Arkansas Legislative Council (ALC)

Legislative Council. Get seeded get quiet we've got quite a bit of business to go through today and we'll get through it the as soon as possible we do have some members are going to be tending of funeral right around what we hope we will get our business done. Of. First to recognize We we have minutes that the we need to adopt appropriate look does your packet. Got a motion to adopt the minutes second by Motion by representative about second by wrecked Senate makes all in favor aye. Opposed winds are adopted or recognize my co chair representative Wardlaw for announcmenet interdiction. Thank you Mr chair for a point of personal privilege guys we very often recognize our districts for achievements and today it is with great honor to recognize Fordyce school and you guys would stay in. These guys built a rocket. And placed in the national competition second time in Arkansas is my understanding that we had a team do that. Representive Alton you're recognized to present them. With a citation if you guys would come for. Right. Thank you Mr chair. Senate. I'm excited to have this group here with me today and and with a German Wardlaw the resolution says whereas the American Rocketeer challenges sponsored by the Aerosmith industry association the national association of rock Terry. And more than twenty aerospace industry partners including the national aeronautics. And space administration the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Department of Defense. Whereas the twenty twenty one rules for the American Rocketeer challenge required teams to design build and launch a model rocket that carries one raw egg to an altitude of eight hundred. Eat to stays airborne for forty two forty three seconds and returns to the ground safely with a raw egg intact. Whereas the red bug rocket tears are one of one hundred teams from across the country competing to claim the title of national champion and whereas the red bird rock tears or a team of two seniors measures gray who is the captain. Missouri's Crutchfield. And and three freshmen Mr Bryant. Mr Oakley and Mr Pierce. M. one junior Mr Ross. Their coach is coach Wilson and the reason that I get to do this today yes I know coach Wilson because my daughter actually taught at their at the red bug nation so I want to congratulate them on just such a great accomplishment for the state of Arkansas and put the red bugs on the national map so let's give them a round of applause. And chairman Wardlaw is going over a present them a letter from us so congratulations again coach would you like to say anything. These kids will start this. Are these kids work really hard and they were really excited to represent Arkansas. This competition's been going on since twenty oh two and Paragould was other team I think they made it in two thousand and three in this the first team since that date to compete from Arkansas there were six hundred and fifteen teams nationwide and that includes the Virgin Islands and and or other attachments but other made the top one hundred out COVID you know it affected everything down to the smallest level we know that I had a bunch of seniors on the team of from twenty twenty that actually shot the scores that got us into this national competition but they were not able to participate because COVID shut it down two weeks before we got our final numbers. But without them we would have been able to do any of this so. I just you know it for these kids the seniors that came back. To see what went through with them they wanted to put all the kids names that would have anything to do with the rocket on the rocket so when they flew in Texas last Sunday you know they went out with him so we're gonna recognize them this weekend and for us at the cot built as well too so I just want to put that out there that we had a lot of help going into this art ministration was gracious enough to let us do this and a big thanks to Lockheed Martin down in Camden of they they added this to their engineering we competition and these kids just run off with it for the past three years so we're just really blasting and collided Joe gave us this time all congratulations again again guys. Thank you all for being here so much what we do is is fourth future young people and we like a good report thank you. Okay members it's hard to follow that up but we will recognize culture Wardlaw how to give the report for the executive subcommittee. So the executive subcommittee met yesterday on June eighteenth we heard from senator Kim Hammer regarding request for expenditures related to a study of employer participation that request was held to the July meeting subcommittee also heard from a single group request in the process of its employee health benefits study as part of that discussion it was recommended that the S. A. O. C. subcommittee meet. On a different day ten different schedule just so the members understand that we will be moving that Tuesday and Wednesday meetings to Monday and Tuesday and Elsie executive committee will now meet on Wednesday morning and Thursday morning it will be a two day of per council week meeting the subject matters to stick to handle in a one day meeting subcommittee also authorized the bureau to proceed with an RFP process for state budgeting revenue forecast consultant finally to subcommittee recommend the attacks schedule for presentations from the Department secretaries through October and that is pursuant to act for thirteen of twenty twenty one I move adoption of the report be happy take any questions Mr. Okay members not saying any of the questions I have a motion to adopt board I have a second. The second all in favor aye. Posed. Passes I did skip over the Arkansas revenue report and we will have that next. Thank you Mr good morning at least in it of Legislative Research on the Legislative economist here to present the may twenty twenty one revenue report. We are eleven months into this fiscal year cumulative gross general revenues are up fifteen point eight percent this represents nine hundred and ninety one million. From this time last year and net general revenues are up fifteen point seven percent thank. Yes please viewpoint just. Well it closer to your it's got to Corder has that that's good thank you I would. Senate available for distribution is up eighteen point two percent. If you turn to the second page. This is the graph of our net deviation from forecast. The net general revenue available is nine hundred and eighty million dollars above what is forecast. On the third page. You see that gross receipts taxes are up thirteen point two percent. And total income taxes are up eighteen point two percent from the same period last year. Thank concludes my report I'd be happy to take any questions. Senator Hammer you're recognized for a question. Thank you Mr on the front page would you give me a explanation on the economic development incentive fund and the The difference. On that and just help me understand what that is. Certainly the economic development incentive fund is general revenue that is disbursed to qualified businesses who have entered a financial incentive plan and it is down from this period last year. And our what we believe is the reason for that is just if you were applications to be included in that plan. Okay and then over on page three. Under alcohol beverage taxes. ABC permit violations. I understand that right show to be down fifty two point three percent can you explain that for me please. I don't have that information with me Senator but I can look into it and get back with you the art you would please thank you. Thank you Mr. Representative make sure recognized thank you Mr right here in front of my question is is the or looking at almost a billion dollars above forecast do we know what is driving that That access and how much of it is related to the stimulus and all the access money that the federal government's giving out because the pandemic. Sir and I don't want to speak for DFA's all just briefly say I think a lot of it is the stimulus money and then just a lot of uncertainty that's come through and forecasting uncertainty is always challenging. and then given that do we know what effect that might have in the budget going forward DO as the anticipation once the stimulus and that will go back close to forecast go below forecast global forecasts or any way of of knowing that that is something we're looking into but it's difficult to know how long it'll take before that money truly leaves our budget all right thank you thank you Mr. You saying no more questions thank you for your report thank you. There's next we will have a ministry rules report to us Senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr the administrative rules subcommittee met on Wednesday June sixteenth the subcommittee heard an update from your staff about the status of code of the code of Arkansas rules subcommittee also received an agency update on delinquent rulemaking under ACT five seventeen to two thousand nineteen all rules were reviewed and approved I make a motion to adopt this report. Okay members any questions on report for rules. Not I have a motion to prove that the second. Yes second all in favor aye. Posed. The report is approved. Where your next going to go To hear. Schemidt personnel we're we're moving that and personnel committee report be from senator Wallace. Thank you Mr chairman. Chairman the personal committee met on June sixteenth at one thirty in room a of mac make building the Committee reviewed approved the items listed as one through twenty on the report which included new request continuations of previous review request reports someone supplemental agenda item I would be happy to entertain any questions or moved to adopt the port at the proper time. Members any questions I have a motion to approve the second all in favor aye ACT opposed. The report is approved thanks to have a review of our school. We are now to order give me up. Right here with senator. DISMANG thank Mister chairman of the peer subcommittee met on Tuesday June fifteenth as noted in the report the subcommittee approved several request reviewed a number of other request received reports the subcommittee took no action on the two American rescue plane request for the department of health those are items B. one D. and B. two I recommended to council they ADC request for a or P. appropriation be approved at the lesser amount of thirty million dollars contingent on the submission of a new approval letter from the CFO with direction for the commission to resubmit the request for the hundred twenty million with a detailed plan that's item B. to B. two I. an attachment six. So approved at the restricted reserve transfer request with a contingency the transfer request for thirty five million in personnel for the Department education be changed from the year twenty twenty one and twenty two twenty twenty two that contingency was met in the adoption the previous report the committee held two items for more information to be provided to members the first is restricted reserve a transfer for the Division of higher education a row Scholarship sets item age six and a cash preparation increase for the FOR AOC for the judicial voter guide that's item K. to a an attachment five at this point. I guess is there a discussion on the. Hi Bridget how are education a rule scholarships. The Senator Irvin you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair and yes to Senator Dismang question it I have gotten more information on this I I fully support this request I just would like for there to be included in the motion that the other rule scholarship that exists also be fully funded and for that request to be brought before us at and the next meeting. So that we can fully funds both of the rule scholarships. Senator Dismang. So just trying to make sure I understand the a recommendation so. They would bring the other rules and request that they bring a letter to fund the other scholarships to fully fund that fully funded scholarships we're not making this contingent on the funding of those other scholarships that okay no I just would like them to bring requires us to consider at at the next day okay and you want to do that for motion was going to do the request verbally and I can do the request verbally a spoken with the FNA about that and be able to look at that because I think both rule scholarships need to be fully funded and the one that is existing I think is lacking and needs to also be fully fund it so I would ask for you to just bring a request to us at the next meeting for us review that and make a decision at that point thank you. I will with that I'd be happy to take any questions for the senator Hammer recognized for a question. Thank you Mr cannot addresses to Senator Dismang yes thank you senator Dismang I just wanna be clear what we're asking what's going on as far as what we're going to vote on we're going to vote to approve the request to fund the Scholarship that is before so it's been through the committee and then Senator Irvin. Is respectfully gonna ask that DFA when the letter of commitment to fund the other scholarship which would be funded at the next A. L. C. meeting should all that work out in my understanding what we're voting on correct right and she's already made the request that's not gonna be a part of my motion and that that that part is done so at this point would just be a motion to adopt the report approval items right because this would not voting on this would not stop what's before us today it would go forward with the funding request correct yeah we voted from day then it will move forward thank you. Thank you Mr at math. Senator and I'll but I also would like to request that we pull out the two hundred thousand dollar and expenditure from that yeah that will not be part of the motion will consider that Sir okay thank you. Senator Hendren you're recognized. Thank you Mr I guess I just need to get a lot more clarity item L. the the broadband. I see the in the agenda there it says the request is for a hundred fifty million and then I see in bold print that there's going to be another letter. Thirty million requests for us to approve today and I guess my request is has there been a letter submitted for thirty million dollars. or we should just here with the hundred fifty me what what is before a LC today. Currently the request is for the full amount that amount was not approved by committee but rather wanted to this one for consideration to my knowledge there has not been a letter submitted by the CFO for the thirty five million dollars separate and so we'll have a further discussion outside the adoption of the report regarding the A. L. C. two hundred thousand dollars and then the broadband so you're going to pull those items out vote those separately for a separate discussion that's right okay. Okay Senator Dismang. Good for motion issued me of center and you're recognized thank you Mr chairman back on H. Molested six I think yeah H. six I see this is within the Division of higher education but what is the exact source of these funds and. I think Senator Irvin referred to funding other scholarships and I was wondering if we could get some more clarity about that what's meant by other scholarships so that that particular request is restricted to a fund transfer requests for the year twenty twenty two I think you know there is nothing contingent on releasing this restrict reserve allotment for these other scholarships I think what she's walking to do and has done is just state to the F. A. and those involved that you would like to have a letter sent over for that is making a public comment for that request is it that you're referring to the other scholarships that's correct. The but we don't know what they are what they are what they may be pointed to or. When we're trying to get in the scholarships is my understanding but again that would be if there was a letter sent over then we would have a separate discussion how to come through peer I will vote on it will have more specifics at that point. Okay so can anybody submit a letter asking for a scholarship only so letters can only be submitted by the executive branch we can make requested I want that's what I mean anybody can can make a request yeah I make a request okay all right thank but not not to us I mean to the exact brand Jacqueline I understand thank you. I am on the but Senator Irvin in in representative Dotson center go ahead. Yes so members of the legislature there's an existing rule medicine scholarship that's been there for years at UAMS for both tia's and employees but it hasn't been fully fund it and I just think that it's an important policy position for us to fully fund the scholarships for real medicine and so for going to fully fund to this one I just think that we should also fully fund the other one and that's about a hundred twenty five thousand dollar request to fully fund what's existing rule medicine scholarship which is for both Indies Antaeus so and then I think in the future we might look at combining these two into one so that we can have like a more of intentional I don't think this is intentionally done this way it's just kind of as a as a result of legislation but I do believe that real medicine is important and that we have a good to scholarship program for our ideas and our entities that I just want us to have a smart fiscal policy behind that so I would like for them to both be fully funded but in the future I think we should work to try to combine the two into one and really encourage and support those D. as in those M. D.'s moving out and practicing medicine a rule Arkansas that's the reason I held this and the reason why I'm asking for the other one too right now to be fully funded but then working in the future we may have to take legislative action to combine the two that just makes more sense to me so that's that's the reason behind my request for the members of the legislature thank you. Representative Dr thank you Mr chair the this question Senator Dismang your motion I thought I heard you say that the AOC two hundred thousand request and the hundred fifty million for broadband will be considered separately my questions on B. one. D. I think it is the ninety point eight million four Department of Health is that also being considered separately or is that being adopted as part of this motion. My time. All right and so the recommendation which would then be part of the report was submission of on signifying requip I think we took no action on it yet no action on that so we do not take action is not to be final approval in the vote and so that was not going to be part of. part of my motion I have not made a motion that would be part of it thank you. Good dismaying fuel to state your motion. I move adoption report including the approval of item age six and move to pull out items B. two one the broadband requested items G. and K. two A. for the A. L. C. which will be discussed to separate items. Okay members here to motion all in favor aye. Opposed that motion to adopt. Okay members. As. Part of the your report In the peer meeting Senator Ingram had requested that a representative from off of the ministry Office courts to be present to discuss the two hundred thousand dollar request for voter pamphlets in your packet you have a letter from Chief Justice justice the camp stating that the AOC does not get involved in judicial elections therefore there is no representative from the AOC to take any questions there's also no other state entity that has any information or is available to answer any questions and Legislative Council does not take testimony from the public at its meetings that would be it subcommittee there for Senator Dismang will address the issue next. Senator Dismang. Thank you committee that items G. and K. to a regarding the two thousand rainy day transfer in Kasur preparation increase for the administrative office of the courts be referred back to the pier subcommittee. We have take any questions. I am good at the Senator Flippo you're recognized thank you chairman I just have a substitute motion at the appropriate time. The two motion would be the appropriate time okay up I move that we not adopt the I. two hundred thousand dollars for the AOC. I have a second we have discussion on the motion. Okay have substitute motion on the floor P. understand not to adopt the two hundred thousand dollars for the voter pamphlets that I just read a literal nails the. All in favor the substitute motion say aye hi opposed. The ayes have it. Senator Dismang back to you. Well it's not be Senator Flippo okay. This Is owned broadband. They did adopt a substitute motion. All right thank you Mr chairman I move that item B. two one Herbie two. For the two lines the T. L. okay sorry B. two L. on the broadband request be referred back to the appears to subcommittee with final approval by the full A. L. C. this will serve as notice of a waiver of the six day notice of the meeting avail C.. We have to take any questions. A question for Senator Dismang. Representative makes your recognized I guess my question is is we've got projects for broadband the ready to go and by doing this how much is it how long is this going to create a delay for those projects because we have our cans to they need the service yesterday. I mean the only way that I know responding in the chairs may want to take this up some but I think there was a request by the subcommittee that we need to their thirty million dollars of shovel ready projects ready to go and had requested that a new letter be sent over for the thirty million not including the hundred twenty of that letter was not sent over this morning with that I think there is some you know that the plan that was originally approved by the During committee included wireless service which the feds have said that wireless services not included but only fiber would be included in this thing to request the subcommittee wishes to see how that would play out a little more specifically again this but the the hope is and again I'll refer it back to the I chair's bill see is that we quickly move on this that we receive a letter that maybe addresses some of those concerns and then we're able to take that up in a emergency meeting and that is part of the reason for the waiver of the six day notice. Mister chair can I do a substitute motion. Okay if you. a written records it recognized my co chair representative Wardlaw. So to follow up behind Senator Dismang I would say that he hit it pretty well nail on the head there was a request for the thirty million dollars to make sure the shovel ready projects are not delayed a second that request was not fulfilled. The the problem with the hundred twenty million in committee the other day is that they do not meet the guidelines for the A. R. P. funds and they need to tweak and tweak was a term that eighty eighty C. used in their presentation so it it felt more comfortable that day in committee I don't think there was a nay vote on that motion to wait into that tweaking had taken place and come back thirty days later and approved those those projects were not ready therefore get him ready bring back in we would approve that so thirty million was requested they didn't send us a letter so here here's what we are I would say and I have conferred with my co chair that we will call a meeting as soon as possible if they get those street or they send us a different letter to make sure we can get to show when the ground on those projects. Okay of recognize Senator Hendren. Yep thank you Mr chairman this is a somewhat significant decision I think it's representative Meeks said we've got real problems with broadband like forty second worst in the country in a quarter million people with zero broadband so before we send this back to committee and start the the the term for the could delay this I guess is or someone from the administration that could come and answer some questions about. Do they still support a hundred and fifty million dollar request. Are the project is this it are the projects is there more than thirty million dollars it shovel ready and I I guess I just have some questions I'd like to hear before we make a decision delaying broadband for folks who need it. Okay we've got to Mr Preston. You'll come forward. If you determine where the dentist by yourself for the record you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman good morning committee members Mike Preston secretary of commerce. Stephen porch executive robin manager for commerce and. Chief counsel. So I guess my my question is what what we have before us today is a request for a hundred fifty million dollars and we have heard from some members on up here that there was only thirty million dollars shovel ready is is that true or do you have are you ready to start rolling out the entire hundred fifty million dollars to get folks broadband today. The Senate Senate to answer your question yes there's there's we still support the requested a hundred and fifty million dollars because those are the projects that we have in hand we will classify thirty million of those is shovel ready put amended me on a shovel in the ground tomorrow the remaining bulk of that about a hundred fifteen million are extremely close to being shovel ready however we would need to make some tweaks to their engineering. They need to make sure that they're backstopping that knowing that there's appropriation funding available they made this request and the other program still opening still available if they make these tweaks some of a very minor some of them are five or as opposed to fixed wireless they do seem to make sure that they're hitting the threshold of one hundred one hundred upload download speed versus twenty five three which is what is outline the cares Act is different to the A. R. P. so that have to go back and change that on the application so it might just be a very simple change in the application that makes them shovel ready so directly yes they can be ready in a day or two as opposed to you know waiting much longer. So this this this program is is under the legislation that we pass the General Assembly passed creating this broadband program correct yes Sir and the rules and regulations for this program have been approved by the General Assembly about how would be administered correct that's correct okay thank you. I'm going to. Speaker Shepherd and then the lease Senator Hammer after that. Thank you Mr chairman just to be clear with regard to the hundred fifty million. The they're seventeen projects that as you said are shovel ready for thirty million which I think everybody is is an agreement we would love to fund this point **** hundred twenty million which covers the other six thirty seven projects that correct yes right yes Sir. So the the additional hundred fourteen million plus there's a six million dollar cushion that was added to it and you would agree that tweaking those projects maybe in excess of a hundred twenty million dollars correct that could yes because number room art well. I don't have it calculated from the but there are several that are fixed wireless that likely if they change their project engineering on it to account for fiber that would increase the cost of it so that number could could rise so in the end yes I think a few of those would projects would go up and cost may have follow up. Yes Sir and then also isn't it correct that if we were to approve a hundred fifty million dollars that actually you could expand that on other projects that we don't even have awareness of at this point. If these projects don't come back and make the changes then we could open it back up but I would think that projects that are this close to being in the ground or shovel ready are going to be you know funded quicker before something that's just getting together today but but my understanding is that you continue to receive applications and they're actually other applications that have been received that are not reflected on either the schedules that we've been provided the the requested it slow down when the fact that we don't have any funding available so I you know once it's known that there's additional funds into it yes will probably receive new applications so you know to be clear I'm all for that thirty million at this point and have expressed that I'm in favor of the hundred twenty million at the point in time that those projects meet the requirements of the federal government but at this point This this sensually would would amount to just handing the money over to be used on any number of projects whether they're listed or not correct. The representative yes it is it could you this is this going in line with how we did this administer this program for the last eight months once it was approved by the legislature that we had the pot of money the request came in and we funded on these are the request the reflective came in since that time we ran out of money so they need to still out there you know we were able to deploy broadband because of that first initial hundred eighteen million dollars to roughly a hundred thirty thousand more Kansans these projects total about a hundred fifty thousand our Kansans were waiting for it. Not exactly like the previous but program because the requirements have changed with a talk about how it's funded through the legislature that it's it's funding to a program rather than we take each project specifically back each month to a L. C. for review and and I'm open to that certainly open to that discussion thank you. Thank you let let me state this occurred my co chair did do. you stated that. Funding is is going to bring an application. I think I can confidently say this legislature wants to fund broadband. We have a job we have legislation that says what we're supposed to do we want to do our job we want you to do your job because you have a job to do that we project that. But this is not the cares Act money. So. If we have a plan is ready is the chair's we've we've said we will expedite. To get that approved according to what membership which just want to say that publicly Senator Hammer you're recognized. Thank you Mr AS one with the explanation as for why we didn't receive the letter for thirty million so we can go ahead and move that out. And deal with the other portion as a secondary item. I think the governor made it clear that his desire was the hundred fifty billion. But he had the option to send thirty million so we can get that either why we work out the details on the rest is that correct and again Senator thank you he was very supportive of moving forward with a hundred fifty million that's why he stuck to that request and with regards to the uncertainties of the contractor out there with the changes that are you know occurring in changing engineering. how long you thanks for those that are committed on that hundred twelve hundred fifteen million how long do you think you'd take them to get those back to where you're satisfied to release the money a week ten days in each one's going to be fairly unique so I had to speak to him as a as a group in its entirety but I would think several of them would just be minor that if they're ready to go it would be a matter of days not a matter of weeks so if you would put the word out to them and say. ALC is holding this until we get the complete package back to come back before peer what would be wrong with that approach so we could have that transparency of exactly how all this is going to be handled so that we have some involvement in the process well I I would want to speak for the the internet service providers but I would think that they would want the the confidence insurance that it's already been approved before they spend anymore money going back and having to do anymore engineering re engineering work on the application what did not speak to the fact that if they don't know what they're going to do that we shouldn't release the money to them with the uncertainty of how it's going to be utilized and if at all they could go ahead and go with it if we turn over the money first why would they not have it already in place it would be released to them overlook the release to the the broadband office to then evaluate the pros the project. Right which I don't I fail to see what complication is if we are willing to call peer or ALC an emergency basis for you to get these details worked out come back and how that would in any way shape or form slow the process down because they need to have all that information ready to go before the moneys turned loose or before we give it to you to turn it loose to them and then something go wrong afterwards and I just fail to see how that slows anything down by doing it that way again I don't speak for the the I. S. P.'s but if if I'm you know putting myself into their mindset you know they're you know they don't want to spend anymore money and hedge their bet hoping that the legislature will come back together and meet and then approve it I think they'd like to see somebody of certainty before they're gonna put anymore into it okay well I think we've been pretty true to do what we say we would do so I hope they throw that in consideration thank you Mr Senator Dismang and then the Senator sample after that. So on on the discussion the providers may be reluctant to move forward I mean I think on the on the same or we probably had some providers that didn't make proposals because of you know that was the reason wireless based issues or whatever I mean so you have heard from providers that is said that is legislature does not release these funds today than you know we're not willing to move for with our project to do the engineering needed. To meet the requirements of the federal law again I don't want to speak for the wireless providers I'm not have not had a direct conversation with them on that just as thinking as a a practical business decision from there part that's probably what that has a Tatian would be from them. That Senator Dismang. Senator sample you're recognized. Thank you Mr. I've had at a provider that's. Been spending money on engineering for eight months and we still haven't got a. Any answer I mean so how long is this tweaking going to take. We can meet in six days. I'm not I'm not familiar with what project you referred and I'd have to. Look into a for more details on. I know Mr porch's quite familiar with my projects. I apologize Senator sample but. If you can refresh wrapping going through a lot of projects is talking to a lot of people saw I'm sorry I know that we have spoken thank we met twice on the with the wireless provider and in that process is been going on for at least eight months and I have spent been spending money all the time on engineering and so this tweaking. I mean sex lives not gonna matter we you with they've been tweaking and and working on this for eight months. Well what I can say to you Senator Senator sample is I do recall that meeting now the issue in with that provider is we've got information from our technical reviewers asking them to give us certain information we were not given that information when I came and I met with you I provided the emails that we have sent to this particular provider asking for certain information and we have not gotten that information from them other providers when we asked them about information they have a very quick turnaround time in getting that information back to us so it really depends on the provider and their willingness to give us what we need determines how quickly we can react to my provider I've talked to in a couple of times since we've had that those meetings and they have indicated that they continue to provide information but still haven't gotten any resolve on the matter. Senator I haven't I have not seen that information I'll be more than happy to meet with them again if there has been a problem with it my whole goal here is to help and make sure that every once community gets what they're what they need but I am more than willing to meet with them sit with them whatever it needs to do that however I will say in this particular situation that was a fixed wireless of deal here we're talking about fiber which they would have to completely change the core of their business to be able to get these funds there are funds. Well that's what we're holding that is because we've got a there's not ever place in the state that can have fiber in that far would work. The wireless in the in longer areas of special in mind works very mountainous. It is a much simpler operation. That's that's true it's more economically sound to do that what is not impossible to do it I've known some of the electric coops that have went into those areas boring out the Spence was like two hundred and thirty thousand miles to do that and we're trying to be efficient with the funds that we have but I do recognize your point Senator and you have my number I will come and take care of whatever I can to make sure that everyone's happy thank you thank you Mr. The shares will recognize secretary Walters thank you for joining us Mr chairman I just a provided two of the committee a letters that request the thirty million dollars that we've been talking about for broadband at a twenty. Twenty two. Twenty twenty twenty twenty twenty to. All right members we have a request for thirty million dollars for the ETC broadband infrastructure. The discussion of. This time set of senator Hammer you're recognized Indian representative Dotson after that thank you Mr would you refresh my memory do we have a motion on the floor now. we do have a motion thank you for doing that will go back the. Two Senator Dismang let me get one more request it's been waiting representative Dotson I just at the proper time refresh my memory what the motion is or maybe Senator Dismang with this information wants to amend his motion thank you. Thank you Mr chair Mr Preston question for you as. Thank you guys for for first of all thanks for seven thirty million dollar letter I think we need to get that taken care of hopefully we're about to do that but with regards to the other projects other hundred fourteen million dollars worth of projects how long is it gonna take for you to update or or tweak the rules reflecting the differences between the cares Act and A. R. P. funds so that we can we can actually approved for the remainder of the projects there on the books and then secondarily how much money do you think it will take into talent T. to to expand broadband across the state with I mean I guess the question is how much of these A. R. P. funds do we need to set aside at in addition to this hundred and. Fourteen million dollars worth of projects are on the books right now or requests are made to fully fund us across the state thank you representative for the question and and yes we can turn around the rules you know extremely quick we've already looked at those so we're ready to go on on rules to make those changes we hope to you know we sent a request to treasury because you to center samples point we we agreement fixed wireless needs to be an option in this there's areas it's going to make more economic sense if we're able to to utilize a fixed wireless it will drop the the price significantly to cover the entire state but you know estimated you're looking probably at least a half a billion dollars to fully get us to where we need to be in totality okay if I might be able to just request that you get those rules to us like if you can turn around as quickly as possible given to us as quickly as possible maybe we can consider them even before the end of next month or at least with the next month when we're we're considering the rest of this. And bring that that request as well as soon as possible for how much you think it in totality it is so we have a bucket of funds available so we can start getting those those applications in not to get things approved yes Sir thank you. Okay I understand represent makes you've withdrawn your substitute motion Senator Dismang you're recognized. Because nobody got a. I think so thank you Mr chairman members we are in receipt of a letter requesting thirty million dollars there was some discussion dishes conversation with the FAA would make sure these are this thirty million spent on what we call the shovel ready projects I'm assuming those are identified if you could send that list of those projects Dale C. to be submitted are you know disseminated amount amongst members that would be helpful but with that I'd like to withdraw my. EDS motion. related to do we ever make. For. E. X. with a substitute I'd like to the withdrawal withdraw my previous motions. Okay the we have a. Senator Hendren you're recognized discussion yeah I think this question probably for the chair for of the chair of peer I I wanna understand the process here because I heard represent Dotson talking about rule changes so we're we're proving thirty million dollars under the current rules that all of these applicants have applied for and what I'm hearing from the agency is. Only reason not approve any other ones is because they need to adjust their applications because I'm somewhat concerned if we're gonna come back and change the rules after we've already approved thirty million dollars for the projects to the remaining hundred twenty million dollars for the projects so I guess my question is are all it is the only thing that we are waiting for on the other hundred twenty million dollars for those applications to be adjusted or we going to change the rules of the game and and stuff and the legislature started value waiting these individual projects. Senate is mine yeah I mean I don't believe that's the the point we're looking at so I'm going to do two things I have to motions that we separate I'm assuming my there's wrong can need to without objection all right and so the first one will be a pretty you know to approve the thirty million dollar fund requested the second is to waive the six day rule for a L. C. that way peer in Nailsea can come in and move quickly as soon as you know whatever these adjustments are that are needed can be may. And if I if I could. All of the questions chair so Senator Dismang I guess that's what I'm trying to clarify it sounds like we want to get the other hundred twenty approved in the next week which I a hundred percent support but I guess what I want to know is that's you were waiting for them to adjust the applications to comply that's one issue but if we're going to start changing the rules are adjusting the applications that's a different thing which of those are we doing what we're waiting for the applications are going to have to change because everyone that submitted with any wireless portion is not in compliance with the federal requirements and so there will have to be an adjustment. About eighty C. you know for their request for proposals or have this thing but that is the that is what we're waiting for the correct that that is the only thing we're waiting for to approve this. That's my understanding okay. Okay represent representative Shepherd you're recognized thank you Mr chairman and just to be clear based on this thirty million dollar request it's my understanding of what I would like confirmation that this thirty million will be applied to the projects that are in front of us today the seventeen projects in front of us today it will and and the number I don't know if we need to to a quick change in a letter but it's actually thirty million seven hundred three thousand four hundred twenty two to fully satisfy that so I think we've been talking around number thirty million is actually three point seven. It members that is what the list says in your packet it's for figure of it the commission stated and as a follow up to the center hindrance questions about timing on the additional one hundred twenty million. Correct me if I'm wrong but these these projects I mean there there's going there could be projects that are able to quickly make adjustments within a matter of days or weeks other projects they may never make the adjustment or they may determine not to move forward so I just want to be clear it's not as if there's going to be appointed time necessarily where everyone of those additional projects are necessarily up to speed and so I think that's if if when there's going to be an expectation of having a follow up A. L. C. meeting. It seems that there would have to be some discretion involved because you may have we may only have one project over the next month actually ever. Meets the requirements but on the other hand maybe committee do but I just would want the membership to understand that just in terms of how this progresses would would would you all agree I yes thank you for that I was. One of I'm in a position to ask a question that's kind of what I was wondering to we to bring it back each time we get it because in the next week we you know there's no probably fifteen or twenty on here that are fiber that are gonna need maybe just minor tweaking that could come back in a day or two and so we come back with you know eighty million dollars but then the other ones come back in a week later after they met you know it's just are we gonna have to keep doing this or is it going to be a grant program like we did for the last year or is it going to be more of one off every time we get a handful of projects we need to come and let the legislature look at it. In my view that's that's I mean personally I would be fine with coming back with you Nailsea in July and whatever we have been we could we could consider an additional request for funds but I'm also okay if if the if there's this idea that it needs to might need to be looked at sooner than later I'm I'm fine with the the chairs having some discretion to determine if there's a need to call Nailsea meeting. Prior to the July meeting but what but I just wanna make sure that we're not a situation where there's this expectation that. Five projects are cleared next week and so we need to have a L. C. and then two weeks later there's ten more projects we need to come back in I mean there's I think there has to be some understanding there and I just that's what I wanna make make clear this point but I appreciate. Appreciate your that the testimony information to give. Senator Irvin you're recognized. Thank you quick question on the thirty million seven hundred three four twenty two of those projects that we your that we are considering with this letter do they meet the one hundred one hundred and do they comply with everything that the federal law state under the A. R. P.. Yes they do okay and then second second to follow up on what representive shepherd said is. And I do appreciate the conversations we've had this week about really understanding how this is fitting within the needs of the infrastructure we have in place so. M. I don't think it's a bad idea to hit a pause on and hit the pause button and we've discussed that I think a lot of legislators have discussed that because as fixed wireless projects that are in this hundred fifteen million would then have to change to fiber projects correct and I would perhaps change the numbers I just wanna make sure that the legislature and follow up with representative shepherd said. It's not that we're gonna meet in six days and approved a hundred fifteen million for the existing projects it can defer it could change and I don't think that's a bad thing I think we I don't want to have I don't want to pay for a dirt road where we need to highway or pay for highway where we might need a dirt road and that's what we keep saying is we want a look we want more involvement and intentionality behind what we're doing so that we're not paying for something today that's going to be outdated in two years or one year and that were really built into the structure and and clearly following the federal guidelines so I do appreciate the partnership in the conversations and that talks we've had this week and so I just wanna make sure you know before we call meetings that were rolled specific about what it is that we're meeting so I just want to answer that question because it could change from fixed wireless fiber and then the hundred hundred needs to be whether that can be pulled off for so to speak by the ISP that's applied for the grant right yes Senator thank you for that and it is it's it's a it's a holistic approach here amber on broadband to me this is a part of that picture I mean the you have the real ID you have the art off you have a lot of other things going on you have the or on that look there's a lot of that that will come together this is just one piece of a particular program that has been successful that the legislature work very closely with us on to develop this program approved the rules for and use the care signed now we're making the adjustments to utilize the ark funds as opposed to cares the changes in that war the speed twenty five three two hundred hundred which your point is very good we want to build that infrastructure for the long term and not you know how will you a lesser amount of hundred hundred is is as high as you're gonna get in a program like this And then the the fiber versus the fixed wireless obviously we're still waiting for additional clarification on that but we do have plenty of fiber projects ready to go that we can get into the ground to get this moving his you are our thing is we just don't want people to have to wait any longer they've been waiting long enough and I think if you look at the success of the the real connect program in the last eight months in getting broadband to over a hundred thirty thousand our cans and who didn't have it before these list in front of you for the hundred fifty million represent an additional hundred fifty thousand our Kansans who will and instead of you know years will have this and months and that's what we also we want to do and I know working with you senator Senator English and many others have been involved in this it will be that holistic approaches we tie together all those other pieces that come on this is just one portion of it that we know has been successful and want to keep pushing for I don't disagree with those comments I just wanna say very clearly there's not a single legislator here that understands that we need a huge focus and intention on solving this infrastructure problem that we have in the state of Arkansas we are all fully committed to that and so what we're doing is just exercising our ability to measure this and make sure we're spending it the right way and when we're supposed to spend and I so much appreciate that which if there is a rule change so if there's a rule change cannot be brought at the same time and and the rule change. At that that it's going to be considered is the hundred hundred right the hundred hundred in right now will be the reflection of the fibre of the fiber okay okay but the thirty million those projects I've already met that criteria so it they're not gonna be affected whether maintenance correct yeah they're not gonna be affected whether we change the rules are not right that's what I thought thank you. Senator English you're recognized thank you very much so I guess one thing someone to know is when did you send the letter to the department of treasury for this waiver. I believe the governor sent that I don't have a date on when that that went up in a month two months not that long you know it's been a few weeks so I believe. I have that so I guess I'm looking at this list and it appears to me that most of these are fiber. Carell are they shovel ready to go. As I said the senator there's no need to wait for their need a waiver of their very close they might just have something wrong in the application that needs to be updated some you know new data that needs to be provided to us each one's a little bit different so when that those those applications are. Finalized then you could serve very quickly move those to that thirty million category yes ma'am you're gonna move them I said they could be moved to that thirty million as as shovel ready however we were not to that point just yet but so what in the thirty million it looks like there's already thirty million. In the thirty million shovel ready that's what we talked about that already meet the hundred hundred in the fiber requirement. Okay all right okay all right so. So I think the the. I think world many of us are coming from is Senator Irvin said there isn't a legislator here who doesn't want to have broadband in their community and be able to serve their people so that's really not the issue one thing I do know is that there is so much money out there including this in cities and counties and Carmen agriculture department of commerce and everybody's got some little so somehow we ought to be able to find a way that we can coordinate these efforts and to make sure that is not what is issuing lance but we actually are looking at an overall what is it we want to be five years from now when this money's gone right it's not planning for today it's thing about where we want to be that's got to be part of the discussion that we have here we end up talking about thirty million two hundred fourteen but we have to have the larger discussion I think that's what legislators one is that larger discussion about what does it look like five years from now and how do we get there right now I agree completely Center that's what we want to make of this is one piece of the bigger broadband discussion this is a program have to have that discussion and that is what I don't seem to have that this is what we have in front of us and that's what we've been focused on and we would like to be a part of that conversation. Senator Dismang you're recognized. Thank you Mr chairman and members of the letter in front of use for thirty million dollars what I'd like to do is make a motion to allow the chair's avail C. to approve a a funding out of A. R. P. to the department of commerce for broadband not to exceed thirty one million dollars. I have a motion Senator Dismang second Senator Irvin. Your managed in motion. Question from Senator Hammer. Question we were approving the thirty we're proving the letter is your motion not so there's not a the R. letter needs to be increased by seven hundred thousand dollars and so what my motion is is you just pretend that we're gonna get a letter later on today that's going to say thirty million seven hundred and something thousand dollars what we're doing the motion would allow or authorize the chairs of a LC to approve that letter so it's the will of this you know a LC Committee to allow the chairs have the Tory to have final approval on the letters that not to exceed thirty one million dollars follow up Mr when so is the intent that as soon as they get the other of the other the other providers. Ready to go that the chairs would be able to prove that for expediency our not a hundred twenty million would still have to come before peer I'm just was told we were going to have a another motion that way the six day rule that is not required because a a RP already has a waiver related to the sixty day rule and so this would be the you know this particular motion I will not be making another motion is just related to the thirty one million dollars in allowing the LC cheers to have approval once at letters received got it thank you thank Mister representative make sure recognized. Eram all right thing strapped so um I have a. Question you all administer a lot of grant programs. Is it general operating procedure on the grant program that you all operate for us to find you the money and then you do the job of approving this state a representative makes we're in a motion of that thought it was going to be addressing the motion now I have a question for them so okay this this end this bill will come back. Okay members we have a motion on the floor. All in favor aye. Posed. Motion passes now read and speak a written makes I will recognize you. Okay so I'm and we when you administer grant programs is a general operating procedure for I don't say micromanage what we're doing here but that we that you bring all the projects to Austin that we approve the projects on these one time basis like we're doing with broadband or how do we generally do grant hardy all general you know grant programs yes represented it's it's generally handled through a the legislature appropriates into a grant program and we evaluate and approve the projects okay and then the other question I have is related to the rules change the one hundred one hundred requirement is a requirement of the federal government In circumstances where the fixed point wireless systems may be the better fit isn't it true that we could we've got almost a billion dollars worth of surplus funds in the state that we could still use state funds to fund those fixed wireless projects where it makes sense to fund those fixed wireless projects is that we are able to utilize state funds to this program yes and we have before so as we move forward with this as those projects are reevaluated my ask would be that were it makes sense to do the fixed wireless versus transitioning to a one hundred one or fiber project if you could differentiate us and maybe bring that list as well you know whether it's thirty million dollars worth of projects where it makes better sense to do the fixed point that we consider using state funds to go ahead and fill that gap instead of allowing those are Kansas to go without because it just doesn't make sense to do fiber I agree completely it's an excellent point I certainly will. Thank you thanks term thank you Senator Dismang I believe we have supplemental yes Sir have members we do have a supplemental a joint agenda for peer And so before I make a motion spend the rules take up that agenda its can be related to to request request carry forward funding for G. I. S. which was inadvertently left off the report submitted by DFA earlier in the year and then it cast one request for a issue Newport so with that I'd like to make a motion spend the rules take up supplemental agenda. Thank you I have a motion second all in favor say aye. Post basis. with all the. Yeah members again there to request a supplemental agenda risk great or a request care for the funding for G. I. S. and then a cash request for a issue Newport we do have folks who they can answer questions if there are questions. Any questions on that. If not all in favor aye. Post thank you members. Moving on to review we have a Senator Flippo we have that report I believe. Thank you Mr chairman review subcommittee met on Tuesday and reviewed methods of finance discretionary grants and services contracts approval was given for a lease agreement disclosure for building authority there were several University of Arkansas and their in their various campuses items held for additional information by representative Wardlaw who I believe would like to address some of those issues at this time so. Bridget Wardlaw you're recognized. Mr if we could get doctor Bob to the table for questions. The. Thank you for being here today and we appreciate if you would identify yourself for the record and the representative Wardlaw recognized for a question. My name is Donna by the president university of Arkansas system. The general counsel for the. Universal thank your button came on the. There you go okay joann Maxey general counsel for the university of Arkansas system thank you I think I was pretty satisfied with the letter that I receive form Melissa rust earlier in the week but I just wanna make sure we've got this to bed. I'm Terry. Of public. Property is not out for sale anymore and we are moving forward with the legislation and the legislative intent that was from the session and I just wanted you to confirm the. That is that is correct No representative Wardlow and you know we have follow the on obligations that were outlined I hope you understand that our intent always was not to ignore the will of this body right to the couple ourselves from this complex situation away that did not lead us to be in breach of a legal contract which would cost of additional funds from the university of perhaps the state to to resolve I'm very happy with the work that our general counsel was able to do and they were very accommodating to work with us and so I think a very reasonable solutions and. so you say that now but last week or the week before last and aging children you've House committee and Senate committee that met you guys argued that the laws that were passed in the session and the special language is basically on Constitutional. And that was that was my knowledge going into Tuesday which is reason I have a contract to have this conversation then Furthermore was sent to me that contract but. To argue that something unconstitutional you have to do that in court not one of our committees so just want to confirm we're not selling a property we're moving forward and we are honoring that request from Legislative intent from session we are Sir thank you. Thank you for being here today okay thank you. Right. At. Senator Flippo thank Mr in so with that I move adoption of the report including review of all of the held items. I have a motion and a second all favored up and report I. Posed thank you members we are now going to. Highway Commission reviewed oversight representative McNair if you will give that place. The highway commission review and advisory subcommittee met Thursday June seventeenth twenty twenty one at one thirty subcommittee heard testimony and discuss the following items Arkansas department transportation reported on the progress of each highway construction project of ten million dollars or more had an update on her Nando desoto bridge on interstate forty over the Mississippi River we heard a report from The Little Rock Port Authority regarding Arkansas's water right I would moved for adoption of the report. I have a motion seconded up your own favor I posed thank you. The members we have a. Report from the department of commerce Development finance authority from Mister jim Hudson you'll come up. Everyone you like to bring with you. Thank you gentlemen for being here today and let you recognize yourself Sir Percy. Warren chairman rice jim Hudson with the Department commerce director of operations department commerce morning hour Marco nine president of the Arkansas development finance authority wearing to director of homeownership public finance Arkansas development finance authority. Just a couple minutes myself just to kind of explain procedure what we're trying to do today I'm on turn over these two gentlemen who will give you more the subset briefing on the program we have a a new program the homeownership assistance program that comes to us through the American rescue plan federal money of your approved an appropriation for that last month about six point three million dollars but ten percent of money that will ultimately be awarded to the state for that program will begin the rest of it a little bit later and we do we back again for additional appropriation for that we have a deadline of June thirty to submit to the United States Department treasury a proposed usage of those funds and we have to meet certain criteria that the Department sure sure impose upon us and so this really is an opportunity for us to get feedback from you as to what that plan design is. We take a treasury wants treasury approves the plan coming back to us the ability to make any changes that land be somewhat limited now we will go through rulemaking in the rules will come to you what those rules will be constrained by what the plan is that treasury approves and so we're very mindful of the this body's desire to have the influence you to be able to shake of the usage of these American rescue plan fund so we want to come to you today give you an overview of proposed plan get feedback from you so we can incorporate that before we submit to United States treasury so that alternative the Stillman to give you a detailed brief. C. please. Yes good morning so what what you have in front of you here today is the plan as a Mister Hudson Kind of led into we were tasked by treasury to come up with a plan they don't they don't really give you you know at this point we don't have a template for the plan and so we are supposed to receive that during the next week and so this plan could change a little bit the the substance of the plan won't change just maybe the look of it a little bit I might want to drop it in a certain template form but it shouldn't change materially the numbers or kind of the strategy that we have to execute it and so you have today in front of you the plan that we've come up with to administer this program it's a plan that we're proud of we've worked at a blistering pace with our vendor Horne LLP to come up with this plan and presented to you today we've been under very quick timeline to do this and and the kind of the spirit of the plan was we looked across the country we look at some of our peers and talk to them eleven to thirteen other states I kind of in the southeast United States and we tried to look at other programs federal programs have been administered and said what were some of maybe the hick ups and of those plans and so we wanted to avoid those if we could and so a couple things we came up with we wanted to be kind of a speedy execution so we wanted to work quickly we wanted to by far and large incomplete applications or what really hurt federal funds from being distributed to to our Kansans another you know people around the country and so we wanted the application process B. one online into by phone if there was an internet access we wanted to be an easy process and we wanted the documentation burden to be limited we do we are sensitive to fraud and so we want to manage that but we don't want to be burdensome in the application process the point of these funds is to help Arkansas homeowners to get current with the mortgage is now couple things I'd like to say real quickly and then we'll take any. And you might have a mystery to may want to make a few comments is This Is designed this is not rental this is for homeowners and so you must either have a mortgage or own your home you can be behind on mortgage payments you can be delinquent you can be in default you can be in foreclosure or these funds can also be used for utilities so water gas electric internet service sewer water those types of things so just to be clear they're not rental expenses they're they're homeowner expenses a couple of important aspects and I feel like we we need to share with you is treasury ask us they gave us some targets that we needed to people that we needed to reach one of those targets is I'm getting a little detail here but I I kind of want to understand how we put this plan together they asked us to target people at either a hundred and at percent of the area median income of Arkansas our Kansans or the national median income well most cases in Arkansas it's gonna be the national median income so here's some important numbers to kind of jot down a household of three or less. Anyone that seventy three thousand dollars and below they're gonna be targeted first if it's a householder for last it's about seventy nine thousand nine hundred. But those people we target first but the it floats all the way up into the low one hundred so one hundred one one hundred to one hundred three one hundred four thousand dollars of household income for a household of up to forty five so the range is kind of between seventy anything below seventy three and then there's target so we have to target lower income borrowers at first and then once after we meet those targets we target lower income borrowers and then we target socially disadvantaged okay and then after we do that then it's kind of opened up into if the income flows all the way up into let's call it a hundred and five thousand for a household of five. So before you today that's a little bit of a summary of this ones you kind understand about what sixpence qualifying the type of targeting that we were asked to do from US treasury so it's been front of you today is the plan that we're asking you guys to approve that we will submit to the U. S. treasury to administer these funds if I just add to that you the you flip through this this plant it's data driven and that's the thing that they were just so proud of the at fifteen and putting together they crunch the numbers in to look to see where the need is and to be able to spend the money accordingly as miss Conan said It is just for home ownership not parental but do remember we've had several rental programs assistance programs that have already been launched and running in different parts of state government there hasn't been anything for homeownership assistance and so this is the program that will meet that need and I'd like to say one additional thing thank you jim that you might say well how are you gonna let the homeowners no you know how they're gonna know about the program and we can get on the radio which we plan to do we're gonna have our website we're gonna share a website link with anybody and everybody in the state that wants to put it on their website we talked to organizations we talked to some of the members we've you know we're going through the process of notifying as many organizations and housing authorities in the state as we can but road like you speak a little bit about how we're gonna work through the mortgage servicers to to notify the homeowners cover things on. On that I want to go back to the key aspects of the plan that and are what is driven. Our thanking us far as one the speed he said that we work fast on this what we have to there's national moratorium on foreclosures that expires June thirtieth there will be people that the clock starts ticking a media day on June thirtieth R. after June thirty so it's very important that we get this thing out also as the difference of what I'll speak to the question erred when he made in the rental assistance program you've got a bunch of landlords a bunch of tenants I'm sure there landlord's out here a right now. in the mortgage programs their servicers for every loan that is in trouble and we've got a list of all the services that operate and state most of them I most loans are concentrated with probably about ten but active servicers going down to maybe those holding for five loans gets down to about fifty on the list so we have a finite number of people that we can reach directly and it's not like we have to go in and and and and did these people are more than willing to give us all the information that we need to get them the money because this money will go directly to the servicers it will go directly to the utility companies it'll go directly to the counties and cities that are the taxes and so it is in their best interest that they give us all the information again and I think that is going to be a big a big help to us when we roll this thing out first when lastly before we take questions I wanted to the website for this is Arkansas. H. A. F. dot com that we created Arkansas H. A. F. dot com people gonna be apply online they're also going to be able to call a call center and I am kind of excited to announce that our partner Horne LLP that we partnered with we're actually going to create a call center in Arkansas the call center will be in the department of commerce building gonna hire about thirty seven right now it's about that third we ask them to hire cans and so there's going to be about thirty seven or cans and tired of to work and so they're currently going through training and we hope that we will be live if you can actually call now but they will be answering in Jackson Mississippi but as of July first that will answer calls here down the Department commerce building and so we will also we have also asked for to have someone on site and so we have someone who is actually moving here there's actually gonna live in little rock for about six months and help us monitor the program and oversee the call center and so that would be a big asset so we will have one eight hundred number that one eight hundred numbers one. Eight eight eight. Six nine eight. Zero nine six four and again the website is Arkansas HM dot com and I wanted to share just a couple of and I know we're being link the about trying to be I'm trying to. Me thorough here here's a couple numbers that you would probably interested in we have identified the need in Arkansas for utilities and insurance and taxes and utilities and delinquent on payments at three hundred thirty two million. So based on the data we received our Kansans or a behind in mortgages and utilities about three hundred thirty two million okay that's in total okay out of those about two hundred and forty seven million would qualify for this program so that's mortgage delinquencies defaults plus utilities insurance taxes etcetera so two hundred forty seven a we have about fifty four million to disperse okay but out of that two hundred forty five million or two in forty seven million I'm sorry we don't know how much of that number is they're behind on the expenses because of code. Right I mean that's something that they'll have to attest to the have to prove with some tax return submissions in various things so I know that ten forty seven million they qualify for the program but we don't know how much of that is because of code and so with that's a question that we can't answer is we're not sure in January twenty twenty it's a look back time so this is from January twenty first two thousand twenty until the date of your application is those expenses you will be qualified for and at this time the cap is about twenty one thousand two hundred and I believe sixty seven dollars so that's the cap that you would be eligible for each Arkansas this chamber will send contact information and members what what what your email you're gonna get a copy of this presentation were you'll have information on that. Representative makes you're recognized for. Thank you John I'm right here in front of it. I want to see if you can give me some clarification on the qualifications because of based upon what you what use had said the the income threshold I make you know as a lawmaker I make forty thousand dollars a year I never lost my job obviously and you're saying because the threshold is eighty thousand dollars that if I applied you know five for whatever reason missed a mortgage payment I can have the taxpayer's. Take that bill up for me or someone who makes eighty thousand dollars can have the taxpayers pick up the bill I mean I'm I I support the spirit of the program for those who are in need but it also sounds like someone like myself or someone who's making seventy eighty thousand dollars can also get access to these farms so is it right and you and your closing comments you'd also mentioned a COVID component which you didn't mention earlier so could you will qualify some of those qualification requirements to make myself a little more at ease that these funds are truly going to go to the needy and not somebody like myself who is perfectly fine has been making the mortgage payments and did not lose my job because of covid yeah absolutely yeah one of the things that. we're still working through as you know and we have a little bit of flexibility on this but not a lot because treasury outlines a lot of this but they have to substantiate and certify that they had a reduction in income because of code we got answers questions that have to certify that in also the we were required to submit some tax returns and they'll be an underwriting process of looking at you know their total income it's actually their AGI is what it is and so they'll look at that and determine if there was a decrease in income during the period January twenty one two thousand twenty till the date as their application so they're going to have to prove if you will that they had a reduction in income now could the reduction of income cut come you know from some other reason because code yes that's a possibility okay but they're going to have to certify that and they can be asked for additional information from the US treasury the IRS to document that in the future. And so you know they're they're having to self certify that they're saying I'm receiving these funds I had a reduction income because code and then they have to substantiate that with the documentation is provided for the underwriting. Thank you. Senate Chesterfield you're recognized for a question. Yes I was I think my question's been answered by one of verify the number again was it the eight eight eight six nine eight zero nine six four that's the number for individuals to call okay and what was the aggregate amount that they could receive it's about I made it's twenty one thousand six ninety seven is the main one thousand six ninety seven yep mitigate the costs that they've incurred that's right and though qualify up to that's the kind of the cap if you will okay but they'll look at you know maybe they're house payment was lowered maybe they're behind on everything but that they totals up twelve thousand will that be what they'd be eligible for okay but there be up to twenty six we fully expect that most people will not be utilizing the cap I make a part we fully expected most people will not be utilizing that cap that cap is kind of a higher number we expect to meet the average to be considerably less who well people who are behind two or three months it won't in in utilities it won't amount to that but. But I I just appreciate your coming here today to visit with us about it because I can't keep getting a lot of questions about it so we will have an Arkansas number it's are establishing call it now we were kinda sectors in that we we don't want anybody region recording you should be able to reach a live person and once is programs rolled out we believe spec the. Conduit will get you so this eight eight eight number will reach a person yes that is so good to know Arkansas and Arkansas first July starting July first right. Not in Arkansas but it is lives hi person who will answer questions all right yeah thank you thank you Mr. And again one of the things that we had some questions about of like some emails and things for members what you know how do we know where you're at in the process without bringing you over here and on the Arkansas HF website we have a tractor you'll see it it's right there on the front page and it has the steps that we have to take and you can say and as we do each step and updates and so it has the plan that we laid out this plan it's in here and you can say so if you just go and say what were those what where that you can go in there look at that tractor you know and and you can see where we're at in the process so as we get a next step or we you know fulfill something we update the tractor. Senator Elliot you're recognized for a question thank you Mr chair when I got the a website I wasn't I'm not sure I got or Arkansas did you say it just a effort did you say eight homeownership assist okay fine so the H. A. got that and again we'll email you all that stuff okay that's good and so if we if we have more people qualify than the amount of money we get what's gonna be the process for who gets what. Well you take that yes this is my first endemic you. Of a good thing yeah. We again we we've got a finite amount that the treasury has allocated we are very confident this will handle. the needs that are out there but I don't know the answer to your question okay that's I appreciate that because so they're still thing to think about I get that because you're in a rush to get everything done and I think another part of you're coming to talk with us and and I just appreciate having met with you to talk about this is to get the word out to people so that they are ready and getting prepared so if we are driving people to the website or meeting with them and you will come out and meet with groups to accept it I think okay you're person familiar with that and we've held several public hearings already both on the have and in person you let us know where you need us to come to our make sure there's number person there but again let me stress the big difference is that that this money is going directly to financial institutions and so therefore we think that the big bulk of it will roll out immediately at the end going around and getting the people that may have fallen through the cracks is is going a tough test in rats work at right I had just one more question on when we talked about like a family of three up to seventy three thousand dollars a year so forth and then after when you came back after that you said something and the socially disadvantaged is that consent would you remind me how socially disadvantaged as B. and defined is that different from the seventy three thousand okay the in the in twelve seconds the income limits now okay okay but if you fall into if you fall into the socially disadvantaged applicants okay which black Americans native Americans Hispanic Americans Asian Americans Pacific islanders I'm so if you fall in that bucket for the first thirty days this is kind of the way I look at sees what explained is you've got a line so that locations come in and people are getting in line right so they're kind of going in the queue your number one or number two number three. So the treasury asked us to put together a plan to target the sixty percent of funds to this a hundred percent I am below and then also to working and socially disadvantaged individuals okay so the way it works is they're they're coming and applications are coming in the queue and they start stacking up for the first thirty days we're gonna take those that are a hundred percent below I am my hand or socially disadvantaged individuals and I go to the front of the line. And so we did take that now the other ones are still moving forward in the process right it's just they kind of have a little bit of a well that the treasury's ask you to ask us to target those right and so they'll just kind of come to the front line right and so we've broken out all of our data by you got the total our Kansans the total eligible and then you've we break out that socially disadvantaged groups because treasury has asked us what is in that group how much is that group right and so we see this as we see this as the treasury is going to you know bless this because this is what they've asked us to do and we also see this is fitting in the overall plan because it's not going to change anyone in Arkansas that applies from not getting funding okay right now set aside it's not a set aside it is Hargett of which St the data suggest that socially just manage individuals may have been hit hard right and so the plan is saying okay we're just going to put them forward in the process for the first thirty days as the applications come in but it's not us it's nonsense okay we appreciate you all being willing to listen give us to give us the feedback if as we talk you you know you think that's something for sure if you have additional information you want to pass along to us please reach out to these two individuals they're working on the plan we do have submitted by the in the month to probably go to treasury the next week or so so time is will be limited to be a provider feedback. If you pass this number on a to your constituents and they call and they said well they were they weren't able to give us any money I want to share this time line with you so if they call now right the plan has not been approved by treasury they will be put on the list to be contacted. Okay so if they call they're going to tell them Hey there's no funds available today okay but this plan is being work it's going to be approved when the funds become available they will put we have people calling our office every day and we're just making the list and we're telling them we will contact you so they will be contacted so here's the time of. Yes a couple of a city today so you're recognized for a question all right thank you Mr chair I just wondered if is this grant going to be based on adjusted gross income and if so what about those that received unemployment. yes it is based on adjusted gross income and my understanding is that unemployment is not is not factored into that with certain aspects unemployment taxable certain aren't we're going to get okay I'm sorry I can't hear you certain aspects of unemployment's my understanding I'm not an accountant or taxable summer not it'll be based on your taxable income. Taxable income thank you so much thank you senator so thank you guys for giving us the input and support we we do really appreciate you guys coming today so members you what we got item three I need a motion to file that report is reviewed I have a motion and a second all those of favour say aye ayes have it motion passed gone item for any motion to file that reporters reviewed. Our motion and a second all those of favour say aye ayes have it will go to next page will go to item ten B. I need a motion to approve the department of parks and tourism report our motion the second all those in favor say aye of. Motion approved need a motion to give favorable advice on item see you which is a division of parks request for a revised to comply properly with axes acquisitions in land donations a motion. The motion is that I have a question from. No motion and a second all those in favor say aye. Thank you guys the motion is passed will move on to item twelve B. it's Division of information services need a motion filed that report is reviewed. A motion and second alternates favor say aye. motion proved we're going to item thirteen which is US UAMS Institute for division digital health and innovation in a motion to approve the and grants a motion and second. Represented by your question. Yes thank you Mr how do we have someone here that could speak to this grant on the item. B. thirteen B.. All in on the I. S. is what you're asking for right present five yes yes we have somebody from DIS here's Johnson no no you anyway okay S. U. M. S. I'm sorry why didn't pass you up. Thirteen. Yeah and we're just gonna knock orders. You guys wouldn't additions of a committee and represents fight you'll be recognized request. Marie's rigs B. U. M. S.. Djoser Sanford UAMS. Okay thank you Mr. in this grant the one that's for Phillips County. it is showing that the county judges being compensated in that for this. administrating grants as part of the county judges obligation why is why is he being compensated in this. So my understanding on that Sir is he is taking on the project management role as a specific X. for duty that would normally be hired externally and that five percent of his time and effort is being dedicated towards that and allocated for that if that's incorrect towards the normal duties of a county judge I'm not I was not aware of that and that would be something to follow up on. yes that is part of his normal duties also the as a project director the requesting thirty two hundred and fifty dollars is that going back to the county or is that going to the county judge also. At thirty two hundred fifty dollars would be labor for the judges memory serves the proposals or. For and you have the actual but I could review. And again this is part of his everyday responsibility that this Grannis compensating for. understood Sir and thank you for that clarification in that case I think it would be appropriate to line item out those expenses if the council wanted to move for with a grant. President five would you have a motion to hold a. Hello. As proper motion drive second. A second and so you will make this clear represent fight. this motion would be did you guys get clean this grant up and bring it back to council next month's. Is that correct represent five that is correct thank you just so. Senator Chesterfield you're recognized for discussion on the motion says we have a motion the second yes it is what I'm concerned about is the timelines that deal with the growing. By bringing back next month would that preclude us from meeting the gap the time lines that we have to because many grants have timelines how will that impact that Mr here we can ask them questions but I'm asking you I understand I will ask them to not dismiss the timeline of. Because I don't want to kill the grass is this way or this way. Okay so that there's your answer Sir just bill is not a. I read this year because I don't want to kill the granite with thirty one I understand. I don't think this is it the desire the members will. all those in favor of the the motion say aye. Oppose ayes have it so therefore we will we will we have approved the City of Little Rock grant we held Phillips County grant to next month into you guys tweak it like that term ADC is taught us this week all right so we'll move on to J. as chairman thank you thank you for move on to J. and under J. members if there's not an objection I would like to batch these interns studies we have talked to most of the members members are happy with where they're referred to your motion second all those in favor say aye of all PO's eyes have a motion passed with that. I see. No further business we stand adjourned.