City, County & Local Affairs Committee - Senate

The first. All right members will call the city county local committee to order before you started I do want to make it adoption we've got the you they Pulaski technical college is present today I think are the front row I understand that Hey. Right now you'll hear the meeting here. Okay creditors for being here. No credit shall colleague and this is how you choose to spend it. All right as well thank you for being here all right so we're gonna start off with Senate president what will he run and. Ninety two ninety. Okay so if you wanna go to the table you be recognized to present Senate bill two ninety. Thank you Mr chair and a I have crystal lines with me here as well. The much maligned thank you Mr chair Chris lines with the association of Arkansas counties all right Sir Penzo you're recognized president Bill okay Senate bill two ninety establishes a one time adjustment to county salary scales and twenty twenty four currently at three percent goal is made every year to the minimum and maximum salaries county elected offices are the only non state positions that have a range set by the legislature. Bureau of labor statistics showing a spike in both private and government pay especially over the last two years largely response to high inflation. Unfortunately this means that the three percent increase annually and the salary cap is not kept up with inflation and for a few of our counties it means that a lectern offices are not being paid competitively in relation to the private sector in some counties employees are making more. Then the elected officials that work for. In order to keep up keeper we just competitive we're proposing a one time increase of ten percent of the salary scale to keep pace with inflation. This will be effective in twenty twenty four and all following years the cost of living increase the ranges would fall back to three percent. The change in the salary range does not result in foreign courts having to adjust the salaries it simply adjusts the range within which the salaries are set is up to each quorum court to the side of a larger increase on a local level is warranted. Our our members you heard explanation building questions service you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman. So this does not require that they use that they go to a ten percent Cola it just allows and that led to. It's it's bringing the minimum maximum range is a so the the it'll increase by ten percent but that doesn't mean that the salaries in that range have to be increased hello Sir at the very lowest here and that the minimum celery may Mr McMahon yeah I know that there's probably a lot of counties out there that are going to struggle with this. I would choose a actually the the. Most counties fall well within that range so it's up to them whether or not they want to increase our salaries for that particular County we don't see it as a big problem at all for counties it's there are a handful counties that are at the upper end of that range that's where we're seeing a problem where you're having to compete to hire people and actually bringing in employees that are right at what the elected official is making so what we're trying to do with this is to prevent that that leapfrogging affect if you will so that the official is actually still the highest paid person in his department. All right Sir right. The county that will be forced to do this are the ones paying at the bottom of the band. And so is this state representative enough like I was they were going to put that requirement on their budget to pay their bills or share their collect all those dispositions ten percent beginning in twenty twenty four support was ten percent thirteen percent it's ten percent it's currently three percent and twenty twenty four gonna do ten percent mineral back to three percent for the following years okay so those those counties Hample counties will be required to increase their paid by ten percent to the offices and they're the same counties that are having to go up three percent every year there's just a tiny handful maybe two or three counties what we've seen over the last year is to keep up a lot of those counties have also had to go up in their salary so we're waiting on the salary information to come in from them for twenty twenty three but we don't anticipate that they're going to be very many counties that this affects. All right reserved Stubblefield in. You're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr chairman so this is just a temper. One time. That is correct it is election okay just to. Sergey the rest for questions. So is that the concern is that with County one elected officials that they're in the county employees that they oversee are making more money than they are well I can in Washington County the the the deputy sheriff is making more than the sure. so. You know the the counties have been giving increases to the to the employees but they can't go above that threshold for elected officials. By law they can't. By a state statute correct. Senator. Are are there any other questions from the rest committee. All right senator anybody signed up to speak for or against the bill. All right not simply signed up center Penzo you're recognized closing your bill. We're close for the all right there close for his bill to a motion for committee. The motion center Bryant seconds are Stubblefield all in favor signify by saying aye. Closed the resolution senator bill passes thank you committee. right. To the other members in here that are non committee to run a bill. I unless anybody. I yes. Okay Sir Sir right with another run. You senator you're recognized to introduce yourself and is with the with the all the recognized pursue the bill thank you Mr chair Joshua Bryant the district thirty two of governor the shield Sir Clark Corbin County I want to let her go through the nuances of the bill. Yeah with the bill number again Senator the bill is B. two eighty seven to eighty seven. Thank you and this bill would allow the circuit Clerk and recorder at the current time if a plat is presented the law says that we shall not accept it if it doesn't have the blessing of the city planning this bill would do that clean up as of right now a city has the right to exercise their territorial jurisdiction outside of the city limits one to three miles depending on the population in those areas if they want to do a subdivision or class they have to go before the city planning to get approval that's basically for the utilities to make sure that everything's in compliance at the current time summer trying to back door into the recorder and get their plats recorded without going through the city this would put the if you for better lack of words a high on his back on the prepare of the document instead of the record or being the one half and to say if not complied this would put this in line with all the other instrument the recorder is required to record we don't set and look through it to see if the law is met we record the documents to have them on file so this would put it back on the prepare to have complied with all of the state law. All right members to per the explanation of a bill or any questions from committee. Senator Ricky recognized for a question so you you're saying that you would record the document even though it has met the requirements to be recorded. We would exercise our and recording like we do with any other document we would look over it to make sure that the signatures are on there and the Planning Commission seals on there but if one were to slip by I mean you're dependent upon your employees and if one were to slip by the responsibility we go back on the prepare of the document for knowing that they should have had all of the requirements meant. All the insurance so normally you would reject you would continue to reject documents that don't necessarily meet all the qualifications to be recorded just wanna have slipped by six U. within. Not be responsible to repair document that would be on the liability would not be on the recorder in the county would be on the person preparing the document the surveyor that was supposed to know what all they're supposed to meet the requirements yes Sir thank you. The seventy there was any questions from committee. I see nine three by Senator speak for against the bill I don't see anybody semi Senate speak for or against it Senator Rapert you're recognized close your bill I'm close to the bill and move do pass all right with a motion to have the passcode a second serve key all in favor say aye opposed to register right your bill passes and Sir I so I ask you to take the chair I'm with the president running House Bill Fortino six. Flippo you are recognized to present house bill fourteen oh six thank you Mr chairman Scott Flippo district twenty three. Numbers Fortino six is set the minimum standard in the state for the use the battery charged offenses and these fences are primarily you know for. Industries are conduct targeted for theft and how to protect real yards construction sites with heavy machinery and things along those natures sixteen states concurrently adopted similar legislation give me a few points this can be expense can be no more than ten feet high surrounded by minimum five foot perimeter fence along with that warning signs warning fake people that is indeed electric fence and so what this does is it just such a uniform state standards that everybody in the state all cities are coming going by I spoke to Mister Wilkerson with his plea yesterday I will center supported by these for to say that they are neutral on this we've you know the bill's lead sponsor Sir representive eleven the houses work with them to make sure their concerns were addressed within this and with that be happy take any questions. Questions from the committee. Senator Stubblefield. Senator Flippo could you describe this sentences just a. Bills like a farmer would use around the pastor. Yeah we're. This exercise or power but yes I don't know the village exactly like aw there might be some discrepancies there Sir Stubblefield between you know this kind of the sort but it's a simple concept yes Sir how many votes. We say. Trouble is the battery so this is not going to really. I mean somebody could drop a wooden post on top of it and completely disable this fence parade some like a pole vault over it and completely rendered useless to senator. How high is it attendee no more than ten feet. Ten feet yes Sir. And what's underneath it. the question Sir I'm gonna. Mr Hargis Mr if you might bring up the server is appear to sure well I may have the if you can just walk under it. Universes Senator Stubblefield del I'm going to try to reach its clarity because unfortunately have an answer for that Mr group please be sure to chairman Lucas Hargraves Senator so it the the the fence you know that is charged is not it's not hooked up to degree and that is powered by Seoul or is surrounded by an external fence and everything's mort we have lots of property owners in six Arkansas that have the state says you would job past and probably wouldn't recognize and Commission to what you were looking for but they are well marked. How is it going to affect someone well I mean it's going all the way to the ground yes yes yes Sir. Date the systems we have vertical with vertical wires. Going to the ground yes it would charges at all away from from the ground up to the to the top of the fence okay okay. I just want to get an answer sure how the mechanics of the thing or. Senator Ricky you're recognized. This bill. It say the evil forms of regulation across the state. Or they're just doing their own the thing that you have there patchwork of local regulations but they're not uniform across the state. Correct. That's good questions Senator I say that it's it's it's it's the state of the seller to you know things that you know to stand or sit in other states and so because there's been a patchwork of. Because of a patchwork of of cities that had different standards I mean we just looked at what our state have been doing to try to set a uniform standard for like the specific industries. Of. I'm sorry I did this one I didn't read it is this not is is saying a nonpublic perimeter fence. Yes Sir Mr chairman that it did not activate the perimeter fence is not charge you but are you requiring a perimeter fence there does have to be an external perimeter fencing you don't have anybody that has a problem having to meet that states so impact I mean these these systems are are are the most effective way to to the turf they have to protect property and you know the customers that are electing to use these fences are happy to meet those requirements and I understand a lot of companies able to do that what I don't want to do is leave out somebody that has the legal right to put up an electric fence. But may not want to go to the cost of putting up the perimeter so we're telling them they have to do that is that correct. No Sir I don't believe size so and and denote Senator Stubblefield so that obviously you know. If the think about cattle fences and things that nature this does not interfere with you know with that does not. A prevent people from doing what they've been doing. That is separately and I have a I'm sorry I have a disability. C. is is completely surrounded by nonelected correct. This is putting it in the language that it has to be not less than five feet high I don't I want to make sure we're not tracking. The people outside of the institutional Privacy that they can do an elaborate one with when they're just trying to keep. Riffraff out that they may not yeah and you know. The Senate bills. I think you know supported to think about the systems it has alarm system so the regulated section code I don't think there's anything that would prevent people from from utilizing the cattle fences and things of that nature that you know or are very common. Mr chairman I would like to do I'm gonna pull this down for the time because it is a very good question I'll make sure that we're not inadvertently you know going to put some requirements restrictions on citizens that wasn't the intent of this legislation and just to make sure that we got that fixed before I'm back to the Committee. She again if may be safe and from there you're wanting to protect that would be part of the sure I don't want to get your the people up And so that the mighty center thank you for verifying your I get to sit and bring back thank you thank chairman thank you members. All right thank you senator rice. Senator members in here. I know senator. Is all. Services senators are present. Senate representative Maddox sensors. Nobody else in here I guess we'll go with the. Get out of here represent. Thank you so much in thank you for almost give me a promotion column is senator I have almost being the key word there exactly I know I'm honored to be down here on this and I don't come down here often enough so don't get used to it Sir. The service for you know what the tech DC would you like a little bit of fun a committee to keep it alive. All right review with dog gives your name your district and you know then you're going to be presenting as for the members. Ten twenty one yes house bill ten twenty one yes Sir Mr chair John Maddox house of representatives district eighty six. Map map state with my bill yes recognized receivable thank you Mr Members of the committee this is actually a fairly simple bill I do wanna explain it a little bit and the necessity for it it is it is somewhat an alcohol bill however I would more characterize it as a free market capitalism bill I want to kind of briefly tell us the story of how this came to fruition and what's necessary there is a micro brewery in my district and I live in a wonderful place but it is extremely isolated has some of you may know where an hour and a half from Fort Smith six can hot springs so the issue becomes is there's no distributor locally there's no distributor within an hour and a half of where we live so I have a micro brewery who obviously bruise a product and he has a potential customer who is a restaurant that's located a mile from his business this restaurant to serve doco for ten years they would like to service product but they cannot service product because he cannot get the distributor to drive all the way to mean a to pick up a very small. Shipment and to take it you know a mile down the road so we have a willing buyer we have a willing seller we have a legal product sits in a wake county and just unfortunately due to the the three tier system and just some regulation he's not able to sell this product to someone who would like to buy this product that's what the bill does hi to mentally dress she may add an initially drafted this bill in a certain way and I the distributors came on board and we made an agreement as to setting a per barrel annual limited it can only get to so this will not hurt the distributors this person can just sell a limit annually and that's agreed upon language. That's in essence the the gist of the bill and and what's necessary not be glad to take any questions thank you represent thank you representative Maddox members or any questions from the committee. Senator Rapert you're recognized for a question thank you Mr so one of one of my career would sell to wholesale or before going back to retail market. What what's what constraints are in place for just general public safety and welfare as far as testing making sure there's there's no I'm not familiar with that process have others so enforce I don't have anyone from ABC to answer that process either I did have that later maybe yeah my here. Fortunately I have someone here from ABC. Dillard is yourself and. Michael Lewis interim director at ABC so the process for the alcohol it's distributing the state has to be approved at the federal level by the tobacco tax and trade bureau so what they provide a certificate of label analysis and so they analyze the product and has to be approved at the federal level and then once approved at the federal level that information is submitted to our office and we analyze it and we approve a proof that product for distribution so we do look at all products before they are distributed in the state. That's the point of origin reported wholesale. Of origin. Thanks Sir Brian. Are there any questions from the committee Senator Stubblefield you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman when used to analyze the ingredients are you talking about the alcohol yes Sir there's a lab laboratory analysis done so we can tell what each specific product the HBV or a B. W. of that product is and what the base of it so spiritus malt or wine or more to maximum. Level for which type for beer for microbrewery microbrewery up to twenty one for up to twenty one percent maybe W.. Thanks for beer yes Sir okay. Thanks their Stubblefield members are any more questions for the committee. Right to see none three months of speak for against all seem I signed up for this. All right of represent measuring disclosure bill. Thank you Mr chair I appreciate your consideration in this members and again this is just a way to allow a local person to sell its products to another local restaurant right now he doesn't have that ability so I appreciate appreciate your consideration appreciate a good vote. One sec senator. All all other questions Senator Brian got it thank you Mr thank you representa medics. So this is right down the street. As far as in your in your territory I would say this one is within a mile or so yes Sir the marker for everyone and if he wasn't using of this quantity of five thousand barrels a year with this law allow him to go to inner several counties over and just have a direct partnership without going through the whole spillage absolutely and that that is agreed upon that's why there's a per barrel limit annually that he can all the any mark or more in. Can only sell up to yes Sir any anyone could take as product time up to that limit he could take it to you know his hope is and and I've talked to other Michel had the same issue is they hope to become successful enough for Sunday you know distributors may want to do business with them and it justifies their you know. being in that partnership but yes it there's no limitation has to be within a mile or anything in this. Are you surprised all right members you for an explosion the bill president Max you close your bill. Yes Mr not kind of motions from server Katie. Second there Bryant all in favor say aye. Post regulations represent an actual bill passes thank you Mr chair thank you Committee. All right members. Is there anybody else in here to run a bill is. All right see no further business conference committee we are adjourned.