustaining the fairs but do we know we find the county fears every year. But when the hundred before yes circuit you tell your mac off cause i'm getting a feet and give i'm here feedback okay yes sir that that's correct to it but there are multiple parts of money so there's there's general revenue that's in the department's preparation further separate construction find which come would come from renewal for a restricted reserve and then state fair receives funding out of a different part of money so there there's been multiple is multiple parts of money by but i'm i'm saying. Each in every year we do find that correct okay so so will we were we're talking about now is is additional is additional funding that permanent funding cause we've always funded the county fears that no correct. I'm i'm just eliminate help me get him understanding there I would how I would summarize it sir was that it would be trying to get all about in one the funding to come from what part of money that stabilized from your year construction funds has historically been every other year so we accounting a district would receive a certain some of money one year of the next year it would be more or less an extra so it's always up and down to trying to get a flat permanent long term social were fares have certainly the state has certainly on how much money is going and that it's a simplified process okay should love let me make a statement on it what we're trying to do stabilize fair funding where you entire past we have fun to date in years coming up this year that it may not be funded because of the different pots out there and we're travel stabilized in assure the failures that the funding will be there as it was last year in continue to be there is what we're trying to do this is not additional funding as you ask this is to continue our normal fair funding is what we're trying to do. Or with the end i'm going to ask this mischair this is west so what what have you proposed in your budget. Without their probably would come from the chair appear because we're asking them to explain how the money is cannot get moved round but during uh reorganization of state government a fair funding can I feel through the crash and we had to struggle last year we had run available last year to guarantee payment to the fairs head we not pay a ship bill fires when i've been funded last year and we're trying to stabilise it funding in and that's what he is presented is it basically this bunny is kind of moved around and it is not being committed to the fires it can be committed to the fairs but it's it's not guaranteed it's not committed to go there and in basically what we're going to have to do is work through budget hearings and get this money allocated to the right accounts for fair funding this year in the end in twenty twenty five we probably will have to run a bill to a permanently gear and take fair funding. Okay and so this is not a you ask about additional phone and this is not additional funding this is just to try to stable eyes of funding stream that we've had in town to pay us in to see that fairs get fund okay well mr chair aren't so I now have a conversation to cheer where someone so they are missing share this this is what i'm because this is what I am here in may i've been here for a little while and we've always had kind of questions and in regards to fund in the county fears and how much. While we are trying to stabilize the funding. I guess are we going to be working on the issue of trying to get additional funding so they're everything will be there that can be in the conversation that there could be in the future that could be in the conversation about okay and in the second thing was you mentioned private fares so how many other how many private fears that we have and then how many were added to. Because you missed in the youth expel. And so what was the criteria and add those fears I mean like how how does it come. Yes sir yeah so the arkansas per away what it would have been the larger one for sure and several that it was added by request for consideration by the legislative ultimately approved your ideally looking forward how we would like to see it as part of the the longterm solution what we were to propose is that as part of the department's appropriation bill as I kind of mentioned a single job and I get the appropriation bill would have long automated county fair district fair state figure so the legislature of the public everybody knows exactly. Who is getting fun okay so there's no confusion there's no sort of all of it one place and it's detailed mama is that the only private fear that she find it II believe that it is I know different fairs or organized and different ways but predominantly that would be the large and when you serve okay all right and miss a sherkey recognized I would like to move on what you're asking is going to be settled in a budget hearings and incession in and we we've drilled on this long time I know you came in late but we're playing on the same grandfather's i'd like to move on we've got this and i'm not for sure no not have to take it I don't take it as a scolding i've got to be i've got eleven o'clock media need to go to and i've got one item on here that's got to be present before I leave you but for everything here the everyone's in agreement that we need to uh find a permanent solution to fair funding and that will be discussed and settled in in budget here this year and then in legislative session next year alright thank you thank you appreciate you coming appreciate your input. Yeah. Thank you we need to move on we we've dwelled on it most are by enroomed in agreement what we're going to we will need to have these conversations in the future again but it will be in in budget hearings and will be in legislative session point twenty five sector will you your own brassed on a bring shop day I will should weight on there I need to move to item g have got a i've got an important meeting i've got to go to at eleven o'clock and so if you would step away from the table well lacy pre shr can appreciate your input thank you. Mr baker roder baker you here would. Committee less move to item g you've got an exhibit g it's a resolution is going to be presented basically what the resolution says i'll let mr baker test find this moment but we we have quite a bit of agriculturally in being converted to solar panel projects solar panel forms in all these resolution does is ask the federal government too if this land is ever taken out the solar panel project to go back to agriculture and not go back to wed lane is what his terms of wishbiker both go to attorney michael and introduce yourself for the record and then i'll let you present your resolution thank miss chairman i'm robbing baker around here today representing hold and connor the major land owner in north east arkansas or your microphone closer thank you and I have with me mister herald fitz who is the senior manager for holding connor and we will try to be brief and mike ourselves available for questions but in summary we're here data to ask for your help you can relax for not asking for money but we do need help you're all aware that nationally there is a push on to move to more alternative sources of energy away from higher carbons and and that is a big business our country you're also aware you drive around so panels are popping up in a lot of different places there are literally thousands of bikers of land and most of that farmland that had been put in to the solar pales these are typically nine on a thirty year lease give or take a little bit and at that time it comes out what we discover it is there there are a lot of work done on those places to be sure that that land is put back in agricultural condition why it was before the least in and remember that these panels are not like a major shopping center with infrastructure. Which you basically put in published in the ground you're hanging panels so in that sense there are a lot more temporary so with those are going on around the state of what we have discovered. Is well most of these arkansas is what we call prior convert witness that is a well that was farm to prior to nineteen ninety five actually december twenty third nineteen ninety four and. It is exact from plain water determination a regulation because it of that claws interviews prior convert is long as it stays in agg production. If it goes commercial then a epi who is charge of clean water holes of that will become will come and move under their jurish which they could prevent future activities such as keeping that land level that there's enrosion problem or clearing land you know any number of thousand mister fitz can explain it better I can. We also see a situation i've got to hand out if if you would like it but this article came out in january this was a new project vermont and they're not doing panels the way we don't they're doing vertical pounds in farming between those pants that's a technology borrowed I believe from europe don't know if it's called work well here but it also raises again the question regulation is that a farmland or commercial or are we going to have strips above down to your which is not practical thank you. So also we're going to hand out a background sheet on this what we're here today to get to the point we need something that shows the will of congress that this land be able to be brought back in a production when that time is over and the leases are over in the same status it was when it was least and I mentioned this problem I didn't finish that comment you know going worth the panels these leases may not last thirty years technology is changing rapidly we're looking now farming between panels were looking at thirty panels over what aways there is new new materials being developed that my change where we can use that to all that technologies coming right now. If this plan comes back in it no longer has that protection of that exemption then in you cannot maintain it to wait and a lot of this has been precision level for example if you cannot maintain that the that way in its allowed to deteriorate because of whitland regulation by the eight four then that value the land is going to suff in it could suffer dramatically and wipe out a lot of games that came from the real and also keeps that land from being as productive as it is now I request in the resolution is that this committee urge our members are congressional delegation to investigate this issue and to dot appropriate language to be included in far bill without some indication of congress thirty earth now twenty eight for now this land comes out of the other agencies outside of eggs so okay we're going to control we're going to just want to know that what the intention of the administration anyone else backed then but it's not in law there's nowhere to dressed so at that point in time you know is your collect the end up court letter without any proof of anything so in essence we're asking you to ask our congressional delegation type look helps resolve this at the national level. We're available for questions mister fitz is much more eligible on this than than I am she having specific questions we'll try to inte. Members does anybody have any questions for the present. Say none thank you thank you. Right we'll move on to. E secretary warden you'll come back. This is about the promotion boards we're going to get update. Yes or west war from the department. So just just a touch based on amended that a gender research and promotion board update so as you're all aware of the six research and promotion boards but then the state of arguments all transferred to the department's administration this year so that took effect on august first of twenty twenty three so they've essentially been we've been working with him to administer those boards for since their day it approximately six months or so now overall everything I would say that things have been have been going have been going well it's been a short period period of time as it currently exists but you are our largest goal with those research and promotion boards are is to be as open and transparent you're having make making sure that there's any time that the board may say we have virtual options where the larger community producers can can watch those to make sure that those are available we've been working closely with with farm bureau who previously administered those boards we we have had one small hiccup with the sort of promotion board on it on a contract issue and just and that's less on on a dispute but more on just the procurement process is required to get that contract in place and we're actively working through that and we'll actually have an adam for for your review next week as part of review subcommittee of alc next week to approve a special procurement request but overall just in summary II do think there's six research and promotion I think things are going well you opto remember of of those boards there they they've got my cell phone that there's ever an issue to to give me a call if there's ever and an issue we were making sure that there are minister by senior level leadership within the department to make sure that nothing gets dropped so we're we're spending a great great amount time to make sure that things continue as they need to and that the boards continue to maintain and use their authority that there are the already has not changed their steel the ones who were or responsible for for the for the decisions of the board we not changed the other. Department just helping to administer the administrative role of of those boards but that's just that's a quick summary but happy to answer any questions of the. Members do you have any questions for secretary wards. Senator johnson your record. So now that the apartment of ang is doing that administrative role. You're all it this will be a party your audit in the the financial new sharing. Will be more transparent than it has been. In the past is is that correct so it is subject to state audit there would be an audit report and find exact better accomplished through that they will be part of the they will have a separate appropriation billions as they have typically had but it will be the department as you mention our staff that will be administering mats we've got our or cheap council or cfo better better involved in every single meeting to make sure that we're following state law to make sure that there their books are accurate that make sure we're answering questions that any board member has been but but you're actually right we we do we do have them as a responsibility of the department to administer where to do an ad and and is open and transparent and publicly accessible way as possible and follow it yes go so previously I mean you the board directs where they want to use the phones for a promotion and. And the department has has checked book to write where where the board wants to do it at where where is that previously held out. So they also boards were previously mentioned by farm bear and so you're right so once they had changed once we started minishing those boards on august first so now the board makes the decision and and were an implementing an administration those sessions at that the board makes we're not making the decisions we're just implementing so if they choose to find a certain research project we're making sure that the financial obligations the contracts all of that are in place as they should be too you get procurement with a state laws that's right oversight also absolutely yes her so working very closely with after the state procurement on any contractual issues making from a legal standpoint a contracting a fiscal standpoint that we're following state laws to make sure that they're in compliance with everything that that they're sports to you from an arkansas perspective. Thank you. Any other questions members. Thank you secretary I was so inr by mister baker's presentation that I forgot to ask for a motion for his resolution second all in favor in your opposed. Thank you resolution pass we're going to move on now to our next item this will be item if it's an update on bird disposal. That the chickens. Recognize yourself for the record please. Yes sir thank you patrick first uhm department agriculture director last time. Yes sir so just him can give an update on on that and as as a list were disposable to conventure of course you know there there is a town line associated with that at you II do feel like we've had multiple conversations with several several legislators on this topic and and the public on on what's been going on there so I hate to hate to rehash things that have already been covered but uh an unfortunate situation where it were a company decided to go out of business and left several growers without with counter without the resources finish out their growing of a burst that they were under contract to grow so we we became involved from a state perspective from both an animal welfare and animal disease perspective we've got our last suggested poetry director patrick fiscal oversaw our involvement there we first got the call about out the day before thanksgiving I will add to you that it's a to incredibly unfortunate situation with when the company you had the financial distress that they had and went out of business but out I will say from our especially patrick fiscal talk about anyone set next to me spent all of probably all of thanksgiving day that thanks even weekend has worked not weekends holidays trying to help in this situation as as best as we could I feel like we have we have been over back worse than answer questions from from legislators from the public and trying to help the situation as best as we can unfortunately with animal welfare and and what disease situation involved you we did have a role that we played and try to be as helpful as we care but i'm happy to deferred to any comments from from our last time voucher director patrick fisk if you would like to make any but also happen answering questions mr first you're recognized to serve you just to come to set the stage and where we are on october thirtieth arkansas and it announce its first case of happier even if the winter which. Lisa huge detriment to our state it's a huge risk it's one of the things that we fear the most in that are case what happens is we we go a little bit step further when we have the risk of AR is we implement a law that restricts further movement within twenty five miles of the area that's been contracted with the disease. And in those movements there's a lot of testing requirements are in reason we know there's birds while bird activity all these fox there that are confirmed for a or coming from these wild words that are care of the case so we knew there was activity in that area we also know later on on november seventh of seventeenth and that there was a letter distributed to growers for the grow for cooks venture this is a free range operation the letter advised growers that they were in financial distress and the the operation was under uh it last meet to be sold I and also the letter went on to say that those producers if it was to fay off the deal went through they would be compensated for services rendered as sector ward had stated we did get a call the that before thanksgiving and were notified that this forum had this company had folded and that they did not have any resources I immediately called once I found out I called the owner of the operation. Because of some cancellars I had with the event for winter in their area about seem of the state laws or movement requirements testing requirements and if there was any if applicable are burial disposal uh requirements as well there was nothing decided at that point they had already made arrangements to process some of those birds and they were going to under the decision to try to find funding for feeding feeding those parts so thanks given day I got another call in the again have exhausted the resources that couldn't find any money so I assisted he tried to try to feel in that gap to see if we could find someone that will be doing a feed or donate money for feed and never that happened the one was willing to participate in that a few days later I got another car from the company and saying that they needed some help they need assistant to the populate their birds they are the owners of those birds so when the uh they asked for my help again they had already set up a scheduling for barge rendered or birds being processed but they did have around five hundred thousand they were under three weeks of age you can't process those birds in the one will take those birds so they ask this to come in and assist with the population of those parts and we've done that without going into a huge great detail we are now all those birds complex have been depopulated or sold and from what I understand those producers have been compensated to some level as far as the rendered services so that's of taking our questions thank you sir. Members do you have any questions. Senator king I am going to recognize you but keep in mind that the as a non member of this committee please restrict to just questio. Let me say mister chairman of a multi generational farmer here in arkansas I have been in the poetry business for almost thirty five years me and my brother so as far as agriculture had cultures and number one economy in my district to and it's very impactful what has happened in my district so that's why i'm here so mister ward you said you've been over backwards to communicate with legislators like myself. To communicate with us yes or when when we have been in discussion with legislature we've been very open about our are involved and when you ask questions we've tried to answer every question that you have had as well so once this happened I had heard get a call from a grower that was this was going on I did not know about it until so now I was not notified of this major thing in my district so for a long time the grower let me ask you this about the been over backwards part I emailed you both of you about in texted you about the law that gave you the ability which I don't think you have been in this business a while that gave you the ability to go out there and kill these chickens and I have not received any communication that's been at least weeks months about that so i've not received any communication from you at all they know best repeatedly where did you have the law you never email it to me. And the arguments all co two thirty three one oh seven and again I would say that we've been over bankruptc's answer every question that you have out and I apologize that your constituents did not let you know about an issue they were having no the department did not let me know about the issue the constituents deared but I would have liked the email the law that allowed you to do that but i've repeatedly asked you for that and you never even only too. The arkansas code two thirty three one oh seven okay but the the secretary in the point is that representative baby you're recognized. Again the agenda item basically said an update on bird disposal related to the cook venture that uhm. Secretary war has provided to us again i'll echo what the secretary say and i'm sorry you're constituents didn't communicate to you that the problems they were having and i've heard the secretary site the law for you and I would suggest maybe you should read that law and see exactly what the secretary's reference but we didn't come here today to hear an area in agreements from senator keen to the department of agriculture so I wouldn't I would ask that the chair to keep the senator owned task of what's on her agenda thank you representative baby I believe we've got a three growers signed up to speak and I think this might be a good time to do that we'll if you'll come up in a reduced yourselves we will call secretary ward back to the table at a later mo. If you'll introduce yourselves for the record please. My name is leslie heart lance logan. My name is dust and maybe a former road for cooked venture. Thank you for coming would you individually make a statement. I just wanted to come in a day and let the state know that I think we had options for instead of depopulating my chickens my birds were only thirteen days old I was not aware that the state was coming and told twelve hours before they got there to depipolate my chickens and I had a hundred and forty four thousand pounds for the feed setting on my farm the day the state came out to date depopulate them. I asked if I could keep the birds until they were old enough to be able to be processed to where we had options maybe test those birds to make sure they weren't in ai. And for the record I was not in an ais zone I was in madison county and I was present in carol county at that time not madison counting on thirty five miles away from. That carol county line and I asked if we could keep the chicken so we could have those process to be able to feed home with families and into food banks anything to help out with the people in arkansas who were starving and I was told now I felt like the state had an obligation to. Go down different avenues before they just come and and start a depopulating all the birds I had seventy two thousand birds on my farm the date they came in and depopulate those. Thank you. Hi want to come down here in state my side of the story because river things put in the newspapers and things said it's not true identify yourself for the record lion slogan was a previous cooks grow I just want to come down and state my side there's been some things said it happened on month property that was not true have like said we get notified that they're gonna come and kill the chickens. The communication was very. It was very poor you may not hear nothing and then you get phone call hey there were at a state we're coming to kill your chickens I still had feed I had a hundred and two thousand market age chickens and five houses that was my second floor I had my very first flock in a brand new house I just updated when extent in my letter had signed a three year contract and i'm told they're going to kill on my chickens and leave him on my place in the houses to wrote or I can bear I have no way of bearing a hundred and two thousand chickens and my chickens weighed probably close to five pounds so I walked a gates and I wouldn't let him format chickens until they told me a way to hall the chickens off. And that's why it got in the newspapers that I was being very confrontational and would let him on a place. And patrick fists called me and said this is on me. This is on me that my chickens are dying because I want that i'm killing. It is does not on me I would let him form their chickens as long as they had trucks to holy moth that's all I was stating for two and a half weeks and they finally got a company to holland off even up to the day I talked to lawrence and he said that we're here to kill your chickens leaders in I said do you have trucks to hollow moth he said yes we do we get trucks. And I said trucks to hold them off no they're coming in four or five hours. And I didn't believe anybody at this time I didn't leave the state I didn't believe cooks I didn't believe cooked representative at all because I just signed it through your contract. So trucks didn't show up there was no lorestatrucks seven of them with trailers I wouldn't let him on my property until they had dump trucks or some type of trailers to call him off because i'd talk to other growers and they still had all these chickens riding in their houses some of them still have eminent houses and these growers don't have way to get rid of them another lady in our town her husband died the next day elderly lady she still has chickens in her house but it's up to us to get rid of when they're not **** their cooks product they're there's. We supply the houses we supply the labor we pay the utilities they own the chickens and they own the feed so that's why we couldn't sell em or decide to just turn him out because we was in AAA zone I was in a but there's been things said about me and my family that have not true it did not happen that way it's on video that didn't happen that way and I did let him form the first house when they got it on the truck showed up in a let him come on my place and they started form in the first house and as far as the bow security patrick fist came to my forum he wasn't suited at i've got pictures of it his guys were but because I told him they're not coming on a place unless they suit it up. I didn't want a there because then I thought could should say now you got a I can do that so that's my side they did form them and they hold a mall off and I did get a partial payment from the owner and he said you won't be getting no more and that's all I got in may not assign to through your contract borrowed money to grow on and are saying sorry and for the record this is the gas third time to do this to people. And it says they have no money but thanks for your time. Dustin maybe former growth for cooked venture. I came down here today to tell my side of the story as well because there was accusations made against me on my form from the state patrick first. And just to give a little background to mass story as II just signed a three year contract and bought it because of the contract was cooked venture but a form. And that I this was my second flock I heard market white birds. I had a marison for mortality at the time that this took place I had around seventy thousand six pound birds. And are. This. To go to just kind of go over kind of they these two plan people with me here they they kind of explain most of the the jest of what it all happened to begin with. Whenever the state come to my form. The state has a statement from the state when they come to my form I had been holding them up on the road I did not they I had the gate open forum they come right up to my form there was plenty of parking. They said that I was creating unsafe conditions and dangerous conditions. Because I had a reporter there which he was not on my property but he was my guest the foreman of the state convoy told me that I did not have a I did not have a right to have that reporter there on my form or anybody else. Without his permission on my property. So I put a go pro on because as we all know that my word against their his word against mine so I went and put a gopro one so to protect myself from anything else that was said to me. I went to rolling up the equipment a standard practices you wait to roll the water lines up until the catch crew gets obviously this was a different situation so I went to roll up equipment and as I was halfway rolling up equipment and a first house I got a call by the form and warranty that. They was leaving to call patrick fisk so. I called and I didn't get an answer so I called a cooked representative and asked what was going on I did not hear any. Any word back from anybody until blake evans which is down or of the cooks venture and temp single ten was which is the co I do believe at the time and said that patrick fisk had told had gotten touch with them and told them that I was creating unsafe conditions and being uncooperative shortly after they the state crew showed back up unannounced and I welcome them because of the situation. I understand the situation that the state was put in or the state was involved in and chose to be in as far as the disposal of the birds are removal of the birds. And I obviously didn't agree with it but my main concern was not having four hundred and twenty thousand pounds of rotting bird and my houses that legally I had no right to to begin with because they are the company's birds. Yeah. Whenever I come back out because of the previous conversation I had the camera back on it was just me at my form at this point there is no one else on my form a foreman packed laurente told me to take the camera off and not and not that I was he was told that I was going to cooperate I said I am cooperating I will go roll the equipment up and he said okay then your and you're going to take that camera off. I don't know I don't understand why the camera was such an issue but I went to roll up the equipment I already have one house ready they they sit in the driveway for about thirty minutes to an hour and then called me and told me that they took one talk to them I talked to him they tried to get me a sign of paper. San that the form was under warranty for my understanding but our refuse to sign it because I was unsure of the situation where I was trying to be are being placed in. They left and. I still had the birds the birds ran out of feed that day. I contacted the cook several times a week a week. Without feed. As any bank and imagine the mess that that created in the houses in the canabalism after that. I called the foreman lauren teag. And patrick first never got a response. After that day a week later I got contacted by cooks. And. Blake events from cook spencer and a they said that they would send a little feed out. So after that week of storation are they sent they started sending feed a small amount. Here in there and. They are. To to not keep raining but they at the end of added at the end of all the company kept sending feed. And they are they come and got the birds. At a hundred and fourteen days old which is twice as mount of time that the birds should have been in the houses. If. If the state jump right in to kill these birds. I was in an a I zone but I was tested for a I several several times I do believe it is about ten or twelve times I was tested my birds never add a guy. Yeah. And they the company come and got him. So all the other farms that got using is. Well they're all those growers are out. The birds were their problem. Why was it such a quick decision for the state to jump in and help a company out. To just leave these growers in the situation that they was been left in and not a little bit more just a little bit more time taken to assess the situation the company is not shut down it is still in operation they are selling eggs they have I do believe a fifteen to twenty houses on their company form paltry houses they have turkeys other still selling eggs they're still hatching. From my understanding so if the company was in that big of. Disparity that they needed the state to step in and say that we're going to use their eyes all of these birds and there's there's no. There's nothing that there growers can do about it. Then watted my birds get removed and they got fed. The. They weren't the process they probably went to dog food cause they was not in good shape after the first bit there. And. Yeah the company still. I know it was mentioned that they shut down they're not shut down they shut down a processing facility. And jay oklahoma and they shut down part of their hatry apparently and decade or arkansas. But they they are still in operation. The. A I have not been paid yet either. For my services I would appreciate if. There's any way that the state the state as they helped out cook spencer. A company that that claim that they was in despair i'm asking the state to maybe consider helping their their growers there part of their agriculture and a northwest arkansas. Thank you sir. Yeah. Thank you all for coming I know this was very difficult for you it's that something you do every day but I appreciate you come in and present in your side of it. I believe we have a couple questions. Central days. Thank you mister chair and for disclosure II work for a poultry company in northwest arkansas for the members just to be aware of an. Thank you for testimony today that's it's really helpful to hear what you're seeing and feeling and. As I work for political company I know i'm i'm thankful for our growers feed in america every day and how hard that is and for you and your family. Just on a regular day basis at I appreciate your test money today to help us understand kind of what you went through and what you saw and in what I took note of was a lot of the communication errors and issues. In I want to make sure I understand correctly on. The contracts been broken with with cooks and and some of the communication issues with cooks could. Mr logan you said something about you weren't believing what they had said in continue to have a mistrust there we we helped me understand a little bit from the cookside to us as as a girl for them. Is it live in tardon is very often my biggest distressed was. The new house. Just signing a contract i'd grew to flocks is my dad's place and he passed so I took over the farm and our group two flox in port and four houses they wanted more scroll footage show put on another house and completely remoral new computer is new electrical new heaters new water lines all that I grew chickens four weeks and I got a termination loader. That's when my distress went out did anybody from cooks make it aware to you that when the trouble started happening did anybody really may give you heads up that trouble could be coming at all no all weekend here in which positive hey we got a new not as a co but we got a new manager enter sometimes at core he's really changing things is looking better and then lastly did anybody from cooks ever mention that any other poultry companies and area we're trying to step in to help process these birds. No we had only got told that they had some potential buyers. Looking at it in the court password save it but they don't know yet it's not looking good thank you mister chair just for the information for the committee I think that's from my biggest frustration lies with this we've got what I would describe as a bad actor in the space and has i've heard this type of testimony from multiple farmers in the area. You know we as a body and us as a state it's it's not our place to step in but it is our place to hold a can will the right folks that that are at fault here and I believe it is with with cooked ventures and in issues we've seen here and if there's anything we can do it may be a good recommendation to take note of this for any future business licenses or any issues there but it's it's not a bell out situation but it's set up some accountability situation my opinion in appreciate the times to talk about that thank you for being here today thank you thank you for your comment yes just to iterate on it that cooks brought me birds the same day they closed their business down so there was never any indication they were going under I unloaded my last house of birds at five thirty on the seventeenth and it's seven thirty there by production manager called me and said you will not be getting more birds we're closing the company down I have six houses so I got my top three houses that thursday friday and I was scheduled to get the bottom three houses that monday in tuesday so we were already in preparation to be getting birds that next that next week and that night that you now and half after they brought me birds they told me they were closing the company down and also go back the state was supposed to come back out and helped me clean up the houses they did departure late those birds at their eleven days and touched before my husband I had to start cleaning it up ourselves because nobody ever showed back up nobody would ever answer our phone call so we went and then started covering those chickens that by ourselves in our chicken houses to just let them decompose in the chicken houses. Thank you. Representative anchor you recognized reps and thank you mister chair and appreciate you guys as testimony appreciate the chairman for the loud to not being on the committee. May I might and I want to talk to first question is I think you said you were outside the a I zone when your chickens are had to be youth and I do you know how many families we could probably fed with all that wasted chicken. I had seventy two thousand version and they were thirteen days old when they did to come the pipeline so they were very big but I was told that I was going to I had since I had enough feet because I had a hundred and forty four thousand pounds beat on my parm and had water I had electric and I had a generator that was running we had propane I had everything that I needed in order to raise those birds so they got four pounds where they could fit a shackle to go to processing and they've been four pounds there is two hundred and sixty eight thousand pounds a meet that they just killed for no reason my birds were not sick I just literally passed the usd a bio security check two days prior to getting those birds so the usda was out there doing all their prior checks and everything that I needed to do and we passed it I had my usda by your security number that i'd passed everything was good to go and I kept them until they like I said twelve hours before they call into the state would come out gotcha thank and but they put took your birds correct and you were in an a I zone even though you tested negative every time correct yes sir that is correct okay but one more ballot mr painer let me put you back in the okay thank you mister representative wing thank you mister chair I guess my first question might be for you do we have anyone from cook's venture here today. I don't believe we do is there anyone for cook's venture in the audience. Representative peers not okay. The. They are still in business. But yet you were told they were closing down. Two hours after you'd received that that's correct but there's but yet they're still in business and so. I guess my maybe you guys can't answer this but you're the only people there with the microphone right now by my concern is so they weren't they are in business or they're not if they're still in business what is happening to that revenue to take care of the debts that they o. And I can't answer that question I just know that there are still they are still raising their police they have a petty group line of birds brother birds free range birds that they are still hatching on a daily day basis and putting on those company farms and their hands are still laying eggs and they're shipping those eggs out to california and selling those there. Representative wing we're going to have the secretary ward come back and that may be a question for him okay that sounds good thank you mister chair. Rep sort of painter can you be qu. Okay. Any other questions from members. The. Representative. Having heard your testimony i'm sympathetic to the issue that you face marked my questioning as have have you sought legal council and and cause it sounds like you probably have a calls of action back against cooks. And just see me I would breach a contract other issues than things along those lines. Yes we do have legal counter and then i'll have some followed questions for secretary ward when he comes back to braces at the table. Members if there's no other questions thank you for coming senator king has s permission to go to the table and speak going to grad at this time and he has passed out some literature for you I hope you had a chance to look at it since. Thank you mister chairman thank you members committee this information on passed out this is a series of newspaper articles that would cover this whole process so we've had a lot of statements given down here today that were different statements and this will show if you read this what are has transpired because what's happened some of the reasons that we're given I was like I said I was called by grower and notified about this like I said i've spent thirty four years in this business in the contract growing so I do know a few things worked in a lot of fast it's worked in plants. Worked around the different parts of the country and in agculture equipment in buildings different things so I do have some experience in this mean my brother now or like I said contract growers for several years. So when I got contacted by lance that originally cooks was going to leave all these dead chickens out there on these people's forms and that's when I became involved and I said no if the state is going to take responsibility to kill them they should they should take responsibility in not leave I mean how much you like eighty thousand did chickens left on your place okay when this happened this happened much like it should have been handled like a clean up situation much like the mayfour old spiel that happened up there you have a hand out on the stump don't fire that many view that have already been here voted to give twenty million dollars to claim was stopped on far when you're talking millions of chickens out there you're talking about environmental hazard so this should have been a clean up situation this was not their fault okay anymore than the may flower people that had the old spiel it was their fall okay except the difference is from this department of bag culture standpoint. They would have left the wall there and it would have been your responsibility to clean that up okay that's just wrong okay so whenever we're contract growers in mr des works for another company in a different capacity in a not the law production side you get the chickens you provide the fee and everything so that was going on when cooks went insolvent in was not paying their bills to feed the chickens that created a problem what should have happened. He is the state should it came in and took the situation just like to stop dump fire just like the old spiel took over this situation they couldn't pay their bills. Okay it'd be the same thing is relying on somebody there got drunk didn't have any money rain in the ditch and all certain you turn around given the keys the card say hey drive will work things out well you don't do that. We don't do that to her citizens in allow this to happen okay we have situations after to do that so basically when I started involved I contacted the sector of that coach when I first heard about it in just trying to find out it was going on as for the state law to be able to state to be able to do that they never provided me with that okay and so i'm not sure they have the state law to do that in situation we do have a it is a very serious thing but in this business thirty five years we have eight houses for we're on different forms sometimes we have disease situations we have to soot up differently take showers you know change close sometimes between houses when we have situations like that a is very serious in one situation when I my brother now were out of chickens we had this meeting up here we're around a bunch of growers my brother not personally laid out two weeks longer just to make sure that we didn't have you know a get contracted have that situation happened so we took money of our own personal pocket because I had to meet with these people to try and figure this out so basically what you will see mr fierce in videos up there in newspaper accounts he continues to say I need to act on this piece the company I first think that's wrong that he works for the taxpayers which includes the farmers in this okay that's the first person he doesn't work for the companies he's repeatedly said that on record is saying that he did say at the meeting up there that he didn't have a state laws such as said to do it now they're saying they have a state law in this because of animal welfare. When you have chickens out there just like miss harp said it two weeks old with a hundred and forty thousand pounds feed that's a adequate enough to last two weeks at least in a perfect you know situations you had other bigger chickens that were starving to death. No feed so he had forms that were used and maybe twenty and ordinary situation using twenty five thirty five you know maybe twenty thousand pounds a few today versus three thousand pounds fee today so in our business and what you would do is you would take your if you're doing that the older situation chickens you would take your them bars. Okay the other one's had feed enough to last you wouldn't let them one start if you were liable duction manager for similar tosses or something and handled this situation you would have a job that afternoon and when that situation I try to contact them and try to help them and get through this situation once that did it shut down like I said I don't know everything about everything but I have spent over three decades in this business and understand it was trying to help the situation so the next thing when the sovereign animal offer you don't kill chickens that are two weeks of hood that could have lived for two weeks adequately in led other star so the animal welfare thing was not we talk about avenue influence at what you look at this picture right here here's mr first we have a avenue influence in a hot zone understand a hotso bob my radius our personal form was in the fob already. They didn't kill our chickens. There's there's a lot of chickens in turkey's in that five miles once I didn't kill them okay mr maybe they let his go for several weeks out there starving in they said it was because he was video on we're in this country can we not video what the government is tuned on your property. This saying you know they said that it we one of the people was currently going with this lance's brother logan eric land in atlanta curious all the time where a second member state no one was beliedering in this thing as they alleged that we have found. They talk about a test they have been for you in abroad this they have not turned over the artist that underwork where they've been tested. Those records should have been turned over in the four year request didn't happen. One thing about mister fisch is if your goal we call it pepita will you look like you're in a hasmat soon when we go in a situation's hot zone and your traveling in amongst that sir you're not dressed like this trust me. I've been in those dc's situations in other states or something to go on forms in the the methods you have to do they've in russia if you have to deliver feed and some of those situations like that they're at their stop in the fee truck in their washington I mean it it they make the fee truck driver soon you don't dress like this and travel in a hot zone with amongst forms looking like this. If you concerned about an influence. So there are several things in this name that that quite frankly had been told down here that are not correct about what i'm like I said we have newspaper articles that you can look at mister fisch will be in here saying out any active on behalf of the company that be like saying in the may for our spill I need act on behalf exon. What should have happened in this and his clean up situation it would have many better in a difficult situation for everything and it was a situation in some places not all like they were saying. What should have been state should it took over the situation like you've done before the state is done before they should have haul these chickens off you probably couldn't use them for food that probably would have been realistic it had used the inspectors you'd have a bridge fresh and but they should have temporary workers done something in they could use hold on for dolphin the taxpayers the public the environment would have been much better handled behind a limit like that situation but when you have people down here misrepresenting these people so when I ask for the governor in the department back culture that's supposed to be looking out after our farmers I understand where the art coach is largest economy and of that the poetry industries the largest economy in that. When I asked for emergency decoration they said it was a bailout you know who is really the taxpayers bailed out cooks venture the failed company does link that's the real bail out people in this for the governor in the sector back to say what they did about requesting it just for the clean up situation was a slap in a face. What they are saying is they want there to pay their taxes to phone their salary. In then they're going to take and protect the company and poor stead chickens there are thousands of dead chickens mister fisk and mister wards said well we're going to force cooks to do the clean up that didn't happen who in any realistic situation is going to depend on some company that was bankrupt and can do anything I said you can't depend on there. The. So there are a lot of misrepresentation of facts if this was AR and you were so concerned about it you wouldn't be dressed like this and asem thank you senator would you be open to support absolutely represented by that simply keen you reference many years in in the industry would that be your your farm kk farms the we're not it's that you know what you're open to the triple k forms is our foreign name we made that name that is juror king matter brought in keying myself and my brother that's the three kings it's not kate forms gimme a break i'm sorry that's what I saw it's triple k forms incorporated under the loc that's duroking during king and branking thanks for cleared by and they had followed a question you stated can't track rowers could you educate us on what a contract group and and that proceed yeah basically atlanta in in in myself to you so contract with a company they many the times they will we just sign a contract they will provide you with the contract that they provide the feed you provide the labor of the housings typically they'll give you like this last contract that we got it they'll give you a guarantee of four flox a year attached and she's shut there's down to two flox a year so yeah you're guaranteed so many flocks in you do you have a contractual obligation to meet that they had checks on you to make sure that you're doing what you're supposed to unfortunately in this situation the farmers did what they wanted to the company did not so if I understood what you're saying is that it's a contract between the growers and then the company so they have certain obligations that they're going to be and of and that growers have their oblescrew and under under this case the growers did everything that they were supposed to do the company failed the growers and. So along those lines and I think the state was just doing what it was mandated to do by the law that we have been acted so my my question is why not draft legislation if we want to change that price and and get some legislation in the provide some more protections to to the growers because what I see here is again what what was stated there are bad actors and we've got a bad actor here but and and I understand warning to take care of of the growers i'm i'm sympathetic to their calls i'd be mad is hale if it were me in my family and I and II share some of your anger and frustration but that frustration anger can't be placed back on the department of agriculture this is taken care of their duties and I take I take issue with your letter to the governor and i'll quote in your letter. Where you said. We need to provide four compensation to the growers feed suppliers in any entity related to helping this situation the company signed a financial the racing at this time the state needs to seem responsibility. When you say a contract grower senator keen estate cannot assume all responsibility for every businesses in this state that enters into a contractual agreement. If there was a fail you're on the other party that's crazy and and so there's no way we can do that as a state but that's why I ask about legal representation in actions in in a calls back. I was an accident on on the dumping and we had to take a clean that so don't that that's completely different than that this issue here I mean you're asking for the state to compensate folks ahead a contractual arrangement with the business that did not live up to their end of the deal but there's no way the state could afford that senator that's not what I asked for clearly if you look at the letter it's in my letter is about the clean up situation all i'm asking for in the thing is the clean up situation that see it it's no different than this situation right here that was not caused it was only about the clean up situation I sent documentation and told the governor's office it was about the clean up do they aren't is a taxpayer's responsible for the contractual obligation to that they met in the growing of the chickens nah but what you have to have in that situation is the feed the feed suppliers were not being paid if you're looking at trying to systematically take care of this situation you would have taken less lease chickens if you did kill them and take that hundred sixty thousand pounds of feed sent a soccer truck after out there and in senate to dust insport to feed his chickens that's what you would have done and that's what the state responsibility should have been only under the end brother the clean up once again I sent stuff to the governor i've been around this business and been around a long time I sent it together asset the stopped up bar I mentioned consistently in my letter the ex on mobile spiel i'm not talking about the contractual obligations. That to feel that the contract between them and cooks. That's clearly different as since supporting documentation of that no i'm not asking for a bail out of that but we've bailed out cooks venture the taxpayers had bailed out cooked venture because now we're on the hook for that mr fiest in their involvement we're talking about their involved in mister ward said don't worry cooks is going to take care of the clean up cooks didn't take care of the clean up once again we have two situations we have the contractual situation between them in the company we have the clean up situation this is clearly on the clean up a since supporting documentation of the stocked on fire situation example and I sent the exon mobile thing and I clearly said this is about the clean up not the contract well i'm i'm going to follow up again by calls I think in the copy of the information that you handed out to us there's a copy of your letter I think it's the letter that was dated december eighth twenty three and I am not making things up i'm using words right out of the letter that you sent to governor sanders and it say us and I quote we need to provide all compensation to the growers feed suppliers and any entity related to helping this situation the cleanup situation you didn't say clean up situation I have a sense supporting documentation to show the exon mobile situation and the stop the statement needs to let me give you another example turn your microphone he's in round me to both of you now let's represent you called our foreign k forms let me explain to some footage just into the contract of fifty nine growers it's a totally situation there was not in environmental situation now I didn't want to turn the mike off. But I am the chairman and I am stopped this you you may need to respect each other and you're both better than this okay what we're going to do now I thank you I do appreciate you common I i'd appreciate your patient. The. Sector reward would you and mister fisca come back appearance if we can get some answers. Please re introduce yourself for the record yes sir westward from the arkansas department at fifth side department local. Okay before I opened it up for questions would you make some matter statements to give us a little clarification please yes or just a couple quick comments from myself now alternative over to a lot of second potential director of patrick first but uh II would certainly agree with with the comments from from representative you see and that I think. From all of your from us as well we we do not like the situation anymore the needy or the growers it is it is unfortunate your agriculture is our largest industry and any time a situation like this happens it is it is unfortunate that we we've got a phenomenal poultry industry in the state of arkansas there are spotlight throughout the country in the world on what they do to feed people what they do with the growers in the ones that are here to incredibly important work and it is it's just a an incredibly unfortunate situation and we hate it as much as they do and so I will turn over to patrick he wants to make him come it's on the specific it's yeah I told the agree and echo that i've been involved in poetry industry my terrible and the extremely sympathetic to the production apart for them over a single day. My patient is is for our producers just want to make a statement that I mention the first case of influence it was on october thirtieth that was a massive county. Where to and carol county one and johnson kennedy and one sky. I acted on the best interest of the state as a whole. And because of welfare considerations work considered the company called me and said they are flat out broke to have no money for feed they cannot feed these boads out they will as mister maybe had stated bird will resort to cannibalism and they do that pretty quickly and these are a broader free range bowlers anytime you cut free range bowlers or anybody for that matter to a third of ration they're in a stereoty situation now where there survival model they were eat their feet first thing in the morning when I was presented and then they're they're pretty pretty hungry rest of the day the information I received from the captain themselves is that they were trying to buy as much feeders they could or reclaim feed from other forms to feel like those that have been out of feed for several days they stepped in they said this is their birds again contract situation and we we just step down to to try to eliminating the kind of risk of a or the spread of disease in the state that's to the statute that we are following on. Members do you have any questi. The. Senator johnson. So. Thirty three one oh seven. And in two thirty three one or seven years four authority for the control control suppression. Eradication of livestock poultry diseases and past. And it says supervision of the last time polgary sanitary work. So the other has been discussion on on removal of those birds euro according to this law is supervision of those sanitary that sanitary work that would happen after. After the the killing of the birds you'd have a supervisory role in that. Er. Eradication is is you kill in the merge and I mean that this is from a flat lander. Rogram farmer but you're your other rollers supervisory supervisory in the sanitary work that would happen afterwards. Can you tell me what kind of a role you had in that supervisory role you're sir because we didn't have the resources we're talking about one point three million birds we didn't have a resources to dispose of those birds I put that on this responsibility on expensive themselves and there was two options that the producer could do they could either bury those birds or compost and inside the house mostly elected compost inside the house and there were some issues there that were addressing their work followed up and when it comes to properly disposable but the majority of them where accomplished it inside the house with the little that was kind of there. That's our role is to make sure that they're following those procedures and if they also just composted part properly as well in in that supermarket follow up in that supervisory role in it composed with that compost be taken out and spread on on the ground after that composed happen in in what kind of a period of time would the growers be out. And being able to produce in those houses if if it got a contract with another yeah that that letter of the the compost would be used as a nutrition source to be land applied in all the opinions on the mayor of shavings or carbon source it was in the house originally. So it depends on age of the boards and how the the decomposition takes place but it all appearance on the matter of heat in the time for aiming which it takes to breakdown that word. So eat each one can be the the the younger boats were tomorrow to three weeks the older burger could take longer and if there's not enough carbon source it can extend that period as well. There's a lot of continue to let me let me back in the representative wing. You're recognized that you mister chairman lemme ask you then is is cooked venture still in business. From what I understand that the company cooks venture has closed this doors the owner of cooks venture which was blake evidence but evans is the grandson of mr peterson that had their own or used to own the breeding operation that's what I understand is is still on operation it's that grandparent a great grandparent put a group breed that still or that line is still in place but from understand that's not association with good venture so it's it's separate is not a subsidiary thereof but a completely separate that's what I understand is what we're under the pressure. So do you have a role in the relationship of two private energies when it comes in to de population or dealing with avian influence. I get what i'm saying it is as well when I went to grower and we heard from a few today has an issue there was part of the issue was the fact that they were having problems with their contracted private threat with coax venture but evidently there was also a concern about avian influence and then also. Separate will let's do with the new points of then i'll come back to the depopulation so with with regards to the avian influence of what role do you have even though these are two private entities dealing with this the spread and control of that disease because these are free ranging birds they do in some remain in the house but they do have the potential to range freedom to range outside the house that puts them in a harry asking exposure to that while life they are more restrictions in regards to these areas that they were in this force testing they must be testing so many days three three tests are prior to move of the only ones that we moved ourselves was we made some arrangements for burial to bury offsite and so in order to do that we had to test those birds and then get a promote to do that and we asked me did that but our main role is to make sure that any birds that leave that property or free of any disease will it be ms ng bt or area. And so what then said they'll let me shift that into the depopulation so we've got a situation where we have a a grower who has been told by his employer we're not giving me any more funds and the birds are going to die and they're going to resort the cannibalism and all of that does the department have a responsibility or a role in that because of a health concern with the depopulation with the human diatreatment of animals and things like that absolutely the only other option would have been to give away or disperse those parts so the population there was no option to to process these birds these birds have been compromised at all fee that lost weight but the main thing is you got a fun and integrated that's willing to receive those birds that are in a control area or at least nearer control area for about security we could not find the process and plant it was willing to take those birds. So that's when we are elected to go ahead the populate those parts that we've provided assistance for other companies as well we've had calls were there was a storm damage in the house they said collapse they could not collect those birds so we went in in the system with the population we we provide that service as a role to protect the industry as a whole. Okay that's it right now thank you very much for your representative cooper you're recognized director we've got this picture here could you explain to us why you work suited up just sir I was wear that I was pictures was being taken I just arrived there I was following all the security procedures I have not been to any place within seventy two hours I was not inside the house our parents are to pursue that before you get inside the house and did that very shortly after I got there so you did sued up before going out absolutely this is a picture outside the house and just to my left is outside the frame is the unit do they have all the follow up mr chair yes good. And one of the gentleman mentioned that. The format of the clean up or the youth announcing crew told him he couldn't film on his own property you have any explanation for that this does that employee know that we have a man has a right to film one so I am not aware of the conversation between them too okay but they are instructed now that doctor to speak about but I will say that there were the press was there and he has asked them to step back because they were in the location of where we had of our equipment. These this phone is a water based phone when we have tankers that we supplier to the boards inside the house and we're phoning these birds in the interruption of the process if that water take runs dry then the form in the house goes down so the words or in there essentially smothering and now you've just given them extra life so we have to make sure we have full access in the ones in the way so we can quickly change those tax over so we can continue the process with the following that was what the situation was at that time is they were trying to feel in the area so we have a h. That that's understandable but but to tell amanda kept film traffic camera I would agree and I will look into that thank you. Sender days you're recognized. Thank you miss share thank you for coming up to to speak about this I know when I was made aware but the situation your office was helpful for me to get information quickly thank you for that though I also reached out to our federal delegation see if there was any federal and support maybe they can be lended and while we were looking for solutions I guess II just wanna make sure i'm clear here so. The. Did cooks follow everything correctly. From the depopulation eradication side in your opinion. No they were slow to act on some cases and that's what we're looking into right now to see where that is that we do have inspectors I have reacted to some complaints so so from a super supervisory role which it sounds like that's that's the that's what the law requires from your perspective in your department. What recommendation record recommendations do you have for us for holding accountable or future legislation. That can be applied pressure back to accountability to bad actors who are not responding correctly in the right time you have a recognition from this learning for us again that's where we're just learning of some of the cases where they didn't act and they were slows were investigating that at this point and looking into that see if that was off actual but we do have a procedures or a make sure that we follow when someone doesn't follow the the basic or the proper burial methods or the proper disposal methods and in lastly to the case the commission like focus commission and then lastly none of this would have happened your department wouldn't be involved at all. If cooks wouldn't have misrepresented the contract when a broke contract wouldn't have any issues or anything financial issues on their part that's what stins this entire issue today agreed agree thank you senator stone you're recognized yes I have a question just for clarification i'm a forced or son not really and that family but the poetry process. But when became mobiles to you the cooks was insolvent the state step down to help prevent the spread of they are that correct this correct after the cheekers were depopulated designed to stop the spread of a or can it spray it from the dead bird claim on the ground and that's the of one of the big reasons why we have permits and any time we bury birds offsite will get testing quotes make sure they're clean those one there are composted on side of it inside the former on the property once they go through their heat that virus is going be eliminated so that's the purpose of composition inside the house. So once their process has been completed their freedom to a planet come off in so why would the state depopulate the board but not not going to complete the process of disposing of the barge if your goal is to protect poetry industry it's it just comes down to resources we just didn't have the manpower to actually dispose of equipment to dispose of of those birds we do have equipment to do is populate but we do not have the resources to go in and do a full cleaner so which is managed there and surprise with the poultry farmer do they have the resources to can't post some birds. No animal unaware and I mean i'm just trying to understand I know I understand the timbring street and may not hold in the meals before the mail went bankrupt adding it paid that we just allows to meet absolutely if they've got a contract in the house poater grow goes backward that's just part of the business that was my understanding from cook since that they would either supply that resource or assist with the the disposing of it themselves cooks has come and gone. The poultry go growers always know that thursday and here at reast time buyer may not get paid just like wood dealers know that there is inherent risk they may or night mayor may not get paid. When they hold into any particular meal. So I guess what i'm trying to understand is it the department of bag of cultures rolling coming in to the populate the burgess protect the industry as a hold why wouldn't end in the the are can be transmitted to dead birds. While when they just take the whole process and take care of it and what would part the process already. Why would the bounce of that process fall back on the poultry grower who's already distressed because they get put in almost in a bankrupt situation with themselves that's why i'm crime to understand that II agree to that and would be more inclined to to provide that service but typically in a situation we usually make arrangements with the county or local level that might have a clip to do the burial but we've just never had equipment to do any disposal you would be inclined to be did you make an effort to do that yes absolutely if if the funding was there and we had the resources with absolutely. We have their service i'll close the loop on my question if you didn't have the funding while with the poultry go themselves have the funding. No no more questions thank you. Reps you recognize. Good venture has. There's no is there no legal recourse for the farmers with cooked ventures i'm trying to follow up with representative down there you can ask the same quote so they they have they are solved. With this this partner's subsidiary i've not been in the lift on that that's a similar issue and we just don't usually get both so super bad and i'm i'm sorry i'm gonna fall in everybody's question up here so I believe it was synergy johnson and brought up you guys are supervising how the clean up with that cooks venture is going to do and they dropped the ball on that so you don't have a. Recourse to follow up on the we do we do have and we are going to do that yes and how how is that going to because it's. I asked how i'm dealing in ditch at the very very least we can dug in the chickens I would park with typically we actually on complaints and i've received very little complaints and we've had two that i'm aware of and we acted on both of those things so. Appreciate chair more. Thank you miss chair uno practically nothing about the poetry industry. Other than our gonna whole lot of great people that are involved in it. Over the year several years that I used to do business with them. But mark the situation horrible but my mind or standing early on was yes I was going to have to be done but the growers weren't going to be responsible for the cleaner. So is that a strong this responsibility of cooks and that's worked we held them account before that and we'll hold them. But does not help and are I mean that's not helping our folks the latter understand I mean if they they really don't have anything they're doing. I again like that going back to clean up situations I don't see. The clean outside II don't I just don't see how should be responsible for the cleaner. You know again that might be something we have to decide here. But you know they've already lost their contract. But then to know about their own I just don't see. Why they should be forced with the tie for the cleaner thank you. Reps hockey recognized they were chair i've got two questions so and i'll be quick with it sector ward representative wing talked about the air parents of cooks and and who's involved in the name blake evans was brought up as far as somebody that was now on a I guess I hature or whatever it may be do we know if he had any involvement at all and this current situation. Not to my knowledge that the separate entity under not believe the reason I asked a question is because my third month my my fear is that because that he is related and and he's part of the cooks that if he's doing businesses and other entity and and is essentially scrolling over our farmers he doesn't need to be operating in arkansas at all and and I would love to to see if we can investigate if if somehow he was involved in any way shape reform with these with these folks right here because I just don't believe that whether he's working under cooks two llc or whatever it may be that he should still be interacting with our farmers in the state of arkansas and so I just want to make sure if we can find that out if he was involved that would be great and and that's that was just on that um my second question mister quickly okay quickly. Misfish you were talking about you know depopulating the birds and and in the a I zone my one question was the lady that that was testifying just a moment ago that she said she was not in the area zone and her birds were depopulated what was the reason for that we're again there was a there are for first case was in medicine hoberts were very young and and she's correct and her statements they brought her birds after knowing all of this but those birds were too young to catch on the process you would have to fed them out even though they would have they had a resources on the form that's a business decision with cooks on whether they can keep supplying that contract or the feed as well they said they did not and they would though told me that they were going to reclaim some of that fee for someone else catch because they were too young they could have been sold off to somebody else or I mean III just don't know the process like that that's rather than killing them off where where they too younger sell to somebody else now they could have that was my concern though is a mass dissemination of the emberged throughout the state uh the testing requirements especially for an area that's within twenty five miles of his own have to go through strict testing requirements you have to test every if someone collected fifteen birds about fifteen birds each one of those had been tested because we were in AR it would have completely overwhelmed our world and we went wouldn't have the opportunity to test the birds that were actually in those zones so the other option would have been yesterday it could have been sold but that's not the property of the contractor it's the property it's could be ultimately low decision on what they wanted to do that or not and elected not to do that okay thank you. Representative length you recognized. Yeah. Yes. Okay sell anywhere thank you answered my question I had a concern around the lady that had the feed had the barriers and yet the birds were you can ask. Unnecessarily apparently from her point of view and so I have that concern and the other is as a manager of a project. You can't step out and do the first day of the project without a plan for the rest of it. And these birds that were killed and left in the house and that calm posted the fact that the the second part of that plan did materialize doesn't disarm the state. From creating the situation that that that left these birds dead in a house. And so I have that concern I don't think it was managed and and once you start a process you're responsible that process you can hand it off to somebody else and leave a land owner. In the in the situation that they can't. A board and can't manage so I think we think we might a mistake there I don't think we manage that very well and so i'm not asking you for an answer on your car in the same situation everybody else is but that's this didn't smell good. Statement thank you. That's a baby did you want personal for which well or based on the discussion and then then I would like personal expert very quick basically what i've heard from the discussion today there aren't that I see you know that that we need to act on is the statement provides for the determination of of of the animals but does not provide for the cleaner. I mean it will like to follow up on what other members have say to start with these of of the process and then to leave the aftermath to the growers to clean up and bear that they are that cost in that experience of clean up II think is an issue that we need to address legislatively to add that if the state's gonna take in to do the step in to do the extermination side that we also are hand the the clean upside to get that out of those houses and that leave there so II would ask that we we start looking at that that side and see if the department would would would study that and and look into that that process. And then moving on to personal privilege and I do want to extend my party my reference my note on on your farm was just there it was not me it to be an insult to you or your family my understanding was that I believe they case the fifteenth and it was not an attack and I asked for your game this or whatever you can provide for that but it was not a personal insult to you it was simply clarification on your company name and I hope that you will accept that in the sincerely that are present these remarks and thank you mister chairman forgive me that latter two. Senator johnson you recognize. Yeah. You do not have a question yes. It's mine reckon did you recognize me. I have a question but I mean my lights on going to working so let me clarify that talk to mrperiod deser works with company but he works on sales not live production when it comes to reference for this picture so if a field tech comes on your property in these type situations they are suited up okay they would be fired that day for not doing that that's the clarification of understanding in everything is business I courage everybody to read the newspaper articles in this this is where the facts and the thing and you'll see everything flipped and flip it available to answer is important but to come in and kill the chickens you'll read at article where they came in there like not like and killed a chickens they gave the grower no due process at all when they just acted on behalf of the company. They came in the next day into in in buried home and a lady and she had no recourse at all in this situation we have laws dealing with a lot of things it'd be like imminent domain committee in and they imminent domain your land and you have no recourse. That is how this situation has been handled and like I said in us in our business we were not if you did this schedule they allow chickens to start mister maybe's chickens out there when he wanted to fill the situation they pulled off okay they made accusations that won't go had a good he wouldn't even on that property. The. So there is a lot of things that have been said that are simply simply not true I encourage you to read the news organizations gas that's it those the fact if you come on our form as a field tech in a hot zone like this and everything and you're like that let me say this if he was available in so we should our chickens should have been depopulated if it was really careful we have to operate when there's a avian inflancer. Carefully there is no question about that but it doesn't stop the process. Okay you don't go out and kill somebody's chickens because there's proximity in one of the ar situations out there it was a father in sign the houses were close together they kept testing they were negative they didn't kill those chickens on the son's born. We should not have people that act on behalf of the company. And never give a farmer I do process. And you wonder why i'm upset we pay salaries and benefits almost four hundred thousand dollars a year to these gentlemen and they know nothing about the contract process or anything we had task and foods cut off growers right now today growers right now cannot go the banks. That's how critical our situation is out there in our forming and coach kick of the banks and borrow money okay if right now with the way the situation is going in the poetry situation with those since we've had always a hundred growers and it okay senator johnson could use a stick to this issue is getting light i'd like to rapid it. Are you done thank you okay i've got a couple more and I want these to be really quick. Representative there. Painter. Thank you mister chair require do we know how much it's cost to stay. To come out there and you know do you have the number of not can you get it to us yes sir it's approximately seven seven thousand thirty seven thousand okay thank you representative wing. Thank you mister but I got a perfect follow up to a representative since the taxpayers had to get involved with the settling of what took place between two private companies but we had to get involved are you exploring or do you have the mechanism to explore being able to make the taxpayer's whole pursuing the company that led to all of this taking place. I appreciate that my question in and the comments from several members I do want to provide some context to you to the process on on the car posting itself so there are rules that exist through the last second portray commission so as patrick mentioned will be reviewing there was complaints and those issues have complies that we supervise that automate presented to the last stock and poetry commission laughs I can poultry commission has penalty authority so as part of that process when we present this case and the respondings to the commission that will be a topic of discussion both from a building same point of not complained with the law and with the rules established by commission as well as any other action that the commission might think is appropriate thank you thank you mister all right. Sender johnson they are going to be the last one so make a short sweep. These german so. With canon we've come in they are situation in my man and cannibalism. Is the reason the. Poultry got involved. Whenever they were contact contracting by the. No this. Contractor because the fear of a where was it the fear of cambolism happening in the houses which was both of those things were considered I of course was priority but from a personal standpoint I just couldn't always stand by in what here are birds eating one another and starving that's that but both were taken in consideration for the move to accept another offer system with the population. Did or should be all right they did was any other contractors did you have to eradicate any because of they are any other houses outside of the these contractors did you have to eradicate any any houses outside of this this situation but outside the show situation we did we have provided assistance for companies when when the house's collapsed due to weather we did have a situation where there was a disease but it was a non reportable disease and they they wanted to be on the safe side and allow us to come in the populated so we tried to provide the assistance is when we can to get them out of that situation it's just for the safety of every later but the one that the the houses had collapsed the birds were like two weeks old and they just can get the birds so in in effort to keep them from suffering we went in and the public. Is is there any federal if if there is an emergency order given is there any federal phones that grant funds there the state can get for the disposal in your supervisory role is there is there any grant funds in an emergency situation. That that federal I believe there's something that we could pursue there's a grant called that prip we we occasionally try to apply for that the last time we apply for the net to assist with african swine fever so we were able to acquire some funding for a trailer co two unit at a system that if that bars comes out to the state but there might be some opportunities there with that program. Thank you thank you. Okay I appreciate everyone that has testified today I appreciate the questions in the comments from the committee I believe that is tough situations this year's I think the department has learned a week we would probably do things maybe with a different look at the situation and no I just pushed everybody comment in your patient standard I hope if you have the rest of a good day and have some lunch. The.