ALC-PEER

We're at items for approval a section be we're going to go out of order here for a couple of reasons number one I need to abstain from being involved with item number seven that's the game in fish in someone to turn that over to my co chair to be able to present that. And out we'll turn it over to billy first then she'll she'll handle it from there. Thank you miss shares that we're going straight to b seven this is on page seven of section be these are the very simpler appropriation quest so b seven is a letter from game of his commission this is for three point five million and appropriation this is to incentivise private lane owners to practice conservation for fish and wildlife the letter says this great program is intended to show the need for a conservation tax credit for private lands this is funded by restrict reserve and transfer this requested later in the agenda that's I don't even want to go to the. All right members were to go to the next we're going to section e and those are restricted that reserve fund transfer requests. And it's item e one in that packets the first page it's also a letter from the game of his commission it's that three point five need our transfer it's from the game in fish grant set aside account within the restrict reserve again this is to instant advise privately in orders to practice conservation for efficient wildlife and the appropriation for this was requested in that earlier section for various separate preparation which you share those with the game of this commission request thank you members do we have any questions either on b seven or eight one. Representative wardlaw. Are you in here. Represent a wardle if you hit your button will be recognized. The. Just on seven up if we could can I get the director of arch sogam fister table yes if you'll come down in introduce yourself for the record please. The. Good morning body i'm ostaboo the director of the architecture you're recognized if we could I just like to get the director to give synopsis of our b seven and then i've got a few questions and a points to make out if the chair would give me the liberty. Yeah. You recognize. Go ahead direct by so for the past couple years. At the archiving fish commission we've been in the process of reassessing what really our priority is for the state of arkansas when it comes to conservation and over the past two years we've been very consistent that that priority needs to be habitat. And you can look at it from a few of few different perspectives and one of those is relevant for purposes on what's the agent or what's on the agenda for today. Number one when you look at the national reputation and the cultural importance that are consultant has for high quality hiding and fishing we can just without it outside that habitat is what our wild life in our fish depend on more than anything else. The second of that hunting and fishing are not only. Tremendously important to all of our constituents but they also have a special cultural importance as to what it means to be an arkansas so with that in one hand and in the other hand looking at the fact that arkansas ninety percent privately owned it would be foolish for any government agency to think that they can have that much influence over but public land which we manage over three point eight million acres and also the other ninety percent of arkansas is privately out and so we've been wrestling with the question of if ninety percent of the potential habitat out there is is in the hands of private landowners if it bears not only a tremendous cultural importance to our cancers but an americans outdoor recreation economic impact to the state which is disproportionately felt in rural communities how do we tackle that private habitat challenge we believe this is the answer to not handle things from a top down governmental approach to rather to empower privately and owners throughout the state to undertake the conservation best practices they need in a way that will benefit the private land hunter the public land hunter and angler and therefore support the outer recreation economy and arkansas so in the hand out that you should have today there's a number of practices that touch every single corner of of arkansas and we're looking forward to piling this in the next calendar year to elevate the role of of the private land owner in conservation in the natural state. The. Thank you thank you miss shared thank you director move I want to echo his comments and one thing i've been very proud of since he took the position as he has took the position in a sole basis of building up our states habitat as someone utilizes the product the public lands in arkansas if we don't have the private lands incorrejunction we won't have the participation from animals on a migration are so on to stop in arkansas as a chairman of sportsman caught us for august side on the board US sportsman caucas I will tell you that we have wide support from across the us from du quails wherever fezzis forever all the other organizations for this initiative of so I just want to comment you and thank you for bringing this forward thank you any other questions. Senator everyone who recognized now I would echo coach here is a remark to appreciate representative war last signing that appreciate the work that you've done on this I want to just point out to to one on the feral hog trapping the one point two million thank you so much from my people that I represent up in north central arkansas such a horrible problem I just literally was driving down the road the other day and saw one get hit on the road becoming like dear getting hit if you drive anywhere in my districts you're going to hit the dear most likely but now it's a farahag as well and they massive massive animals whatever is the process it's gonna be do landowners need to contact the game and fishes are going to be application processor could you just describe like not just for this obviously but for the different the different things and areas that you have bank stabilization there's also a big issue with the spring river and a lot of the development that's happened there obviously the white river and as well but add gman just kind of tell me the little bit about the process ma'am. I'll give an overview but in the meantime i'd like to buy bread corner and garet dugger up with every single one of these practices we we were thinking about from day one how the taxpayer gets to benefit of their tax sellers here and so we want to ensure that for all these practices including the fair holiday trapping that where the work that we're doing our part to make sure that that if we do provide them and incentive for say a feral hog drop that we're going to follow up with them and monitor them throughout the calendar year to make sure that they're not always buying that hog trip it they're also kitchen barrels with them and so for the bare hall for for the fair holiday component of it well right now with our feral hog eradication task force which we've received wonderful support from the legislature for there's an app where we want to know who all throughout this day is trap and ferrero hogs and how many what county that kind of thing so when it comes to the federal hall to the fair hog trapping we will be working with the landowners and also through our biologists that are out there in the field and we will require them to report the hogs that they're trapping and killing in the app be for we award the for the four payment okay and you'll stand out there should be a monitoring section for for every incentive that we plan to offer the kind of details how we plan to monitor those payments okay and yay not have to go into a huge detail I mean I just appreciate that I just want to make sure that we you know at some point maybe getting a full or report maybe through a different committee would be a good idea just so that we can better inform our constituents on how best to utilize. The programs just said thank you. Thank you. Any other questions. Represent the machine to your recommendation chairman I just a quick question regards to so obviously some thought and intentions gone into the type of grants and tax credit you're going to create but have you created a framework for a cap you know acres per land assessed value the property just better understand it where the three and a half million is going to go and how many actual land and are you gonna affect so in the hand out it lays out what the payment per qualifying practice will o will be you know just for example I think on on the federal hog incentive it's more over the seventy five twenty five cash year for the purchase of a fair hot through hold trap on the prescribed fire and fibric establishment you know the payment will be per linear for a fire break and then in addition that how many acres they actually burn so the short answer is it is capped at ten thousand dollars per land owner and you can't double debt with different qualifying practices so it'll be counted ten thousand dollars breaker sorry ten thousand dollars per lend owner but how that breaks down is really dependent on what practice they want to pursue and all that information and handle thank you. Any other questions. See you know thank you for coming down appreciate it. Motion for approval. Second all it this is for b seven eight one. Motion is second all in favor. Appalles congratulations in this past thank you. Make a chairman members just on that and have made the disclosure in the senate at my brother actually hates frail hogs just as much as anybody else in the world and he's been in the hard trap business for quite some time and and that's reason i'm staining in all written note for the full committee when we come in on friday again it's something the. Thank you miss share so we're going back to be one this are the various superior appropriations for item is a letter from the department of education division that the elementary and secondary education this is a two hundred thousand dollars probation request this to make grants to child care facilities for facilities improvement training and conducting criminal record checks this is supported by special revenue from license fees paid by facilities staff learned this program is part of the transfer of childcare programs from dhs two education and this request will establish the speeding authority for the program for the department b two is a letter from a public safety state crime this is for two hundred and seventy seven thousand appropriations this is to purchase equipment for the forensic chemistry in toxicology sections it support about revenue from sales of medical marijuana next item is b three this is a letter from public safety division of state police is is for two hundred thousand appropriations according to the letter this is for unanticipated operations and facility maintenance costs staff learned that this is for carpet replacement and billing maintenance due to lighting strikes and support about fees on vin numbers next item is b four parks here to tourism division state parks it's for eight hundred thousand and spending forty this is to make grants from increased revenue from the real estate transfer text to cities counties and unincorporated communities on outdoor recreation opportunities for the gimme's information the department receives one point five million appropriation last october appear for the same increase in tax questions from real state taxes and if item is before this is a letter from corrections division of correction it's for one point one million appropriations as to purchase farm equipment that's fourteen tractors in the spreader this is support about form income next item is b six this is a letter from correction's division of correction it's for is to pay for juvenile sex offender assessments and support about fees from registering as a sex offender mr chair those are all the requests on the general. All right thank you members we make questions on b one. In discussion. Seeing them once will the committee will get motion to approve get a second others in favor of significant saying I are the supposed motion carries b two in a questions. And comments what's the will the committee will get emotion to prove got a second all those in favor signal five saying i'm for we pass over that one so if you don't know j howard from seriously was kind enough to go out of retirement I think more times we can on one hand now he's kind of a legend in law enforcement in a particular service he and so he's here today i'm not sure how much time you have left on this run before we graguate and do something else with you and call you back the three more weeks three days at all with that if you own a minimum let's serve welcome jo howard today and appreciate him coming back and the service he's been given state of art and he'll give me great for that later so. The. It bring us to b three members to meet questions on on and be three. Seeing no questions what's will the committee will get a motion to approve we'll get a second discussion on the motion seeing none of us in favor signed up I was saying I was posed motion carries b five. Parks heritage tourism. Maybe questions. Before before i'm sorry before. Any comments seeing nine we'll get a motion to approve got a second all those in favor significant saying I others opposed motion carries b five any questions. Seeing none what's will the committee better motion to approve will get a second in discussion seeing nine others of favor singing the public saying I was opposed motion carries b six department corrections any questions reps in a fight thank you mr chair is anyone here who can answer questions. If you could if you go to go ahead and ask your question you all can recognize yourself and respond on who needs to answer. Thank you I was just wondering is is this one on one assessment or is it some kind of a standardized assessment or exactly what the nature good morning mister chairman and committee members it's a one on one assessment it is standardized I thank you that's all I have and could you go ahead recognize yourself for the record my apologies mr chairman job through secretary corrections alright thank you members we have any other questions alright seeing none thank you. Members which will the committee will get a motion to prove we've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing non others a favorite significant saying I was opposed motion carries c one. The members were going to go through all eight of these and will circle back through will probably both these and batch that's okay. We'll do thank you they can share where in section see these are the american you can risk plan acceques the first one is one actually the first two items and then the item at the end of the section that was hill from a previous meeting are direct federal awards from a federal apartment to estate agency and item see three through c eight or words made by the executive so we'll go to the first one c one this is a department agriculture is for five point six million in the early appropriation this is to create more and better processing options for local regional producers of specially crops therey grain agriculture in other sectors next item is a seat to this is on page three c two this request from the property of agriculture is for five hundred fifty five thousand is to support the arkansas school garden project this is an agreement with the department of education to implement expand farm school activities give the next item see three through eight or state awards by the executive the first one is on page five. On page for other c three this is dhs it's for four point five nine million this is to provide emergency aid relief to baxter health this request in the next three are part of the sixty million that's within the state fiscal recovery pot it's allocated for hospital assistance a consultant hard by the fa performed independent study with each hospital that apart for relief the consultant's final report begins for this hospital on page seven a one page summary of the back county sustainability plans on page twenty and then behind the console in summary is the hospital's actual sustainability plan that's pages twenty one through twenty seven so the next three items fall it seemed pattern there'll be a final report a summary page and then the hospital sustainability plan and the next item is on page twenty eight. On page twenty eight on c four this is again the request for dhs is for five million this is to provide emergency a relief to forty county hospital through their completion of their merger with extra health funny will go to extra for the management of the fortune county hospital in full and county sustainability plan that's on pages forty four through forty six the hospital goes into detail on their new affiliation with backstreet hill including listing the benchmarks and timeline for their acquisition next item is on page forty seven. On page forty seven it's c five this is again the chest this is for three point three million is to provide emergency aid relief to the archaeology that is medical center and again the soldiers report in summary and the hospital sustainability plan fall the request next item is on page seventy. On page seventy c six this is the chances for three point four four million it's provided emergency in relief to the howard memorial hospital. The next item is on page ninety three. On page ninety three is c seven this is a request from the department of commerce it's for twenty five million and airp appropriation this is for two programs to address in our staffing issues the first is twenty million for the align program and estimate grants aimed at obscuring lower level professionals expanding nurse apprenticeships increasing nurse educator recruitment and retention and more and then the next is almost five million for a career center elpine pathway development that allows high school juniors seniors to earn college credit in school the next item is on page ninety five this is c eight on page ninety five this is the department of commerce it's a three point eight million a rp appropriation request is to make a grant to the city a paris for a community center that will provide work force in skills development training. Was sure the next item is on page ninety seven page ninety seven seen on this is for dhs division of eighteen this item was held in the august meeting and referred to public health companies for discussion and recommendation to peer public health recommended approval at their meeting on september twelfth. This is a direct federal word it's six hundred and twenty thousand three higher and train public health workers through area agencies on aging in a letter to the department the president of the a senate is there intent to use the one time funding to expand the support staff for their mills will staff have learned of the administration of community living has approved using the funds for this purpose and shared those for all the airport was thank you members again we're going to go through this wanted time so i've got two mikes that are hot right now or will that we can make it you all have questions on c one or two. Three alright a representative in your recognized for question on c three. Okay is there anyone from baxter here. Answer the questions or DHS. And if you could just recognize yourself for the committee and then you're welcome back equipment question reps. Yeah some wrong peterson president and ceo backstore health. In debbie henry and the cheap financial officer of extra health thank you president i'll be in here today. So for this around four point five million from our performance are going to give I still you have six million cash on hand and fifty eight point three million and a restricted fun can you kind of talk to me about why we're needing to give four point five million to you when you have these funds in a restricted fund. Yeah. The. Yes I think you know every rural hospital in our considerable probably in america is struggling with financial difficulty. We are set in the middle of north central arkansas we serve eleven counties we have about forty different locations we can't call us were in the down at hole in the end that. As we receive reimbursement we're probably the lowest reimbursed hospital in america. We have definitely are skewed very high and the medicare and medicaid side we serve a population of elderly people we have probably about eighty to eighty five percent medicare in so we probably had a wind a two percent operating margin priority and then obviously are struggling with the same issues that every other hospital is struggling with the two make sure that we're trying to figure out how to hit this inflation since covered with wages with drug cast or cost structure his shifted significantly with that car structure shifting and having eighty percent of our payers medicare and medicaid obviously we can't just turn the lights which on and get reimbursement increased right away in so we'll requesting these fines to help us get through that time as reimbursement catches up with the car structure and then in addition we've been. Trying to make sure that we are serving our patients in our area and part of that area includes fall from county hospital and so we've been putting a lot of time and effort into working with fault in county house while i'm trying to bring them into a spot where they can continue to sort of the patience of fault and county and so that is why we are requesting the funds. A couple of other things we've got to remember a couple other things the fifty plus million is technically designated funds it's the designated for equipment and building repairs where the six million dollars is really operating cash and the other piece that I would point out is that um currently we have about eighty five days of cash on hand so each day we spend about eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars as what it costs for us to run our hospitals whether it's supplies or paycheck care items or salaries and so it does look like a lot of cash on hand but in reality for the size of our hospital it's not merchant fact I think that's one of our weakest areas financially is our data day's cash on hand. Okay. That's interesting. So. I also ran the fault and report which is c four about you mid be bright up so I just thought we mentioned it too so I saw that there have three different options in their one of which is to be acquired by backstore regional. So I take it that if we approve their arpa fund request you will be receiving those funds as well as part of your ownership of fault in. Yeah it is sminished anywhere currently in a six month management contract with fault in county so we are managing their hospital right now and I think we've put a lot of time in a lot of effort in the making sure that their revenue cycle is actually working the way it should work gone from collecting giver taken about a hundred thousand dollars a week at that hospital to now right now currently about three hundred and sixty thousand dollars a week in collections obviously that will come back down because we're back billing some to make a long story short we have put a lot of time and effort into that we are managing fall from county we see the money that will be going to fall from county as basically their money the first allocation if I understand it would be about fifty percent and that would come immediately we would need there to be be able to maintain the operations of fault and county and get them back on track so that they can hopefully stand on on their own with our support our goal is to when our six months. Contract ends in february the goal is then to have the emerge into baxter health income and part of extra hell. Catch. Additionally I saw the part of it said your plan for sustainability is to continue to expand so how much of this arpa fund is going through you to expand service lines you know just since august between august and october we've brought on ten new physicians. Uhm a couple of those who have been one of those was was actually to. A new clinic in in a community about fifty miles from us as we look at our expansion in growth we really believe that we have to continue to grow because if we aren't we we will die to give you an exact dollar amount of you know how much of the opportunity will go to expansion versus how much will go to other areas whether it's wage increases whether it's. The other expenses that we have i'm not sure if I have that breakdown the u debit card I don't think I could make a fair assessment of that at this point but we we definitely want to continue to grow we have a prior to covered we were growing about eight percent a year during covered we dropped back down to about five or six percent and since code has been over we've been growing at about that six percent it one of the biggest areas of need right now it's capped we do have a capital freeze and a. We have items that need there and I think at the consultants that came in pointed that out as well. And I report. Okay and that those are ten new providers that per the twenty six providers that are listed in the plan are the assessment or is that in addition to the thirty six of twenty sixty providers it i'm trying to think of the timeframe I think that's wrong I think they're their old news out well mental signature thank you. Yeah that's now. The. I think you are recently. Fortunately you are thank you mr chairman ron i'm over here. I want thank you for coming and I want to thank you for the job that backstraight does in our community by way of explanation if you'll give me a little liberty mister chairman. Baxter serves a huge area of our part of the state. Baxter provides services that would never be found in a community of that size because they have branched out and take any so many other groups of people that would not be served or understand it's not just it backstarts right in the mountain home area. They the reason they need this money is because they have spread themselves out to serve a much larger portion of the population I just want to say that is a bit of an explanation so they don't have to do it thank you thank you similar since your chest field you're not on this are you okay again general and you recognized. Yeah thank you i'm right here just a few things just looking through I think it's important to highlight your management what you've already been able to do and turn things around at fault and county says specifically let's talk about the I think they had about a million dollars and payrolled death that you've been able to turn around could just briefly describe that as well as how you've been able to improve their patient volume. Up when we we began the management agreement on august fifteenth basically they had zero cash they were pulling in about ninety five thousand dollars weekly which was not enough to even make payroll nor pay the physicians. And so we did have to borrow another two hundred and fifty thousand right before the I guess it was the second payroll thought we were doing the right things and trying to generate cash their systems are severely broken or were should be really broken and as we assess that determined what we needed to do and try to get all hands on deck to bill and we've been successful in the last four weeks of about three hundred and twenty two thousand on average has been coming in and at the first of alcheber we had enough cash in the bank to be able to find all payroll for the the whole month of october as well as all the physicians and the bender payments that we needed to make we still have a lot of progress to make we've been there for two months we we basically are rebuilding the whole system there was a lot of accounts receivable ball the employees there working very very hard just they did not have the resources to basically rebuild the system or invest in the system. And the new processes so we are that's what we're doing right now I think the um. From it they were lacking in management resources to green resources in to help as well as the revenue cycle piece of it and the employees are awesome that they work hard and so we are making progress it will take some time to completely turn it around a community very very supportive of the hospital and and diverse when you want to take volume yeah I think two things I think they still are about eight hundred thousand dollars in depth is that yes we have seven hundred and fifty thousand they have the five hundred thousand prior for operational purposes prior to for us coming in and then there is a probably a couple of their hundred thousand four insurance purposes that I think they did every year so that wasn't necessarily an usual the five hundred thousand was very unusual and then we bored another two hundred and fifty so there's seven hundred and fifty that we were local bank and that will the first two fifty becomes do in november and we will pay that back from operations of course and then the next two payments of january february and another I don't mean there's a lot of details and you know all the details because you do such a great job I think the point that I want to try to make though is that immediately stepped and backstar immediately september the good neighbor to help fault in county which is a neighboring county salem and the hospital there I used to represent them I no longer do a senator flipper as but the north arkansas likes are cooperative is located they are you have a lot of linemen that are on the job dangerous at jobs because of the the co op they are and and so it's incredibly critical that that hospital remain active and it's in the middle of middle of nowhere but but you've been able to increase I think patient volume by. Seven hundred percent and just a two months management that's incredible it speaks highly of of your administrative abilities and accounting abilities and then being able to just you know you yourself had to borrow money in order to help him out so I think it's just important to holiday that is saying then and to see what your app against I mean as far as your population there you don't get an enhanced medicator medicare reimbursement like some of our fellow federally qualified health care centers david but you do have to deal with what you have have in their population that you serve so I appreciate the work that you all did with the consultants I think that the consultants were very helpful and you might want to say that but I appreciate that thank you mister chair and think you aren't get three in the queue I hope that everyone is up for c three so now when it goes to. Yep senator love you recognize for question. Thank you is turned. You you mention your medicaid mixer are the percentage of medicaid. Clients you have what was your percentage of medicaid class i'd mentioned medicare and medicaid mess at about eighty eighty five percent both medicare and medicaid were probably pretty close to seventy percent medicare elderly and then ten to fifteen percent medicare okay do you know what the the the mixes for fort and county as far as medicaid I do not I do know that ok what I just have something in the next until in in line then I mean you do have a smaller medicaid population you know a week we've had a number of people that do not have medicaid anymore hazard cutting you and just paint that impact in your revenue stream in the future. We we do anticipate that the number of people are going off the medicaid rules will affect our number of people who have medicaid and shift over the self pay we also are anticipating to see an increase in your visits because of that because people will have more difficult time getting into private physician clinic clinics we have noticed a small if I recall correctly increase in our charity care over the last few months but we it's too early really to determine how much that will affect us at this point okay we do provide charity and insistence to those patience to see if we can find them other payer sources or if they may be still qualified for medicaid and just didn't turn in the paperwork and we do try to provide the assistance to all those patients. See what is available but we do feel and that it is impacting our patience and I do here with that from our physicians in the community as well in so so it brings me to my found a question if you've come for about four point six million dollars do you anticipate coming back before the council for any additional funding. At at this point i'm not aware of any additional funding that will be coming back for you know through the arper or at this point time I had to commit forever never be back but I don't foresee as coming back I mean are our goal is obviously trying to make our hospital operation sustainable it's very challenging in the health care field right now to do that but I think is our consultant said there's no silver bullet to this there's no one answer but I think if you look at our sustainability plan in the approach that we're taking in the ten or twelve items that we've identified that we're trying to pursue to make sure that we can operationally sustain our organization that's definitely okay thank you thank you miss sure you send your history recognized. Well at first I want to think you guys for what you you've taken on a big role accepting fault and that the you guys are doing a great job we really appreciate that in if if this is a proper time and make a motion that we do pass motion members we have a motion to improve adam c three during discussion on the motion do you mind adding. Go back you ok at the motion will be to pass AC three and see four because it's the ultimately the same same group now so the notion is to approve out and see three and a seat for zero discussion on the motion seeing none others in favor of significant saying I high others oppose motion carries all right that's going to take us two items see five. Many questions see six c seven seven chest filled you are recognized thank you so much mister chair I would appreciate someone from skills development would come to the the table. Only if you could just go ahead and recognize yourself for the committee in some chest filled your recognized for your question thank you so much mr cheer i'm looking at the arkansas linking industry to grow nurses program or the online program some twenty million four hundred thousand dollars a two to one match by the state for every dollar contributed to a college technical or vocational college at university. So if no one contributes to a college because they don't have the base two contributed then they can't get this grant is that what you're saying not necessarily I mean I think number one will cody whites director offset skills development you know are intitude behind this is to ensure that private sectors collaborate with public sector higher education catalog second or whatever that looks like and so in order to distribute this out of it over the course of last eighteen months we really been looking at what is going to take to make an impact and in some of these areas right and so we know that private sector has a difficulty sometimes and standing up their own clinical education units they have to have the two years of the four year universities partner with themselves we're we're wanting to make sure that there is that collaboration with a university or a post secondary two year twelve and whatever that looks like and so as soon as we can get those collaborations in those partnerships developed funds can be awarded to to that purpose but if they'd never happens in that institution can not get any of this money is that what we're saying correct yes there has to be a private partner at the table to ic and what where are these thirty one centers. Yes with the thirty one secondary cursioners are located across the state typically they're on the backs of a two year old for your university so you a palaski tag metropolite retropolitan career center southeast argued saw college most of them again on the two year for your university technical institute in the bti as well and so they're essentially where the k twelve students are sitting there students to get courses throughout the state and if you recall you know back in twenty seventeen we had fifty four districts unserved back for center in we created additional centers in baits bill and and other locations around the state was architect college became a crew center so we can always provide access to all students across the state of arkansas so that's where they're located out and that's why we want to use the in pathway to build out what we've already done at the three locations that are currently doing it in fort smith elder and four city and this money would help build that additional capacity to get more high school students in the elpion program at an earlier age so this this would include the university of arkansas I hope texture can yes. Is there any area of the state that does not have access to this what about that area around lake village dermat is there something down there that allows that what what is it sello are both opportunities for them that those students to have access to these facilities so we have centers there philips county stuck guard there's a number of different centers across the could not be happy to send you our map that would be helpful that would be very also a need to know. When will the grants be promigated or do institutions need to know this how will they know that this is available when we pass this how we're going to get the word out because sometimes we have some of the best gift secrets they are future going to steal one of the best kept secrets in the state of arkansas so how then will we make sure that the individuals need these programs not that they are available are you going to be reaching out to the thirty one career centers will you be making sure that those are institutions around the state that may I may not be on your list are also aware of it or do they need to reach out to you yes answer the question yes so we're we understand in a group of percent sometimes we don't do a good enough job of marketing what's out there so annually we have a secondary cruise in our director's meeting which brings in all of the thirty one centers to till wherever it's out whether it's a little rock or somewhere else in the state of arkansas and we'll make them aware that way will also be doing pushes in terms of an RFP that'll be made available so that all the presidents and chancellors and work force folks while there is the association the community colleges to help distribute as well we'd be more than happy to send any information out to the legislature that you all english they don't make sure there's at a level of awareness but we will also including those private schools I believe there is flexibility and the guidance to allow for that I would have to go check but I think there there's no limitation okay so we're not excluding private schools but the the emphasis is been on those publicly of funded institutions that are already up and running is there because they have the the built in funding streams with the vocational center rate of the twenty million dollars that we have available to help support in I would suggest at a look at scale obscaling lower level professionals it's just it's demanding to me. You know and i'm just award person I know what you're meaning. But your you're just talking about increasing the skills of all persons rather than lower. Yeah. Lower level professionals I don't think we have any lower level professionals I have I think we have individuals who are doing jobs that aren't paying wheel is I just if they it's just me is something about the way we worried it that is troubling but that's just a personal sink of mine I wish you well with this program because the state of arkansas niece nurses now we reaching out you code. Thank you I will be reaching out to you look forward again thank you misses she's going to be reaching III I got that I voice makes me nervous and I was nervous for you me as well members who have the other questions on c seven. All right singer urban you are recognized so II just I think this is a really really well constructive program as far as letting the industry drive drive the funding to what they need and I think that's great I think it's wonderful II we've spoken about a little bit a flexibility so that they can design exactly what they need at all levels you know of support staff and or saying so just appreciate the the due diligence on the work that was put in with us and with the governor's office as well but it's well needed so i'll make a motion do path members we have emotion do pass on c seven is there any discussion on the motion. Seeing none motion to is approve c seven. Others in favor sing the public saying I are the supposed motion carriers okay so we've eliminated from this list three four and seven at this point as having. Well I would like to have a discussion if you don't mind on eight in automate that's okay but I appreciate it members are there in questions on c eight and I think it's probably same group if you can just give us a quick walk through what we're doing and with this particular project in paris. Good morning alice and have feel cheaper staff at commerce. Yeah i'm an amazon ahead interferent mr weights here. Yeah so essentially we were on ca correct okay yeah just making sure i'm still thinking of center chesterfield tell me she can be following up with me on on ca with paris certainly there's an opportunity there to create and you know a facility and and some operational aspects allow us to train individuals help building career resumes help getting them more employed targeting some of the things that are going on the paris career center there in partnership if you remember back years ago types and help facilitate that arguments hold tech is obviously a partner in the separate and so you know we believe that this is going to allow them to increase some capacity and do some really good things for the people in the community. And on similar projects which is need to encourage them to apply to who in particular. Join other communities may have a similar type program or you know looking to do an expansion. With work force training who should they contact. Yeah I mean any any community any organization on the state can obviously rouch out to ostee I mean we certainly have funny that we put towards you know whether it's to your colleges for you universities now profit into these direct business engagement chambers so can you feel free to reach out us alright thank you see. Fifty five I have not out there again thank you for being here today I represent johnson county which is just north of this can you kind of explain how it regionally affects not just because II see the word city of paris but obviously I think it affects the entire region you're going to walk me through how it would affect the the considering to my district thank you. You obviously I mean I think your districts in within close proximity to paris and and billy praces in franklin county but you know obviously it'll allow access to this opportunity to services that are going to be provided there to soon as it's not just in paris or franklin county but probably parts of sebastian as well as johnson in other areas that might not you know be within close proximity to a place for they can receive these types of services so you know we don't see there's just self serving one community but a region of the state. Thank you and see ninety of numbers thank you mister chairman i'm not project calling me i'm not remember the committee but it's true that this affects really nine counties. And the river valley specifically also with medical services telemedicine another services of the of that nature were a lot of the rule and these rural counties they don't have access to a lot of you know a lot of people can't drive to fort smith or other places to get some services so this would be a major major step forward whose force helping those people who are financially unable to go to you know force me to little rock and also the precaution program will affect online counties so it's a big section of arkansas. Thank. I thank you members we have any questions additional questions on c eighteen non thank you very much. All and we're going to cycle back. You need your microphone we'll get a separate motion. Representative or law you're recognized for separate notion thank you mister chair for members information there are some things todd to the hospital money that has to have audit checks and balances so with this i'll make this motion on a move that we recommend alleged they've council request let's say of audit to work with definite consultants AMD IS in relevant hospitals to ensure hospital compliance with the sovereign security defence checklist this checklist will include many of the is recently promigated standards for schools and cities upon hospital completion of the check less in completion of the audit by legislative audit we asked at least they've all it notified daniel hardman managing director in them in addition I moved that the request that led save audit make this a priority since complaints with these standards is a prec requisite for the receipt of the fines. I don't think he reps in member swimming questions on the motion. I'm seeing no questions in discussion seeing them we've got a second others in favor of signature saying I are the supposed motion curious alright we're gonna try to circle back and make sure we pick up all the pieces here so. The. A believe I have a motion or i'm going to be looking for motion to prove item c one two. Five six eight n nine to have a motion to prove i've got a motion i've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing none of us in favor signed if i'm setting other supposed motion carriers and that was wine two five six eight nine brings us to section day. Thank you miss sharon section d these are the infrastructure investment jobs act requests the first one is d one this is a question in the department of transportations for two hundred and eighty million this is utilized funding from my ija for the third quarter of fiscal year twenty four which begins in january the next item is number two this is deter it's for department agriculture is for eleven point three six seven million and appropriation for I this is to assist communities trading emerging contaminates in their water systems next item is on page seven. This is d three on page seven it's again agriculture this is to provide financing to municipalities for infrastructure projects to address emerging contaminants and improve and protect water quality this is for six hundred and twelve thousand next item is on page nine on page on his deform this is energy environment division of violin is for a hundred and fifty seven thousand and appropriation this is to help implement the clean water act work plan that monday about waters surface waters and lakes across the state the workplane is included with the request and pages twenty three twenty two of the packet is a producer project budget and shows how cost will be allocated most of the budgets for consumers or chemicals and equipment to do water analysis and mfg later in the agenda is a companion piece to this request and that's item h eight mischeer those are all the ij was I thank you members are thank you membership in questions one. Two. Three. For four. Alright seeing no questions what's the will the committee will get emotion to do pass items d one through four we've got a second in discussion on the motion seeing none others in favor significant saying I others posed motion carries we are we've already taken up e one in so now we're moving on to e two and three. Yeah. Thank you miss share in the restrict reserve fund transfer requests section section e were passing you once already been passed or approved so or on e two this was page two this is a letter from the department of veterans affairs this is a two hundred and two thousand dollars transfer this is from the various general discretionary majority votes set aside account within the phone is to make improvements at the north of rock cemetery into cover the cost of ice he equipment the letter notes that the cemetery improvements are no longer covered by federal funds the appropriation for this activity will be requested later in the agenda and the cash section next item is e three this is a letter from education division of elementary secondary education it's a six point five six million dollars transfer this is also from the various general discretionary and majority vote set aside account this is to expand facilities in programs at easter sales academy staff learned that funds will be distributed on a reimbursement basis as new billions are constructed and services are entered here those are all the restrictions or fund transfer requests I don't think you any questions on e two. E three. Sunerve and you're recognized thank you just on e three just a quick question from well i've got one for easter sales cause I think they reserve some received some cares money through the department of economic. Um development and so I just wanted to see what they use that roughly two million dollars for as if anybody's here that could answer that question and then the the sucket the second question I have is that even though they are a school and I know we change the loans act where they would be able to utilize the education freedom accounts that they cannot participate I don't believe in a capital funding for facility funding and that's my second question. As I charter school minutes yeah yeah i'm not sure if they do can or not and that might be department of ad question. If you could just go ahead and recognize yourself with committee I think you probably need to if you can't restate your question okay. So thank you thanks for being here so I just remember it adds that there was some money that I think came through the career's money the federal care's money around roughly two million or so do you what was could you just from on me of what that was for sure thank you senator urban my name is ran extreme ceo for easter sales are concerned the two million dollars was to help us recall sixty nine staff members who had been for a load programs had been shuttered it was. I'd allowed us to continue to operate programs that were operating at less than capacity during the pandomic until went directly to provide jobs for people who were providing service okay so it was different than this which is a billed this is a physical build yes this is a one time capital investment to help sir hundred and fifty people that are honor awaitless for our school okay and and are you able to participate through the department of education for facilities funding not that i'm aware of this that's what I school I just wanted it um verify that and so just appreciate appreciate their explanation I just think it was important frustrate can I keep that clear so that there's really no other in my in my knowledge there's not really any other additional funding that you could go after. For this money through what we've already established to the department of education for any type of facility funding or or expansion the other that is my understanding okay correct I appreciate that thank you I think you singer love you recognized thank you miss chair in i'm just gonna follow up with the with the the weightless on a weightness question so i'm over here to so um now it says a hundred and fifty one students are currently on the weight it is so once you get this the this funny you're going to build out your facility to accommodate them so how soon would the whiteness be cleared. What yes thank you for the question we anticipate first we have a tanner in our current building who is a vacating within the next month once we secured financing it was an eighteen twenty month estimated project so we we expect that no not next school year but potentially the following school year would be ready to to serve the entire weight list okay weight list includes you know families from beyond just little rock we have people that commute from judsonia he's and brinkley malvern and hot springs we've also had people moved from beatsville and mississippi and order to attend the school okay so this is just have you secured the other portion of the funding in order to build out or are you saying you're still working on that this this funding would allow us to renovate the building and add the addition that would serve the entire week list. Catch you so they are not this upcoming school year but the following school year the and the white list will be. I mean what are the people that are currently on the weight this would be server yes that is that is the case okay all right thank you thank you reps in the bloody many recognized for the question thank you mister chairman and move here I just have a question about the the numbers here so the twenty students said you have in the max maximum capacity you refer to is that your residential unit here in little rock no the twenty students was are in the in the letter the twenty was where we started were currently serving seventy five and we have about a hundred and fifty hundred fifty one on the weight list right now so these hundred and fifty one order most of these are they program students that would rave in or not this is yeah this is a k through twelve public or a private school option for kids with special needs in twenty nineteen we became a credited so that we could also issue diplomas are considered plumbers for any students that are graduating from the school. Thank you. I thank you members to have any other questions acting none thank you very much for your testimony and taking time to answer questions a with that members i'm going to go ahead and in vote we've any I was the will the committee on items e two and three we've got a motion to approve we've got a second discussion on the motion seeing none of those in favor significant saying I was opposed motion carries it takes us to our review items. Thank you miss share where is section ever these are the cash fund appropriation requests the first item is if one it's a letter from the department of corrections division of correction this is for one point five million it's been authority is to expand the stab this program and provide for additional operating expenses this is supported by telephone revenue next item if to as a letter from public safety commission a law enforcement centers and training for four hundred fourteen thousand and appropriation this is to purchase virtual reality train equipment software upgrades firstly equipment and firearms this is support about funny from the office of the turn general next item is f three is a letter from veterans affairs with for two hundred and two thousand is to cover the calls for reality monuments at the north of rock that are insementary and for it equipment the funding was request early the gender earlier in the agenda through a restriction of is our fund transfer and this is the appropriation request next item is a four this is for this letter from education division elementary secondary education it's for eight million twenty five thousand staff learn this is really three different appropriation requests going to the same budget area six point five six million is for spending authority to use the restrict reserve for a transfer on expanding facilities in programs the easter sills. Three hundred and twenty five thousand is to spend a grant from the walking foundation for teacher training and one point one million is for a high impact tutoring from a grant from accelerate arkansas as part of the arch solar program focused on school districts with lower test scores is sure those are all the categories no thank you I members doing the questions on item FY. Two. Three or four are there any objections. Seem no objections items f one through for a reviewed section g. Yeah. Thank you miss share reinsection g these are the budget classification transfer requests the first item is a request from public safety crime information center and this is three hundred seven thousand to be transferred from operating since the capital outlet this is to complete upgrade of the sex of finder registry system the next item is a request marks on teacher retirement system is it ten thousand dollar transfer from operating since the cap outlay this is a purchase in upgraded server all right thank you members meet me questions on g one. G two. Are there any objections seeing no objections item g one and two or both reviewed section h chairman section age these are the miscellaneous federal green appropriation requests the first one is for the department of military is for fifty million and federal appropriations they have a grant from the national guard bureau to update for chavi. Next item number two is a request from commerce division of services for the blind this is for one point three million they ever grant from the us department of education to continue vocational rehabilitation services. Next items number three energy environment off the state geologist is for sixty seven thousand they ever grant from the department of interior for a data preservation project involving cores and cutting samples next item is against a geologist is for a hundred six thousand they have a grandfather department of entering for a geological map in project in the ozarks and to send a staff member to a digital mapping techniques conference this item does require a fifty three percent state match and then matricon from all gas commission special review that's fees paypal and gas production companies makes it on is each five this is energy environment in burned holiday it's for two hundred five thousand into grant from the epa for the cold competitive residuals program. Number six is energy environment vernal quality hundred and eighty seven thousand they have a grant from epa to model air quality into upgrades monitoring equipment software. Makes item number seven is agriculture three hundred and sixty four thousand they are granted from the usdates of market and promote specially crops. And number eight is earned to environment calling its fifty thousand this is a grant from the epa to help implement the clean water act work planned that monitors and water surface waters in lakes across the state this is the if you the works with the I j grant for the epa that was proved earlier in the agenda share those are all the machines not thank you. All right members who are many questions on each one. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six seven or eight I seen no questions do you have any objections. I see no objections items one through our h one through eight are reviewed item I or section. Thank you miss share we're in the overton section there's one request from department of correction that's the division of corrections it's six million and over time a preparation and this is due to staff shortages thank you members where me questions on in seeing non any objections sing none understand reviewed repair onto our reports. They came as share there are no actions here these are reports the first section or any reports and j one is the agency carry forward of unexpected balances the special language allows certain agencies that carry forward an expenditure of revenue fund balances into the next fiscal year the lange requires report to lc of the amount to be carried forward from fiscally a twenty three into twenty four if the balance came forward a purpose for the funds is provided the next section of month reports the first one is k one it's the surplus income and distribution report and this shows the source of an obligative funds and then the distributions for the restrictions are in catastrophic reserve fund as of the end of last month there is trickeries are functions three hundred twenty six point four seven million distributions in an overall balance of one point four seven billion the total catastrophic reserve and balance is one point five three billion the second pages are poor breaks out the set aside accounts with the interest rates are fun today's transfer request will come from the set aside o one and o nine in the middle chart on the page the new overall balance after today's requests are approved will be one point four six billion that's after the ten point two six million requests on today's agenda next reports k to this is the budget stabilization trust on report and shows cash for a loan throughout the physical year as of the end of september there are forty five point two million announcing you loans in the cash balances a hundred and forty nine million k three to tobacco settlement report and he gives the summary of income for mounts's investments actual payments to the state and on the second page all expenses are fiscal year. K four is the state central services report and it shows the fund bouncing this person as well as the expenditures of each agency support by the fun and then k five is the american rescue plan act report the first five pages show requests there were approved by the state the balance of the state fiscal recovery funds in the report is three hundred and sixty one million the new balance after approval of items and today's agenda is three hundred and thirty two million. On the sixth page begins attaching aid as a report of funds were sit directly to state agencies and on page eleven is attachment be that's report funds in directly the institutions are hired education alright thank you members who have meet questions on the reports. All right seeing nandwave and the other business to come before us. Aren't we thanking members for your time this morning and have a great day where during.