ALC-Personnel

Well. So we will start this committee meeting. Mr Robinson Hey Mister chairman. Item B. is growth pull requests for the department of agriculture for the I. T. section of their shared services division apartment is asking for one new information systems manager and I. T. eight to expand their current programming capabilities Department also feels adding the additional position will enable them to reduce demand cost for current. I'm sorry. All right I'll do it over again I can be part of agriculture asking for one information systems manager and I. T. eight this is to expand the current programming capabilities an expedite processing the also feel that they'll be able to cut demanding costs for current IT contractors led one position to the Department costs will be roughly eighty eight thousand dollars opium recommended to pass. Thank you any questions. St questions at their no objection this item stands reviewed lakeside of Mr chairman items C. has a growth score requests and permanent correction division of community correction for six new positions to admins personal stories to to DO see advisors into pro probation officers the six positions will be assigned to specialty court's and Poinsett chart counties of the target medium high risk offenders with substance abuse issues request to increase the number of authorized positions at the division of community correction by six no cost approximately two hundred eighty six thousand dollars opium is recommended the positions. Thank you are there any questions concerning this item. If there is none without any objection this item stands review continue Mr Robinson item D. as a growth for request the disability determination for security administration the agency is requesting one new position which is a DVSA chief financial officer grade GS fourteen this request will allow the agency to provide a promotional opportunity to a valued employee who receives both federal and state budgets the cost of the position is tied to the promotion of the individual in would be about thirteen thousand dollars opium is recommended the requested position. Thank you for the any questions regarding this item. Seeing none without any objection there is a question I'll send undecided stance Review. There shall. Mr chairman item he is growth for questions department public safety's crime information center requested for one quality assurance analyst agreed yes of seven position will function as an information security officer for the department currently the employee performing these duties is located in Arkansas state police with a new position being located a CIC the employee will be transferred over to a CIC in the position of state police will be eliminated during the next regular session opium is recommended the requested position. Thank you any questions. Seeing none. Without objection is item stands reviewed continue Mister Robinson Mr chairman item F. as a growth for requests from the Department transformation shared services for two positions the TSS statewide program manager at a grade GS thirteen will be used at the employee benefits division to oversee the accounting functions of the Division the TSS statewide program coordinator and yes eleven will be utilized for the office of state procurement division to serve as the point of contact for agencies looking for guidance and training on procurement issues and processes yes many costs for the two positions would be roughly a hundred and seventy thousand dollars will increase the number authorized positions for DSS DTS ES back to opium is recommended requested positions. Thank you any questions. Seven nine without any objection this item stance reviewed Mr chairman item G. as a swat call requests for the department corrections create both a new classification in a new position the agency is requesting to create a new DO see construction division manager a great GS eleven was surrendering two vacant positions the position will oversee construction projects within the department because this is a swap request the agency will reduce the total number of authorized positions by one the estimated cost of the new position will be about seventy one thousand dollars opium is recommended but the new classification in the new position. Thank you any questions regarding this item. In no question is item stand review if there are no objections continue Mr Robinson. I'm H. is this what we request the Department correction to surrender six admin specialist ones and twos for five admin specialist threes request is based on the issues the agency is having recruiting and retaining employees in their centralized records area the estimated cost of the new positions about a hundred eighty thousand dollars the request request will result in an in the number of authorized positions being reduced by one OPM is recommended the requested swap. Thank you any questions. Seeing no questions without objection is items stance Review continue Mr Mr chairman item I is is is a swap request the Department correction to surrender to vacant positions in return for research and statistics supervisor at community correction center functioning as referral coordinator for their treatment centers in lieu of in lieu of sending folks to a prison the agency states that the surrender of the two positions in return for the new one will again reduce the number of authorized positions by everyone and will cost roughly forty two thousand dollars opium is recommended the requested swap positions. Thank you who's in C. twenty seven. All. A representative spring you're recognized. Good afternoon thank you Mr chair of my question relates to the position that is being surrendered the R. or three. AUVSI grievance officer if that position is being surrendered I guess the question for the department. I would like to know who's going to take on those duties if you've given up that position. Representive Springer I'll close for as low as Solomon graves sector corrections Jerry Jerry Bradshaw leads are division of community correction okay you're recognized thank you the it previous incumbent who had this role was in a E. O. grievance officer classification even though. She had the time of her retirement did not perform those functions previously in her career she was the grievance officer for the Division when she transition to a new role she was left in that io grievance officer classification even though she was no longer performing those functions so this gets us to having a title that is actually reflecting reflective of the work that is performed we have a separate employee who reports directly to our chief legal counsel who serves as the you know grievance officer for the department of corrections and what I don't understand what is that person's thoughts that person's titled well being of the previous title was the grievance coordinator of group grievance officer the title we're requesting is the research and statistics and supervisor okay so that so basically you're saying that this particular individual take on those of responsibilities previously held by the io grievance officer that's my question yes all right thank you. Any further questions. If not saying none without objection this item is reviewed continue Mr chairman item J. as a swap or question the Department health requesting to surrender to vacant positions in return for one public health section chief to GSO nine in a professional geologist the GSO eight The section she will be responsible for overseeing the water operators certification and licensing division the geologist will provide assistance to the drinking water and source water assessment and protection division since is a two for to swap there are no there's no net change in the number of positions the agency estimates the cost of the swat to be about sixty six thousand dollars opium is recommended the request thank you any questions. You know questions without objection is item stands reviewed. Mr chairman item K. E.. Is this what pull request the Department of Health requesting stricter one they can position four one is certified tumor registrar manager at a grade GS twelve position will be responsible for maintaining the Arkansas central cancer registry which is used to study early detection early detection and prevention of cancer since this is a one for one swap there's no net change in the number of positions the agency estimates the cost of the swat to be about twenty four thousand dollars opium is recommended the request. Thank you any questions. Is in sync thirty nine. Brown representative Brad you're recognized. Thank you Mr chair I just have a general question when it says OPM recommends the change what does your recommendation second you think this is a worthy thing or or that that they've got the money or what is it me. Yes ma'am we look at this request we look at the vacant positions at the department already has we try to consider if they could use something they already have we look at the need for president for the position this particular one being the need for the tremor specialist manager and we look at those type of things we look at the vacancies would look at the cost we look at the agency's ability are the department's ability to pay and we look at the number issue of you know what the actual numbers are always in with it as up or down and we're live quite a bit be Frank with you require questionnaires from the departments the explain the job duties so we know that the grade in the request or aligned properly with other titles that already exist. So just a little follow up so so basically you're you're not saying whether or not they need this person to do this job you're just making sure that it falls within the realm of what's available in their budget and and the job duties correlate to the salary or position of level of go ahead you know when we do look at the need as well if if there is if we don't feel that there's a legitimate need there's extended conversations between our office and the Department generally trying to understand a couple of these requests the you're seeing today we held for a couple months because we didn't understand totally the need so we need to get additional information so that's the way we actually look at those okay thank you very much. Who's in. representative right you're recognized okay thank you thank you Mr chairman room just a general question. Overall when you pull out certain classifications and you had no classifications do we not have a impact that we can tell as far as how much difference there is overall within the budgets I guess service he's made that that's the cost number that will provide to you what we do is we calculate the cost of the positions of the agencies or surrendering and then the cost of the new position and calculate the difference say with the overall impact on the budget will it in but in fact it falls within the budget situation yes yes thank you thank you Mr chairman. Thank you any further questions. All in all. Okay thank you all right there's no further questions without any objection is item stands review. Mr chairman we're not item L. item els a swap request a military mil skews me Military Department to surrender a personnel manager position and agreed yes await for human resources administrator position a great GS twelve requested is required organizational restructuring it the agency swat pool will not increase the number of authorized positions at the agency but will cost about fifty thousand dollars including match opium is recommended the requested swap. Thank you any questions. See no questions without objection is I understand reviewed continue Mr Robinson chairman item M. is there a question the department public safety division of emergency management departments requesting to surrender to positions in return for an eighty M. deputy director a GS twelve and grants coordinator GS of seven the two classifications requested based on increased duties and responsibilities of the positions in the agency since this is a two for to swap there will be no increase in the number of authorized positions but will generate an additional cost of roughly seventeen thousand dollars opium is recommended the requested swat. Thank you any questions. Senate none without objections item stands review continue. Mr chairman items in his request the department of Veterans Affairs to swap five current positions for five new positions with increased grades requesting to advocate division directors at GS thirteen to maintenance technicians at GSO four in one nursing director MPO for nursing director position will oversee the veterans home in northwest Arkansas it's the same classification provided to the Little Rock veteran homes veterans home back in April this upon the request also includes a request to provide special injuries for exception for exceptionally well qualified candidates they also wish to request the position retroactively back to July first twenty twenty two the two maintenance technicians will be utilized at the veteran's cemetery north little rock in the two division director position for a place the current division managers based on the growing scope of responsibilities of the positions request will not increase the number of positions at the agency and will cost roughly a hundred and sixteen thousand dollars opium is recommended the requested positions and the special entry. Thank you with any questions. Okay let's go to C. number sixty first. Hello Senator Hammer thank you Mr can I staff a question please. Canastota question. Yes yes yes correct would you would you hit on that record or active and how that works. I'm sorry rather let Kate answer that question become okay all right Mr chairman passed. If you're recognized for it. Senator hammer in this particular instance there was a problem because we created the MPO for for the veterans home in little rock did not do us at comparable one available so there's been disparities that they **** in order to correct the disparity between between the two institutions if this could be retracted back to July of. Okay how will follow Mr. Yes continue how will that affect the person in favor bill or under I mean are we are retroactive pay or we just that's it if you approve this red directives July one the next time we process our payroll shall receive director active difference of what the salary would have been. And the next paycheck okay all right that would be out of this year's budget anyway right here's my right okay all right thank you thank Mr. Thank you I thought I saw another member but I guess I did up there no more questions without objection is item withstand reviewed. Mr chairman next item on the agenda is item this is requesting department commerce division of workforce services the department's requesting to surrender seven positions in return for five new positions for the new positions will be utilized as DA DWS program managers at yes nine overseeing ten if programs and unemployment insurance technical units the fifth position is an information systems manager and I. T. oh eight will support the new cost allocation and grants management systems request will decrease the number of authorized positions at the division by two and will cost approximately three hundred twenty thousand dollars according to OPM OPM is recommended the requested swap positions. Thank you have any questions. Yes sixty nine. Thank you Mr chair over here all okay. I recognize revenue representative can thank you I'm I need someone from the department. Can you identify yourself and be recognized. Courtney Taylor deputy director at work for services. Lisa Thompson do you have a resource administrator division workforce services. I'm here to your right. Thank you these positions that were creating these new ones are they actually people that already work for the department that we're moving to these positions are they new hires. Well we don't have them identified yet we just would like to post them and hopefully would attract some really good candidates hopefully they'll be existing people that will apply for these positions internally that we can retain that is the claim but we I don't know yet if they would be internal or not and follow up Mister chair. Yes correct so if you posted internally. How are they scored do you know how they're scored if they're applying for these jobs I'm assuming you have some type of scoring system. We do some of these are in our accounting division and so they would have and then one is in our unemployment insurance and so they would be scored differently but I don't know exactly how that those would be scored can you if you don't mind gets a staff how those positions are scored out so we can see how they're actually scored Sir can you to do that thank you so much. C. twenty seven. Representative Springer thank you again This Is Your hot hi over here so I'm just I'm looking at these positions so of the the past positions that are being surrendered do they in any way the job job responsibilities for the DWS workforce specialist of the administrative specialist to the overall that with these new positions that you're creating. No ma'am they do not those are just positions that we don't plan to fail so we surrender them okay thank you. Thank you any further questions. Seven nine without any objection this item will stand refute and do you Mr Robinson. Mr chairman were an item P. item P. is in a miscellaneous federal grant request that was reviewed by peers last month personnel tasked with reviewing that request classification for the position this requests for DHS program administrator classification and aging adult and behavioral health services for conceptions abuse prevention opium is recommended the requested classification. Thank you Hey questions. Senate nine without any objection this item stands reviewed continue. Mr chairman item Q. is requesting public service commission for special interest of ninety thousand six hundred seventy dollars for exceptionally well qualified applicant they're hiring for an attorney specialist position and the applicant they wish to hire has experience in the energy field opium is recommended the requested rate. Thank you any questions. Seven nine about any objection this item stands reviewed continue Shurmur item or is there a question Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a special ensure rate of one hundred thirty thousand dollars for exception well qualified candidate for the new north rock veterans home administrator the applicant has the certifications essential to hold the position and significant years of experience in the nursing home industry opium is recommended the requested salary. Thank you any questions. Senate none without objection this item stands approved reviewed continue. Thank you Mr chairman item S. this is an approval I do Mr chairman as requested Arkansas PBS was held previously by the committee pending a meeting of the joint performance review committee within which met last month the requested from the agency to increase the salary of the current director two one hundred eighty thousand dollars which is over the maximum salary of the pay great for the position the position is graded at an S. C. O. two with a Max salary of a hundred fifty seven thousand one hundred dollars the increase would provide the director with roughly twenty eight thousand dollar raise the authority to pay over the maximum is available to the agency directors and department secretaries two Arkansas Code twenty one five two oh nine after approval by the legislature OPM is recommended the requested salary. You're recognized for a question representative Lowery. Thank you Mr chair of first I have a question for staff and I'd also like to someone from Arkansas PBS to answer questions in in your narrative you made reference to a joint performance review hearing could you read that back it sounded like you were saying that there was some action taken by joint performance review to justify. No Sir the when the item was held in the previous personnel committing committee they asked to hold it until that meeting could be helped okay meeting has been held and so they requested to come back before the committee yes okay that makes sense identity in that so yeah I have questions for Arkansas BBS. To identify yourself and be recognized. Marty route rector of external relations Arkansas PBS. I'm John Brown and chair of the Arkansas PBS Commission clam with the freemen of the secretary treasurer if you if you might please. I'm with the freemen I'm the secretary treasurer of Arkansas PBS Commission. Thank you okay thank you thank you gentlemen I understand that this is being held over until we had the joint performance review meeting which I attended the question I have for for the Commissioner whoever wants to answer it It is what specific duties have now risen to create this need for I think staff seven twenty eight thousand dollar increase I think it was actually twenty three thousand so what do you see this is some of the compelling reasons for a significantly large increase. It may take. this is come up several times in the past couple of years with commission in terms of the salary rate for our executive director compared to surrounding states other similar PBS programs there the what initiated it most recently was and and inquire a Louisiana was looking for a new director to come in and we had been told that she was under consideration for that what we tried to put in the interment port was a vast array of programs bills during the COVID crisis educational programs that were offered the local Arkansas based production that is is good on going the volume of good programming and variety of the activities from education to cable to digital media of the the baseball football championship programs things that have been initiated here in Arkansas that we're very proud of and that that rest upon the shoulders of our executive director so we're aware of both the quality of what's happening has happened programs that works there five years ago that are there now so expansion of programs function of responsibilities and the desirability that we've failed as a commission are expected executive director was an appealing prospect others that are looking for someone to come into their programs and as I say Louisiana was the the star just recently this is a. A study done by the national educational television association need to. Is is the association they do as a salary survey. Of executive directors across the country all Joint licensed all licensee's there's one that's for state license is only which is the category that Arkansas would be in. based on median budget of sixteen million our budget is over fourteen million so in that category staff around seventy five were around eighty so these or similar averages both for the the budget of the PBS program the state licensee which we are in Arkansas and the number of people that are under the executive directors under control and and direction. The compensation the average was a hundred eighty five thousand. the median was one hundred seventy eight thousand so right in that category and so hundred eighty we felt was competitive it was realistic and it was certainly fair to our executive director yes some of the things that come up I mentioned Louisiana was what Let us from conversation to taking action as a commission we need to preserve and keep our executive director for the quality of. I to act that we want for the people in the state of Arkansas we do know that George's executive director is two hundred and forty seven thousand plus some additional monies that come in from a Georgia foundation Kentucky their programs two hundred forty two thousand also supplemented by Kentucky foundation Louisiana was around two hundred forty thousand they've hired a they were searching for a new executive director I don't know if they filled that position or not south Carolina's current position is I have a right and a hundred ninety thousand Mississippi is a hundred and eighty thousand. Maryland which is a little farther away two hundred seventy two thousand north Carolina's three hundred twenty five and they're probably much larger have a larger population base but anyway we felt it's a fair amount is reasonable based on comparison with other state programs and hopefully the the the interim study answers some questions about what all we're trying to do at the Arkansas PBS's Marty rouse. We're. Represent a large effect I could put it another way up. Director privileges been an Arkansas PBS now for about five years and and over that time I hope you all would agree that the there's a lot of the things like changes been made and and a lot of improvements with that is sports which is huge in addition to to do what we do Arkansas is that access network of lasting government programs and I just I think the quality of what we've been doing his as a greatly improved and she's one of the lowest paid in the region and it hasn't gone unnoticed the the level work we're doing and other others have come looking for her and most recently in Louisiana and so Duration one eighty would put her at on average with what the pay is in the south and so that's what we're trying to do. And and I'm just prudent to see the presentation that you making her heard it is very impressive especially the production quality of the programming that's being done locally I'm just curious of how much you reference that the median on similar states have around seventy five employees we have eighty of so I'm curious how much the executive directors actually involved in what I think is the. The high mark for Arkansas PBS which is production of production of local programming sports programming things like that of hello matches the exact director actually involved in overseeing those production pieces which is very involved very hands on and she comes from if you look at our entire background she comes from the media and production background and so she's extensively involved in and all of that from from the beginning of the project to the end. Okay one concern I had from the the presentation that that we had and I guess this would probably fall at the feet of executive staff would be it would set a inability to answer representive Hillman's questions about your we've invested a lot of money to be able to put in these new towers and X. repeater stations and all this to try and step up the amount of coverage that comes across the air not three cable and his question consistently it's been can you tell us for the investment that we've made in that what percentage of viewership is actually done over the air because that's that's really a critical question that should have been answered a long time ago before we invested millions of dollars in improving at the at the over the air quality of. Why we and I and I would like this is to feed the second correct why do we not have that kind of research available well the national average or what did you they will tell you nationally is it twenty percent of the population against their signal over the air and I can't tell you what that number is in Arkansas and I can't I mean I'm sure it'd be possible to go out and spend the money and to get the study done but what I can tell you is that public television is there for the under served in Arkansas and the under served and those who can't afford cable and they can't afford satellite signals out there for free in those expanded powers are reaching segment of the population they don't have access and so we can't tell you the exact number of people who need to hear those signals and need that eight hours of educational programming this coming out there for kids every day and and other programs of the office so we the air so I can't tell you exactly how it is I can tell you that is the most the people in this state who need it most at her most under served that it better given that and to provide that right under stand the underserved component and assess city for that but again it comes down to numbers of that under served how many of them actually are. Taking advantage of this or being able to use it I don't remember what the dollar amount was that that was appropriated for the improvement hours it seems like it was well into the millions you remember the number it was a it was several million a permit it is round for five million and it was expansion of four towers and and again courses towers are beyond the broadcast the also go into the early warning system as far as the the the you know for for weather alerts and all those kind of things we're statewide network and that ties into the system as well and because that was a part of the care is that and it was part of getting our educational programming out there and at that time we're hearing from teachers and educators across the state who who were who were not able to get arsenal and that's where all that came from it so it was a lot of legislators recall on this and and tell us that their teachers ever hear from their teachers and students and parents that they they were getting the EMI when Kobe shut down if they were not able to get that and and hearing about that and so there there's a lot of the underlying reasons and an outcry that led to that becoming of how that all came to be that money came to the schedules for the federal right yes certainly okay yeah all right well thank you very much for your answers at I thought you can complain because we counsel counsel Lawrence Welk. Well health. Is that is that wages. It's Senate ageism comment I have to act it is Hey we got this. Maybe just know that I like the poker. Hello somebody Hitter but again I think Senator Gilmore. Ramon. You know. About now okay go ahead all right thank you. I have just to may seem a little bit off the wall questions but I'm just curious so is this positions the traditional full time position meaning that person be expected to be there on a full time basis present in the office is that correct yes okay SO zero deserve while bills for telework or things of that nature as needed. I'm sorry I'm sorry can help tell the workers that allowed I know post COVID and things of that nature and during COVID telework was allowed is that something the still on going to all allow that on a as needed basis or how does that work well yes I mean it's it's not to the and every day he or somebody is still working from home every day but it is allowed only on occasion yesterday so that is the expectation would be that a person would be there full time president yes he did yes okay thank you. And the representative of that I think a month okay thank you Mr chair yes I read the request here today request from the commissioners of Arkansas PBS to pay one hundred and eighty thousand dollars which is above the maximum salary of them. Great S. C. O. two one hundred thousand fifty seven thousand dollars for the current director of Arkansas PBS up as a member of the committee that appeared before you all the of the week I would just like to thank you all again for a super presentation I was thoroughly impressed by the work that you do there and so I just wanted to make a point here because I was a part of the committee that I was thoroughly impressed and I appreciate the work that you're doing for the state of Arkansas is well needed and will serve thank you so much. Okay any further questions. Seeing none this is in no approval items so share entertain a motion. A motion and a second. All in favor. Hi opposed. Okay I said they say Mister Robinson. Mr chairman the next item is also approval items items T. this is a report to the office of personnel management as directed by Arkansas Code twenty one five to twenty six the details the number of positions have been vacant for two years or more as of June fifteenth of this year report details that there seven hundred and forty nine positions have been vacant for two years or more roughly half of the positions will be frozen and unused by the agencies what the remaining half will be kept available for the agencies to use as needed this information will be provided again prior to the regular session during fall here and questions. This is in a provider care teams motion. Motion I have a second. Second all in favor hello okay All opposed David thank you continue its chairman the next item is items you is requesting National Park college chicks to access the higher education center growth tool for eight new positions these include an athletic trainer maintenance manager project program director retail specialist three student services representatives and in in a systems analyst positions require to better align with salaries duties an authorized positions and appropriations act. And although not listen request institution is requested to eliminate nineteen positions during the upcoming session help offset the these requested positions the Department higher education has recommended the requested positions and classifications thank you any questions. Senator Hammer you're recognized. Could you I'm gonna get the agency to the table. Please yes. Identify yourself and be recognized I am delivery with national park college. Thank you thank you that all right to left or here thank you this is this is probably more a question of. Curiosity than anything. But we're having some you know problems in certain areas as far as recruiting you know professor such as in the neck nursing pool and some other critical need areas and I'm just curious as far as are these new positions or current positions that you're reading and then you also or eliminating positions right that's correct the positions that we will eliminate our provisional mostly and for this request with the exception of the program director and the systems analyst they are current positions that are classified under a generic title and I'm trying to clean up our appropriation act impact to place people in the proper position so that it matches better with our salary and how we process. Of quality pay increases each year. Okay all right all right thank you thank you Mr. Anyone any further questions. It's not St no other questions without objection this item stands reviewed thank you Mr chairman item the is a request from the East Arkansas Community College to provide a cold over two percent to their classified employees requested to write a two point eight percent Cola higher education has recommended the request. Any questions. Seeing none without any objection is I am stands reviewed Clinton you. Mr chairman next item is item W. and this is a request from southern Arkansas university to provide a cold over two percent to their classified non classified in faculty employee's request as provided two point five percent Cola higher it has recommended the request. Thank you any questions. Without objection this item stands reviewed continue I am ex's request from rich mountain to provide a cold over two percent to their classified non classified in fact the employee's request is ready to percent call for them as well hi read has recommended the request. Thank you for the questions. Seeing none without objection this item stands review continue item why is requesting University of Arkansas division of agriculture to provide a second language differential Templi who speaks Spanish as part of their job up to seventy five percent of the time the differential amount is based on the employee's proficiency up to ten percent of their salary the employee is is tested by an independent party to verify the proficiency higher it has recommended the requested differential. Thank you any questions. No questions without objection this item stands reviewed. instrument item Z. and a a a request for the Department higher education to continue previously reviewed labor market rates and differentials for various classifications at the institutions of higher education each of these has been reviewed by the committee in the past and high read only request to continue those through this fiscal year. Are there any questions regarding this site. Send none the objection this item stands review Mr chairman that was the and a a Mr chairman the last items on the agenda are reports that require no action but I'll take any questions if members have an. Any questions. Or any other business coming before this committee. Senate none without objection we are Jr.