ALC-Personnel

We call this meeting to order and we will get started thank you for bearing with me while we start a couple minutes late all right we are going to start with item b turn over to mr tony robinson. They can be done chairman item bees request for the department of agriculture for their shared services division for an agriculture general council growth pool position that agreed gs fifteen the position is requested to meet increases in duties and responsibilities based on new programs grants and industry changes has recommended the position in expects the cost to be a hundred and six thousand dollars this will increase the current authorized positions at the department by one the agency is volunteering to hold one position vacant oscary two positions back in until the next session within agriculture division. I'm trying that item be. All right are there any questions that are your more you're recognized. Budget around chair others positions already vacant at the department. Yes sir okay thank you. No I see no other questions and do I have a motion in a second. All right any discussion are those in favour of please say I i'll oppose no motion carries adam see. I don't see as a request from the department of commerce's insurance department to certainly when insurance senior examiner at a cheers of nine for one acom division manager to just twelve the new position will be utilised the insurance department's pharmacy benefits manager division of him has recommended the swap and estimates the cost to be about eighty six thousand dollars as as the swap the request will not affect the number of authorities positions at the department. Right send her hammer your recognized for a question can we get the agency to the table please. Yeah. Booth range general council the commission's on leave today so you're hammer more afternoon. She needed introduce themselves for the record alice and have feel cheaper staff department of commerce. Thank you the turnover eight for this position historically been pretty higher when served what's the history on it has been sent to hammer the current salary for this position is a great nine and one of our most active divisions at the interest department currently is pharmacy benefit manager regulations it has law we have lost two premium directors in the last four years because of the salary so we're asking legislature to upgrade the the grade level from the gsnature gs twelve are are still so we to attract a pharmacist who's qualified license to provide expertise for ppm regulation of the legislature has had serious concerns over the pdm our regulations over the years we just need a director of this adequately compensated that's willing to stay there for more than two or three years you type this one well hit to mark down as far retainage cause I know between him to retain a retrain and then just for what day if I say what they do as far as taking the complaints from the pharmacies and just hold the pediums accountable you think this one's gonna go to help at stick with the to attract a farmer's sister's qualified to help and by the way this position would supervise two other positions within the previous division the previous division of the architecture department has three employees this would be the director over those two employees we feel like an upgrade and selling where to track a reliable candidate it would be one stay there for more than the time we've had before with previous supervisors okay thank you thank you representative or lawyer recognized. Thank you. Manager. It's been a lot of slow to the trigger is today right. Mr move can walk me through do you think a hundred and one thousand on the top range is going to be adequate enough or pharmacists in today's market represent where all that's close we believe they average salary for a pharmacist in architects about a hundred and two thousand dollars so were close were closer with this particular grade thing we were with the gs nine which was about fifty four fifty six we just could not get a pharmacist in there in the previous past advertising for this position so we think this is a lot better what is what does this mean manager and follow up for your month but what does this mean to the bottom line of the agency so how did this affect your budget and did you have enough in your budget for this we have adequate more than enough for the budget just to to back this for sure okay thank you. I write center your more you recognize for a question well I think you've already answered the question but and I appreciate the fact that you're trying to recruit tallet but what was the increase over all it's about thirty thousand dollars a year increase from a fifty four thousand dollars average salary for the director's division and buy the way that's that's consistent with about the salary levels for all of our divisions managing directors within the insurance department and that in you already have that in your budget yes okay thank you. Senator chesterfield you're recognized for questioning thank you madame chair you seem very confident that you can feel this position you already have someone in mind. We have several that we've talked to that would be interesting say your chest review old birth they're waiting on this to be approved and I think with a fifty two thousand dollars you're not gonna keep i'm not going to keep i'm not sure you can't keep them with a hundred and one thousand dollars. Rock were close your clothes. Well why do you just go for it all. Yeah would actually have been too much on the budget of what because there's no need as putting in a hundred one thousand dollars you can't get anybody because you know they ever say it's a hundred ten thousand dollars for a good question most of our division directors make about ninety to ninety five thousand so it's a moralist idiot yeah I can see that thank you so much thank you ma'am share. Thank you and many other questions. Okay do you have a motion to prove a second any discussion are those in favorably say I i'll pose no motion carries thank you manager. Item d i'm sure out of d is also a question the department of commerce but for the securities department they're requesting to surrender two g so force a fiscal support specialist in a legal support specialist and return for a jesse eleven ecom securities examiner supervisor the position will work with the enforcement division will supervise securities examiners and share compliance with regular regulatory requirements op and recommends the swap and estimates the cost to be about twenty thousand dollars this will decrease the authorized number of positions at the agency about one. Representative jean you're recognized for a question. Thank you madame chair miss k you see me over here. I've got. I need a question for her before we continue to go down this road all these increases do you have an estimate of what it's costing and we will use to get to the end and figure out what we've done some real money what what waters are what is our increase is going to be if we approve all the I can get that are you I don't have it with me for all the positions and this particular position is it's about. It's a promotion for current employees that's about a. Seven thousand dollars I believe but I have called back to the staff in a simple could they get good work around there I would like a the insurance partner did bother me but because that's that's not general revenue love this stuff as general revenue and you know end of the day where we increase whatever the number of b eight hundred thousand million I think we need to know that before we do this one by one we will start bringing that with us thank you. Senator gilmore you're recognized for a question thank you mountain chair and just to echo with the budget chairman over there could that be distributed to the whole committee. Yes thank you. Yes and her chester failure thank you so we're not going to do anything. That impact general revenue until we get the figures today is that what we're saying. Uhm I guess if that's the world the committee and they choose not to move just approve of any of these are you going to identify those things that impact your general revenue as opposed to other sources of. Income so that we are not just sitting here waiting on them to add up all of this. Or does miss barn he'll have that number somewhere in america and we'll be able to get it before the day is over I think I have that number somewhere okay so we won't be sitting here just waiting for the information before the meeting is over before I can get it for you quickly as a matter of process. Would you identify those things that are not. Impacting general revenue so that we could deal with those and move the agenda is that's okay. Thank you thank you if we can do that tight if we can do that timely then i'm happy to to do that. Okay any other questions about giving one moment please. Is item c coming from general revenue though the cheer to miss money I probably need to check with the department that they are still here some of theirs are fee based from agriculture so I need a find out for sure on that particular position. But do the cheer to chairman line is this general revenue being used here for the insurance senior examiner then I would move that we approve the position it is not matter. Yeah. The. I said it is not a general revenue I moved that we accept this item see what we have approved see so we're on item d OK and whatever there's not general revenue that we approve. Okay so we are hearing that item d is not general revenue I don't see any more questions so do I have a motion to prove item a second. Any discussion others in favor please say I also know motion carries ok what we are going to do is we're going to go ahead and move through the agenda as it's listed and approve each item if that's the world of the committee we're gonna move through like normal and before friday we are going to know what's general revenue what is it in the total cost so if there is anything that you see before friday that you want to pull out of the packet then you can pull it out friday at the four alc committee meeting so we have a process for that so we're going to move through like normal if you guys have any hesitations on a questions be here friday on time to pull it out of the agenda in the full alc meeting all right thank you guys and for working through that with us item e main chairman item e is a request from the department finance administration to serve three positions at gso for just so far and refer in return for two new positions a tax appeals staff attorney at gest thirteen and a legal service is specialist at jess of six these two positions will be located within the revenue legal division and will be dealing with litigation concerning corporate income and cells tax protests opm has recommended the swap and estimates a cost of a hundred and twenty thousand dollars for the two new positions this request will decrease the number of authorized positions about one. I apologize yet we're trying to make sure we're meeting the needs and information on a request from the members so uhm okay are there any questions on item e. If we can if there are people from the agency at each request if you guys know what revenues being used which I anticipate that you would know if it's general reverendly you are special funds or something different if you could come to the table and maybe clarify that now for us so we don't do that work on the back in so if you're here and you can speak to that and where the money is coming from in your request then I think the the members would appreciate that very much. Is there anybody here and. That can speak to item e. From the face yes thank you. If you would please introduce yourself for the record thank you madame chair paul gearing with gfa I conferred with a or staff here that this would be a general revenue position. Both positions i'm sorry. Thank you i'm dressing any questions anyone all right do I have a motion to approve item e. I think a second any discussion all those in favorably say I i'll oppose now err motion carries. Alright we'll move on to item s. Madame chairman item f is a swap poor request from the department of health eliminating ten lpns and health programs specialist positions increase in creating ten new positions with two new requested titles the agency is requesting to adh suicide prevention supervisor positions at gso nine and eight eighty h suicide prevention call center specialist at gso eight. The request is based on the demanding and emotionally draining work done at the arkansas lifeline call center which is a twenty four hour suicide prevention phone line the request is made to aid in recruitment and retention of these positions opium is recommended to swap and estimates the cost to be about three hundred and sixty seven thousand dollars there will be no net increase or decrease of positions at the department. Thank you gentlemen if you would introduce yourself for the record. The add down adam's cheaper stair for the help department magil more department of health. These positions are funded with trauma carry forward funds which generates funds from the tobacco tax thank you as center hammer you're recognized thank you you know we were doing a lot of focus on nurses as far as you know it was. Hopefully you'll get through friday and then we don't smoke things this past week which were surrendering five lpn positions i'm wondering in the rationale white surrendering five. Senate hammer these positions were actually crossed created to health program specialist wants to be operators on our call line so they were not field they are not fielding the ones that are vacant were night field as. That's the authorized title of the position okay and then fault measure. Belka fault the on the new positions no one's doing this job now or can you give me just a brief history I know you said it where it's funded from but as far as. What why does the health department need these are there not other agencies or positions they are doing this would just help me understand why we need new position yes sir so the ten positions that we are surrendering are dedicated to that suicide lifeline when we made this request for of those team positions were field and now only three of them are field so we've had extreme difficulties and recruiting and equally and retaining this is very difficult work you suffer from a lot of burn out in so we were using very generic positions to feel these roles so we felt the need to create something specific with minimum qualifications for this specific role so until those ten positions are dedicated to that suicide lifeline there are a two other non profits in the state they're also answer suicide calls they mainly work on a volunteer bases we are funding them to a certain degree but we we are the primary suicide lifeline in the state okay and just for the record i'm not questioning the legitimacy or the need just for the record I just want to try to get understanding it's it's an emotional topic that's being talked about I just want the understanding a little bit or so I appreciate it yes sir thank you. Yep see no other questions have a motion from center chester filled or have a second. Any discussion others and favorably say I opposed no motion carries item and chairman item she is a swap pool request from the department of health to reclassify three positions that the title of eighty eight branch manager with a one grade increase increase to jesse eleven in order to correct classification discrepancies for the three incumbents of the surrendered positions opm has recommended the requested swap and estimates the cost to be about twenty six thousand dollars there will be no net increase or decrease of positions at the department. Don adams hill department two of these positions refunded was state general revenue and one of them is funded with our bottle records fees. Okay thank you don't have any questions for this request I have a scene now and I have a motion by senator chesterfield I have a second loudly please the second. Yeah. Well then I will alright any discussion all those in favor of please say I oppose now motion carries center right could I add yes please no department will receive any additional funds whether it's general revenue cash funded or federal funds I have to do it out of the existing bands that they have now but when they do pull positions they don't get any additional funding for those things i'm not sure where it was a work yes thank you for that clarification alright adam h and item ages a swap will request from the fair housing commission at the department of inspector general the division is requesting to srinter two positions in return for an administrative services manager at a great yes ten that they are planned to promote a current employee into the position will be responsible for budgeting finances in person personnel at the division this will decrease the authorized positions that the division by one and have an estimated cost of about eight thousand dollars based on the employee's promotion op has recommended the swap. The. Yeah. All right or do we have any questions. Okay I have a motion to have a second. Any discussion are those in favor of place they are opposed now. Motion carries item I mean madame chairman out of eyes are a question the department of correction for six new growth pool positions and seven new classifications are titles they're listed on page one of the exhibit one existing position will be crossed greater to accommodate that seventh job title or classification these positions and classifications are requested based upon staff real alignment and responsibilities under their new strategic plan open as recommended the titles and the positions and estimates the cost of the new positions to be about six hundred thousand dollars this will increase the number of positions at the agency basics the agency has also offered to hold twelve currently vacant positions out for elimination during the next session. Do we have any questions on this request gentlemen if you would introduce yourself for the record. Madam chair members secretary corrections. Nicholas stewart human resources administrator. The. Thank you and if I am you might go ahead and say no the funds will come from just that we have clearly madam cherries ma'am there's a general revenue position funds as was stated in the reading to oppositions will be held surrendered next budget session ultimately those twelve positions will create though six and I think about eighteen hundred dollars will be saved as a result of that right thank you center hammer you're recognized that you may have charged good afternoon do you have an idea which twelve positions you're referring to that you're gonna be. Better chair senator hammer yesterday I could give me an idea please yes it's a four grievance coordinator positions gs five one license master social worker gs one policy development coordinator gs one adc held service administrator gs twelve one program eligibility coordinator two gs eight a dcc treatment administrator gs eleven and administrative analyst gs six on the ministry of specialist the gst and a correctional officer gs and all those positions are currently make and happen. Okay. As far as the operations of the department corrections in exchange for these that you're asking for. You you don't feel that a compromise the quality of the department of correction. Madam chair senator hammer I do not actually believe that the creation of these positions and adding them to the shared services section of the department will create efficiencies for the department in and over the long term i'm hoping to reduce costs with these positions by aligning services instead of it with having them occur in two different divisions that are having standard work with a both divisions and not having redundancies in those divisions with these. Okay thank you for these yes sir thank you. Thank you senator chesterfield i've got am senator rice recognized for this by motion to prove rapporteur what we've we've got our motion in second any discussion are there and favorably say I oppose no motion carries item jay. Metal chairman item jay's request from the department of commerce but the state baking commission this request is to provide an increase to the state banking commissioner's salary that will take her salary above the maximum level of or pregrate. The request is based upon the commissioner taking on the duties of overseeing the state securities department as well as the bank commission they're requesting to increase your salary about ten percent which will take her from a hundred and eighty one thousand five hundred dollars to a hundred ninety one thousand three hundred nine dollars an increase of nine thousand eight hundred and five dollars op is recommended the requested increase and exceeding of the maximum salary there also recommending that the adjustment be made retroactively back to august twenty eighth of twenty twenty three this request does require approval by the committee not to review due to the fact that it's over the max. Yeah. I members you've already discussion are there any questions senator just feel you recognize yes I need some reason estimate this would happen. And get someone from the department. Yeah. Yeah. You just introduce yourself for the record then you can go and answer senator chesterfield's question. Yeah. The. Alice and hatfield cheaper staff are commerce. What constituted this me thank you miss you're up at what cost it is to the reason that we needed to increase this salary from a hundred and eighty one five to a hundred ninety one three or nine point seven percent yes ma'am act four seventy five earlier this year combined our banking and securities departments into one and our banking commissioner is now taking on the duties of the commissioner of both and we're not back filling the securities and she's taking on a great deal so she's doing dual duty rather than the singular duty then I would move the acceptance of this. The. Remembers any other questions on this arm and there is we are voting on these items so if you would. Say yes or no you're preference loud enough so we can hear it up here senator test fills made a motion that we review and approve this item. It was second and all those in favor say I opposed the eyes have it and item k item k is a request from cost community college established one new food prep specialist position at the cafe on the queen campus did he increased enrollment in the addition of addition of sports on campus the position will come from the hired her education central growth pool and have a total cost of about thirty five thousand dollars the department of higher ed has recommended the requested position this request will increase the authorized position at the institution by one. The. Members any questions on this item seeing none thank you very much. Motion for review wave a second they were say I opposed. That is habit little louder on the left side of you could please. Alright mister chairman item ill this is a three part request for the department of public safety the first part is from classed for two new swapple positions and one new classification of classed deputy director at AGS thirteen they're requesting to surrender two current deputy director positions at just eleven and a cook position at a gso one the request is made to maintain parody with the other depthy directors within public safety opm estimates a savings of three thousand dollars based on the elimination of the third position and simple promotion for incumbent in in the other positions the two the second part of the request is for architecture police who are asking to surrender three current positions listed on the second page of the exhibit in return for a maintenance manager at a gso eight and a dps program coordinator at a gso eight estimated costs for these positions is thirty two thousand dollars the third part of the request is off to also from state police for one growth pool position and a new classification of auto body repair technician at a gso seven due to the pending perol of an inmate who has been providing the services to asp opium is recommended the position and the new classification and estimates the cost of this particular section to be fifty six thousand dollars the net change of positions for the three request is the reduction of one authorized position for the department. Alright tony thank you senator chest field you recognize yes I for the agency was to chair going introduced suffer the record yes are philip orner for the bomb public safety thank you could you please tell me why the salary for a fingerprint technician started twenty three thousand dollars. Now man is barely living wage and who does fingerprint for twenty three thousand bucks I can tell you right now not many people senator so the individual you have in mind certainly will be making above twenty three thousand. So what are we looking at are we looking at the table because this is. That's just poverty yes man. Senator chest bill wouldn't if you call he approved a great programs on three five because they're starting into rates are so low actually the send much higher about this one make sure we're on same place the starting right but I think technician right now would be twenty eight five eighty five or so we just put a twenty three and there for the hick of it well that's the way the pay plan was structured but since the paper is been affected we established labor market rates for anybody coming into those corrects they give me some lessons but it's absolutely ridiculous i'm more approval of you can get somebody to work for those penalty and you go right here when I just wonder about the thing of running the quality of it thank you. M& review mister she matter of cheer who was in the signal thank you senator members any other questions. Aren't seeing none we have a motion to review every second. Second we got a second over there aren't allows them better with significant saying I opposed those daily eyes have it. You're rep tony was chairman item in there's a differential request for the department of public safety the state police auto diesel mechanics you're requesting a ten percent certification differential for one employee who has a cdl and also services a tow trick driver for stick the expected cost of the differential is about thirty eight hundred dollars open has has recommended the differential. Members any questions on this item I think we have emotional review and the second all those of overseas opposed I just have it missed chairman item in is a request from the department of public safety to provide a salary increase over the maximum of the grade for the chief medical examiner of the state crime lab was also taking on the duties of the director of the state crime lab the agency is requesting to provide doctor brown a three percent salary increase for the additional duties he has taken on opium has recommended the additional salary in estimates the cost to be about eleven thousand dollars based on this current salary because this request is over the salary max move grade it also requires approval by the committee. I have members any questions on this item. Alright seeing no many the motion to review and approve some of the motion second second halls and by every single public saying I opposed the eyes have it motion is approved the item is approved when this takes us to chairman item is a different request from the department of education the department like to provide a differential of up to ten percent for employees in the three listed classifications that have a cpa license in order to better retain these employees OPM is recommended the requested differential and estimates that cost to be about forty eight thousand dollars. Okay members any questions senator chest filled you recognize and do for the agency have you been able to find somebody was wanting to work for fifty five thousand dollars was licensees and audit. Hello great. The. This are there has to be a cba. The car gardens prime minister they said the other position doesn't require one day we haven't been able to retain somebody with the cpa in that or my controller position my auto position has been opened open for about a year and I hadn't retained a controller for for fifty six thousand down as a surprise. Not for a cba no man. Is somebody else a marion man who might make eighty one thousand which is steel stretching it when you have individuals who have the specialist degree. For the cpa II can't get in when right now without off without the difference and this is a similar differential that the fa has for all their cpa positions as well so all i'm trying to do is really copy dfa so I can offer that same thing. Amazing could you tell me anything at all about how we're doing in person now with a fifty five thousand dollars well I think it's workers test for having trouble with certainly arguing the cpa so cpa is a added plus if they bring that on to the position but what gregs trying to do is memic somewhat applying that dfa has had a place for their tax auditors and other positions within dfa that allows them to give the ten percent depersonal to their tax savvyters which are also a lower grade than some of these other ones but. So we're just trying to even the playing film for everybody and recommend that the b l l for any department that hires a cpa that they are available to give him a ten percent difference as I say to the previous people good luck with that with that i'll make a motion to. There is any other questions aren't seeing them we have a motion to review of a second. Second second aren't all those in favor of significant saying I posed heaven premise chairman item p is requesting military department to adjust the previously reviewed act seven ninety six list of positions that have been vacated for two years or more the agency is requesting to change the positions that it wishes to retain in those that they wish to hold for elimination this was an oversight on the part of the agency when the original list was created by the officer personal management I remember any questions on item p. Repented junior well i'll try to each get through i've got a point after after this peep and nothing on this. The. Alright we have a motion in your chest filled out second second I always in favor of seeing if I was saying I pose that have it all right representative jean did you have something at this point you're special I would asset all the positions that we acted on today that they'd be flagged before the fiscal session and have stayed to flag all the positions. All of the position regardless of where the revenue source comes yeah we were that we did today alright staff review. Ribson is jean a senator chelsever was asking for clarity on what that means like we do in the fall budget hearings when we flag an adam that means we can bring it back up and revised it during the budget committee when we're in session that's what a flag does no no no no no no no thank you thank you jane thank you mischairman senator hammer you're recognized thank this year can I direct a question a representative of jean through the chair or directly that's why going thank you maybe do you know my recognize you at the same time thank you and maybe this is also for cade away in by bios flagging these positions if they're going to go out and actively recruit people to be hired for these positions what will that say to the people that they're going to hire between now and then should some come up in the physical station and we reverse course we're the the first thing that they entered and I didn't get was what was a total cost before we acted on all this and I think it's responsible though we come back and revisit this after we have the numbers on what the total calls dears as you know we're trying to. Shrank government in and give more taxes back to the tax payers of arkansas and I just think this the response for way to do it I i've always not liked when we approved personnel and not know what the final numbers were at the end of the day and and we didn't have those numbers today and I just think we need to flag him and come back and revisit these positions before they get rolled into the budget and they're there permanently that's that's my goal and if they have a viable and we need him I think the the budget committee will approve them. Mr chairman respond or with another question please go ahead and represent general questioning any of that at all i'm just um. Take for the purpose of clarity for those that may be hired. They they would understand that there were one or two. This wouldn't and to the chair may be. These could be. Re addressed friday in alc based on the information that we're going to get back so that we could for whatever was proved today not approved in ALC if we don't like what we hear so we could we could pre up there friday and fully alc. That that's correct we'll be able to take a look at these again on friday before we take action at alc okay thank you like you representing for taking a question singer chest filled you recognize thank you mister perhaps I misunderstood it a response here but all of these are up and reading within the current budgets for these divisions so we're not talking about expanding anything that has already been budgeted which is merely changing things around so there is not having a deleterious impact on the bottom line. Right we do not bad any additional funding or any additional dollars for any pull this is for any visible positions so what is budgeted now we must live within that budget but then we can move the chairs around to accommodate there in my correct thank you thank you miss who you're spending you would be spending more money within your current budgets because the total increase today if i'm understanding credited is for new net positions right okay right like I said with pull positions they don't come with any additional funding and has to be but you already have but it's kind of a bree arrangement and what they happy representative jane to provide this information for future okay so just to be clear though you're going to provide us before friday the amount of the general revenue that was affected in each department or each position I should say and then also we're going to have staff flag everything we did today so that we can address it again in the fiscal session. The right okay. All right tony I think that takes us to the reports item is mister chairman committee members there's no action actually needed on the items cue through w but I do want to point a couple of things out item tea is reports from DFA deal details the amount of money spent on the most recent law enforcement style stype law enforcement officer stipends that have been given out group one is completed according to the fna and group to start uh at applying for for their stipends there's about ten million dollars left in the fine four group too on item you this is a final report from a class regarding the original law enforcement officer stipend payments there were part of that two twenty four of twenty twenty two so this was the original stop in the act item. Double you is that annual eeo report there that we provide to the committee that agencies send us the data this report is over five hundred pages so it's not in your packet we have a book back here on the desk if anybody wants to look at it today that's also on the web as part of our documents for today's meeting if you want to go out and look at it it's there I just want you to notice that it wasn't in the packet so with that mister chairman i'll take any questions who is in seat thirty ninth of a ripped into watching your recognized that he was chair going back to adam you only group to could you tell me what remaining. Our departments there are left as far as the styles go I don't I don't know that answer sir it's going to be depending on who applies i'm not sure who has applied yet so to be state agencies that can apply that have law enforcement officers that weren't part of group one in that and I don't have the answer to that yet okay push it. Yeah. The members any other questions on any of the reports q through w. I see none we will consider these reports filed in red is there any other business before the committee so represent jeans is to clarify they are going to flag everything we did today so that would have that information before we get to the fiscal session they're also going to give us a general revenue information before we get to a alc so if you're interested in that I would I would recommend you be here for alc i'll get with you just members are seeing no other business thank you for your participation we are doing.