ALC-Review

You as a one take your seats for England get the review subcommittee meeting started and before we start off with that's my culture representative back if he's got any comments or anything to the dress Committee all right saying that we are ready to begin with that miss Kathy would you please start us off. Yes Sir Mr chair we're going to start with methods of finance. they begin on item the page one of the first page of the letter from DFA showing the contracts that are being or the of that is a finance that are being submitted today and on the next page we have the actual. MOFs the first two were for a issue Jonesborough the first one is for library elevators four hundred sixty thousand two hundred three they know that they have the University reserves to cover that cost the next one there loop trail phase two project nine hundred sixty six thousand thirteen dollars and thirty cents and again of this when they have some university reserves but they're also noting that they have or not Leding of fifty two percent of this project Arkansas tech university has won there for H. back projects and this is six million three hundred two thousand dollars showing that it's coming from A. R. P. A. funding as well as repairs and renovations. We actually had the same exact contract last month on the agenda and talking with both the FAA and check there'd just adjusting the A. R. P. funding and to align with their appropriation and for transparency wanted to bring it back for the committee Henderson state university has three there that are all for call kinds of contracts and they are needing each one of those in case needed with tuition of basin auxiliary profits being used for that S. A. U. I let it facilities this one is two million four hundred eighty five thousand dollars may have foundation funds to cover that project essay you critical maintenance for educational facilities and other improvements five hundred thousand dollars they had university reserves and they also have that are not grant that will cover seventy percent of that you a community college at Morrilton FOR the diesel technology renovation of that project. Seven hundred ninety three thousand one fifty six how they had university reserves there was one on the agenda for you a fable that was removed but the last one that we have on today's agenda is essay you for historic properties and this is a little over two million dollars they have a and C. R. C. grant that'll cover eighty seven percent of that project as well as a validation funds and those are all the methods of finance on today's agenda all right representative Wardlaw you're recognized for a question Sir. Thank you Mr I'm I'm a little confused as want to regain body from Henderson state here okay with anybody Henderson. We say Mr. Broadway coming up. Walker Mr Broadway to please thank you Mr chairman your position for the record shame Broadway As You system represent Wardlaw you're recognized procedure question thank you This Is part pretty simple but can you explain to me what auxiliary profit is a killer profit is dormitory's cafeteria is anything that we sell change the machines all those auxiliary profits good answer so if we're asking for roughly six million dollars in projects and we have this much auxiliary profit when we go bill paid the state back a payment. We made the first payment back in June first two a fifty thousand dollar payment was made at the end of the fiscal year these are if you don't make these repairs it's going to be even worse down the road so you got we've got some really backed up the sale of the needs of some of these buildings that if you don't repair the roof affects the H. back system and I don't we don't have classes on them so it's kind of so what you're saying is the need was a lot more there at the moment yes Sir okay thank you all right. And then CEO seat forty three is that you were a representative makes thank you Mr I guess Mr Broadway you might be best to answer my questions my my question is regarding the loop trail phase two it looks like you're or reducing the size of a road and installing a multi use trail I'm wondering if you could justify spending a million dollars to do that but you know we don't have other projects that we could use that million dollars on other than installing a trail these are matter standing the funds are from are not after the money comes from or not that's what it has to be used for that we don't have that choice this is for a loop trail that will connect the entire campus eventually this is phase two there's four I believe phases that will connect eventually to everything else it's within the city of job growth that's beyond our control in terms with those dollars can be expended for okay those are federal dollars I believe. Right. Thank you Mr Broadway all right members seen no further questions without objection these items will stand as reviewed. Mr chairman the next group of items on the agenda are discretionary grants in the first come from the health department I did see one page one is too great for the department of health the first one to provide education to youth ages ten to nineteen years old dealing with sexual risk avoidance education and the next one is to assist in providing basic primary care dental and behavioral health services for free or low cost to those persons unable to pay for medical care those are the grants today for health department next we have grants for the Department of Human Services the first when there is not amendment three but it's a time only extension for supporting their statewide data sharing infrastructure number two is to evaluate the state for opioid response grant process progress and program outcomes and it's an amendment adding money for that number three is an amendment for their evaluating the first responders comprehensive addiction and recovery act grant. Numbers of four and then number six seven and eight are all going to be the same they're all for supporting their peers achieving collaborative treatment project then number five is far certification testing Texas over to number nine we have a number of. Grants that are going to be for emergency food assistance and commodity assistant it's actually members nine through twenty nine are all going to be for those two programs Texas over to page fifteen. And we're of grant number thirty four DHS there is Grant there for literacy and outreach services there is thirty one is actually also for that commodity supplemental food program numbers thirty two three seventy one. Are these are all gonna be grants of federally funded grants for emergency solutions rental grant assistance thank you so we're to page thirty five. And this will be a great number seventy two is to continue with public private partnership that's the amendment to an existing grant with save the children federation those are all the grants on today's agenda forty eight yes we have one final grant from workforce services for tennis funds and this is a hundred percent federal this is to support the expansion of comprehensive divest domestic violence support services to past or present it does I do mystified their children transitional services necessary overcome divest domestic violence crisis that it does have and your those are all the grants on today's agenda all right and we got a question from senator rice Senator rice you go to a quick question for the DHS child care and early childhood home all right there is a marketing come up here anybody else. I Mark when you get there you'll get your name in here with a record and Senator Rice will be recognized for C.. There is a DHS mark what. All right. The ages James ponds any. What a miracle is not on the ferry there you go DHS Rachel Meijin great thank you Senator Rapert you're recognized particular question thank you I didn't mean to bring all the attention of the simple question of a lease grants for the the federal Funding for food supplements does DHS monitor well when used may be audit but monitor changes where you've got multiple counties being served out of a principal to see. If there are remarkable changes in particular counties you've got again you've got one entity in we see changes sometimes of the county in your check up on that you know we monitor that very closely we have a client served by county and by agencies so we can track not only if there's changes in population through the senses but also if the feeding organizations are maintaining distribution of food to the public evenly across the state and one of my thoughts in that you know we. We're going to deal with with what we have been heard several counties that have talked about they they feel like the senses will was awesome and it not just in one county but in in some counties even though they it was expected to be down people that really have their finger on the pulse the county that I've talked to The end of the activation reproduced with what's going on the federal government COVID and at all just. Did not respond they were dissolved grip. And and that's what I'm I'm kind of. Wanting to know when I appreciate your interest in watching that but the deal was is is for So we don't have by regions and I we lost to a child care center one day made leave or been that yes two years ago now and and I wondered you know if we how much funding we lost with that I like school ended up working some kind of build out but always appreciate that you're watching those kind of things to make sure there's no equity across the board thank you for yes all right if you wanna connect those counties with us we'd be happy to talk with them and we can take a look their number specifically and do whatever we can to assist yeah thank you Richard thank you Senator thank you all thank you wait a minute we got Senator Elliot you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chairman all right on the last thing that Senator Rice mention was the equitable distribution and that in your response I'm sorry I can't remember your name Mister in the middle bring your committee on. You said something about a check and water intend to see if we're spending equally across the state do you actually mean equally do you mean equitably across the as I could believe as we can based on need okay technically we give the maybe thirty five to forty five percent of the food that the agencies are distributing through USDA the rest are donated to. And there's a lot of factors of what people will go to a distribution or not going to distribution but our main goal is if we're providing them thirty five to forty five percent of the food that that amount goes to those counties. And we're serving them as equitably as we can I thank you for that because there's a lot of need all of the State but this is not the same everywhere so that's why I want to be clarified we're talking equitably distributed according to need that's what I heard you said thank you for that operation thank you Senator Elliot and if you all kind of stay with us here if you weren't here. First off and a recognized representative Eads you're recognized for a question Sir thank you Mr chairman I have a question on item number seventy two about save the children federation the it's a P. three project and I just wanted you can tell me a little bit about what the public part of that is versus the private part of that what it does. So it is a joint partnership and that we fund part of the programming and the expectation there is that they put up an additional portion of that funding I can get those exact numbers to you if you would like us I don't have them here today but they serve roughly eight hundred children across the state with a portion of our funding in a portion of their own what what are they doing what is save the children federation so and they do a home visiting program for infants and preschoolers around literacy and promoting literacy in the home and they also do a book bag exchange for preschool age children once again to increase their their accessibility to literacy and other materials that will help their well being as they you know insurance our educational systems thank you. Thank you we got See number forty one. Thank you I'm representive Crawford and just. Confused so help me Fairfield Connecticut. One eight AM on seventy two as well what we've been talking about help me understand. Why we send that much money to Fairfield Connecticut then to come back to us is that what I hear you saying search the last and save the children their their corporate offices are based in Fairfield but they have local operations throughout the country included in Arkansas and they'd I believe they still have employees based in Arkansas and that's where the funding is going through going to miss those operations here locally. Yes ma'am yes. Thank you and then representative Ladyman you're recognized thank you Mr what is question number thirty there can you explain what that is it's in Tennessee of this curious is what the program is as for the Dollywood foundation that is it's a literacy program course if you Miss really with that Donald foundation was formed or not only pardon they distribute books to children throughout the community of forensic pages zero for five I know my daughter is going to be signed up for that and they said a book every month and this is a tremendous leadership program to help encourage reading among young kids. Thank you. All right members thank you all and see no further questions without objection these items will stand as reviewed. Mr chairman the next group is our contracts and I. D. on the first page is a letter from a list P. stating that none of the contract submitted appear on their face to be unlawful and are therefore submitted for review the first group of contracts are going to be our construction related contracts the first one is for Arkansas tech is a contract there original contract of or. Architectural services for make ever House hall science building hi number two is USA and this is the Division of agro I and this is a a original contract with S. C. M. architects I will note that this is done as a sole source justification so this will be on page one of your yellow packet of from UA and normally what we see with the sole source justification is there are seven questions that are to be answered by the agency as to why they are needing to use this type of procurement method so we contacted them and they actually sent us an additional sheet of which is on page paper which will actually give you the sole source justification they know that in August of two thousand eighteen they began process are construction of an office building at their new port expansion center and to support the extension of research programs. As the project progressed it became apparent that the project was going to cost more than that what they had available so additional funding would be needed to the on call architect had begun original work so continuing with them all of them limonite the additional cost of starting over with a new contract so that's the actual justification for that sole source contract number three is you A. Phillips community college for planning and architectural services related to repairs to grand prairie center on the campus building under some water damage the staying during February twenty twenty one winter storms those are all the construction related contracts on today's agenda. All right members there any questions by members of the committee all right saying done without objection these items will stand as reviewed. Next we have the inter governmental contracts the first one is the health department with Arkansas minority health commission this is an original contract using COVID nineteen here's Act funding and it will be for them to be able to receive vaccinations for all racial minority populations in the State of they'll be using their mobile health unit to deploy across the state for vaccinations screenings and education UALR with Colorado state this is to evaluate per prior pride teary phone scheduling system and they're adding to this actual contract up because they are incorporating additional work into the scope number three is workers compensation commission with department transformation shared services this is actually Building Authority where they are on agreement for providing certain maintenance and operational services to worker's compensation commission that building located on Spring Street those are the all the inter governmental contracts on today's agenda. All right members are there any questions Casey none without objection these items will stand as reviewed. The next group of contracts these are are out of state contracts the first one is first three or actually with agro Department the first one there is an amendment to an existing contract for mobile device data collection services number two is far chemical waste disposal services and number three for sole integration services number four as community corrections and this is an amendment to an existing contract they have for transitional housing to provide comprehensive community based treatment services shall be a number of others in the in state for them as well on those kinds of contract you have to have a management services number five with computer aided cooperated this is an original contract which will provide staff augmentation to maintain the F. A. I. T. systems number six is the education department this is the public school funds are used of for electronic transcript road Graham and they know that this amendment is for an additional project of continuing some downloading of nightly delta file so that is for education department next we have the health department how this is an amendment to an existing contract using federal Medicaid dollars for telemarketing and I would like to note that there's additional detail on their contract this is actually for of the vaccination reminder system our childhood and adolescent vaccination reminder effort so that's what the health department on the next page is the health department with pace analytical services this shows or water services the actual detail is for drinking water of drinking quality water analysis collection and analysis of drinking water samples it's not part of the requirement from the safe drinking water act. Number nine of the health department and this one is for automated patient communication this is for a system to enable the department of health to connect with patients automatically effectively using two way email short message service an interactive always response communications. Nexstar some for the DHS the first one is DHS and this is an amendment well there are actually going to be that was an amendment to an existing contract and then there are three others they're all going to be for temporary employment services administrative support healthcare staffing and professional services in talking with them and noting that pandemic they realized they needed some of extra options available to them and so that's why they have actually for a day. Number fourteen as the H. S. and this is for development support staffing for quick base applications number fifteen and we're on page eight this is DHS original contract to support expansion of their supplemental nutrition assistance program education and training program next is DHS with General Dynamics this one is a special procurement so in your yellow packet pages two through six are going to cover the letters from that DHS as well as As P. on this when they talk about the vendor works with medical services to improve clients health outcomes and reduce Medicaid expenditures by supporting primary care providers and DHS has had a delay in procuring the replacement contract there was also some discussions about whether or not the services would be even be needed to be prepared or not so consequently an RFP was not initiated in time to solicit a replacement contract without a disruption of services so S. P. as authorized the HST initiate this special procurement through September twenty twenty two. Number seventeen is DHS with you sources provide analysis and evaluation of aggregated information. A dealing with their proper performance indicators for our choice programs we have to hear from the military department that are amendments to existing contracts one provides for the emergency management program coordinator services the other one provides a position for Arkansas National Guard anti terrorism program coordinator these are with the same entity but they are two separate positions and and job done by two separate people numbers twenty and twenty one are going to be for the northwest Arkansas community college this is for the first one is for prescription advocacy services and of this shows that a little over a million to nearly a million three but I want to point out that this is going to run from January of twenty two through the end of December of twenty five so the actual annual cost of the three hundred twenty four thousand dollars number twenty one also for northwest Arkansas community college this one is for pharmacy benefits manager again they are initiating a new contract in or carrying it out for four years at the amount of four hundred twenty six thousand dollars a year. Number twenty two is you a faithful and This is dealing with admissions graduate school and also they're adding another department your online academic department so they all are adding an additional ten thousand dollars to the contract to cover that. UALR has a contract for cost rate proposal of dealing with federal grant administration and resolution of any audit issues so those are all of the out of state contracts on today's agenda. All right so do with anybody from the health department here. I'm not saying the great. Her name Mallory Department of Health thank you Mr Mari so I'm going to my question as much as for you but I want to have you up here I'm gonna put a hold on contracts seven eight and nine and would like to get to the with a person in your department who is responsible for putting these contracts of the portal because I'm looking here at the disk but the objectives. Is I see and I think Kathy to get a good job of elaborating come in the context of what the objective these contracts were however I'm my question is for the person you know who is responsible for putting this in the portal why wasn't that done on the front end and so I want to touch base with them between now and Friday to kind of see because I think that that is to be a better job on y'all's into making sure that relevant information not just a vague tackle service telemarketing we want more specifics on there and so that is information that's coming to you know be L. R. in respect of you know of a mission isn't other staff for here making sure that members have access to that so I'm gonna put a hold on those three but I expect we're going to get that resolved between now and Friday absolutely thank you okay thank you ma'am. And then Got Senator Elliot. Would recognise you for questions all right thank you this is where I was looking for the one I was concerned about it but I think it was one of the ones that you're holding had to do with the vaccinations I think there's number seven Centralia seven number seven out when I wanted to ask is what brexit which vaccinations are we talking about we run these are adolescent and child tax base the nations it's on the ones we does normally get for kids detailed wholly happy that kind of thing okay all right childhood vaccinations and so so this this group then Contact makes contacts to remind people yes it actually interfaces with their with our immunization registry aha and figures out when those vaccinations or do and you send out information taxed on two two on parents to to get their child that their that their child vaccinations to okay I misinterpret are just just back to you your concern was about because the I've got mine and so yeah I think we should by the same concerns Senator Elliot is just a better description on exactly you know what that money's going to be spent on instead of just a generalized technical service telemarketing hi NO one members of this committee and certainly avail C. to understand you know you know some or the specifics of what exactly that's going to be doing okay all right thank you for your description I appreciate that thanks Mr thank you senator all right I think it's representative makes a C. forty three I have a question for education department and local Terry apartment thank you miss Mallory okay as my from education what else per military military. So we start with education and will as represented in order department come up afterwards. And shall introduce yourself and tell us here with for a record thank Greg Rogers Tom Education. Rachel Martin director of curriculum and assessment part of education represent a major recognized procedure question thank you Mr the question is on number six the the trying in group are we uploading all student electronic records two ACT aspire on monthly basis can you going to a lot more detail about what that is yes Sir thank you for your question I went districts enter information into our at original source database eSchool trying to take those data for the students will be testing one ACT aspire and rosters them through the system automatically that does a couple of things for us ensures that we have clean data directly from the source database but also removes a burden to districts so that that is not something for which they have to get attention in the district okay so the the only data we're sending over to them or the students that are going to take the task and then we have assurances that that data is secure that we're doing our due diligence that that that is not being used for anything else that's correct we do have data sharing agreements in place and it is only for those students who are identified as taking ACT aspire okay right that's this that's insurance as I want to thank you. Okay and forget to the Arkansas state there about another member is five representatives have a question for education no Sir I have a question for northwest Arkansas community college okay so to get back in the queue we're gonna bring up the you know the a military department and then we'll get to what what was once a community college if you don't mind representive all right thank you all and we as somebody from the military department. And if you'll please give us your name and your position for the record. This bill you're pushed their wealth over time. Yeah Cindy Steele with the Department of military grade welcome representative you're recognized for season thank you so my question is is it looks like we've got two positions and anti terrorism and a emergency management coordinators and I'm just wondering why the military is not able to handle those important duties and house of our having go to a third party vendor to get anti terrorism Emergency Management well it's the this type of services they're providing their just as the contractor they're required to have a lot of training certifications and they work they work with the military in the state and coordinating the training necessary in the so at his This Is Your five of the original contract for both of these positions but that's not something that the military can handle in house. I can answer that I don't know I can find that out for you okay I I'd be curious to the to know I mean if they're at their providing some important services to the military then that's one thing but if we're outsourcing terrorism and take care at the terrace and take care is yeah. Reining in the the the training that the providing the coordination between different offices in different states and towns and okay Marie's okay I'm I'm just kind of curious as to how that works and do we create a vulnerability by relying on outside sources instead of handling that through the military and the department of defense itself. So this deal if you can get well I understand my above answer that question right now but if you could get with represent Nicks and cap the Billboard detailed description of why that is you know having the way that it is we get that out to all members of the committee. I can do that yeah thank you and then I got a question for you along different lines I was looking at this contracts and number eighteen and nineteen I don't see any technical changes of within this contract in the dollar amount is the same from year to year than the you know there's no there's no additions or subtractions to the contract so I guess my question is you know and Kathy if you can correct me if I'm wrong here shouldn't this be under report and not review since there are no changes will see will very often from this committee so At I guess it it should be I okay I don't know who's entered into the portal and okay comes out work from them well I'm gonna get. Okay a that you have something that you if you come up here yeah the correct. Oct to give your name and position for the record it would Armstrong with the office of state procurement and the Department of transformation and shared services so you raise the question this is something to consider when the next legislative session rolls around at the statute on the reporting and review identifies. Change of total projected contract amount as something that would trigger review but it also has a line that says change in contract amount so when you put those together it ends up to little confusing because originally our intent was if it changes the overall amount then that's material that comes over but if it was less than the total projected amount if it's some other change we were thinking that would be a material and wouldn't have to come over but because the statute also has that line it also says change in contract amount they made it so that even just the yearly edition of the same amount is a change in the contract amount I don't think you guys this really want to see that that would be it for you to consider insurance and I'm not gonna hold us or anything you know Mr Armstrong as to what I you know like it's like you know you and I along with staff and sure Russia Wardlaw numbers about Bragg would like to be there on just as if there's anything that needs to be done to clarify that even if that's in the next legislative session just so we have a better idea there thank you Sir you're very welcome thank you all right members all right seeing over questions without objections these items with standing number seven eight and nine for the department of health will stand as reviewed open I'm sorry I'm sorry Nicole back because I've got representatives who have a question on Northwest Arkansas college. You represented these I apologize Sir no worries thank you. I'll try to be quick Mr Hodge's welcome Sir. Happy to see everyone that's on the table for. Sounds like I need no introduction but I'm Grant Hodges a committee and executive director of community and government relations and marketing with us Arkansas community college representatives of eve you're welcome to take your swing. Thank you Mr chairman good afternoon Mister Hodges of. Just look at that item twenty and twenty one one of them is talking about I guess it's called sharks which is but performing prescription advocacy services and it looks like it's got a total projected costs of about two point two million and then you've got a PBM program that is projected to be I guess about two point nine so I'm just a little curious that it the the difference in those two what I understand what a PBM is clearly in what I'm trying to figure out what you're doing on the other side of that with sharks. I'm glad you understand that representatives of despite rooming with representative Justin Boyd down here for several years I still have never figured out what PBMs are or how they work but it best I can understand it so we we have our our PBM provider southern scripts and then sharks providing an overlay so essentially so descriptions are PM but then the stars program about seventy seven hundred and seventy five members in our five PM the sharks programs for our high cost members high cost incidents so if there's a prescription over three hundred fifty dollars that triggers are sharks benefit and the sharks our program works with our members last I knew we had a seventeen members in sharks and they work with them on this high cost prescriptions. Some so if you only have seventeen in the high cost and you're looking at a total projected cost of two point nine million dollars I'm assuming someone has run the numbers to make sure that that's. Yeah we that we run the right way yes we saw actually we currently are contracted with us other scripts and sharks we've seen a savings of a hundred forty five thousand dollars since we've gone with considers other scripts and sharks we have seen a significant savings. All right are you saying the savings over over and above the amount you're going to spend on those programs yes and I just this current year yes. All right well I guess it's safe to say that you're currently now a fan of PBMs. No no comment I know opinion on PBMs all right thank you Mr house I appreciate the clarification thank you Mr houses you are indeed as smart as you look Sir. All right members see no further questions and without objections with the exceptions of contracts seven eight and nine these items will stand as reviewed. Mr chairman that's the last group of contracts are in state contracts the first group we're going to be or community correction number one through twelve these are all going to be for amendments to existing contracts for transitional housing to provide comprehensive community based treatment services that takes over to number thirteen that's on page eighteen of this one also is for community correction for re entry housing to provide comprehensive community community based treatment services number fourteen is corrections department this is for their waste disposal services at the amendment to an existing contract and number fifteen is for crop hauling services in East Arkansas for the corrections department nexus education school for the deaf number sixteen out of this is that cleaning contract that they have with the envy janitorial services number seventeen this is a contract for the health department this is with S. and S. management group of federal funding a public health emergency it states that it's for armed security guard services again the detail in the contract says to provide additional security services at the Arkansas department of health public health lab and between the hours of six and twelve thirty it notes that they the services will only be provided with the public health lab employees are engaged additional evening our ships you too excessive testing me. I then on the next page number eighteen start some for DHS number eighteen for nursing services that Arkansas Health Center numbers nineteen through twenty five are all going to be for comprehensive substance abuse treatment services those are going to be amendments to existing services Texas over to page of twenty seventh contract number twenty six this is one for DHS with Arkansas Baptist children's homes this is one that is not adding any money to the amendment but it is revising the scope of work and performance indicators this has to do with a continuing their specialized licensed private license placement agency services. Eubanks system number twenty seven this one is always Stephens it's a consultant who works on comprehensive of mergers and acquisitions they know that they have private funds available for funding that number twenty eight U. L. R. this is for electrical networking services cabling and installation services and those are all of the in state contracts on today's agenda. All right This is for the health of order hadn't a hold on the contract seventeen this Mallory you don't need to come up here and I guess the purpose of it is the same as the the the previous contracts and that is just the one to visit with the person's putting this in the portal and you know ask them why they are not you know put a more detailed description of these contracts and again I'm sure that this is something that we're gonna get worked out between now and Friday so I just want you in a lot of there's a committee to know that is what I'm gonna be putting a hold on this. And that is again that is contract number seventeen for the health department member seen no further questions and without objections with the exception of contract number seventeen these items will stand as reviewed. Mr chairman the next group in our our reports the first report is previously reviewed con services contracts and the second report is contracts under the threshold for review and the final report are critical emergency contracts and those are all reports for today's agenda. All right members thank you very much for your time and effort today and with that we are adjourned.