City, County & Local Affairs Committee- House

The amended bill if that's acceptable okay I have a motion to adopt the amendment have a motion. Any discussion on the motion. Seeing none all in favor say aye hi the posay no. Your your amendment passes go ahead presenter of bill as amended okay thank you committee of the house bill twelve fifty two initially was just making all a municipal elections partisan hello push back that on that obviously apologize for all the phone calls and emails probably got over the. Today or last night I publish I would like to and manner than decision I would have liked abetting gross before I came in but I'm just kind of pressed for time here so what we did was currently municipal elections are nonpartisan okay the city's have the opportunity to run resolution to make a partisan. What this amendment does is it just kind of of toggles the default to be partisan. You still have the option to run resolution and make it non partisan. So they're still local control that was one of the big issues that was brought up is they wanted municipalities have local control if they want to have of boards elections that have partisan elections if they would have nonpartisan elections that have nonpartisan elections what why am I doing this we'll because a lot of municipalities have no idea they can even have a personal. Every every election cycle that comes around I get calls Hey Clint is this individual running for this office a Republican or Democrat the liberal or the conservative people one over there voting for so. I personally thank all action should probably be partisan obviously the Municipal League in some other folks some mayors don't city council don't wanna have them be partisan so I just wanted it. To increase transparency I want to have every two years a resolution passed by the city council that way the public knows that they're voting to make the elections non partisan and if the if the people are okay with that I'm okay with that I just want the people to know. What is taking place in their city because a lot of people have no idea. That there elections could be partisan right now and I think most people one in that way so I'm just giving the people the choice given the control you know we're not making the decision here we're just increasing transparency making it more parent. that the elections could be partisan if the people want to they will push their city council and their mayors to make the elections in their municipality person. If you missed any questions I'd be happy to. And from the Committee yes representative all you're recognized thank you Mr chair a question that's been asked me and I like to address it to you is so if the city doesn't pass a resolution then they become partisan is that correct correct and so does that mean the the coordinating board the Election Commission are they're the ones responsible for the handling that ballot or is it a city ballot doesn't move to the county to. To do all the drawing of places I mean who who then overseas that election weathers there's always the the there's always in a not sure from entering exactly what you're saying but there was a similar question where they were asking you know about extra burden there's always a primary election every two years so this makes it to where the. Republican county committee the democratic county committee the libertarian County committee any committee. Would would put forth their candidates. To run in the primaries. Follow up yes thank you for follow up can you tell us who pays for the primary elections in in the event that it's a city primary election. I guess I would ask you when is there going to be a city primary election when there's not a state representative. Primarily I mean who pays for it the. Who currently plays for. I don't know representative asking you who pays for the primary election. The I missed I missed in the county I mean the the the who pays for the primaries right now I mean that would be the same answer. President calendar year three. Okay represent god for your reading. Thank you Mr chairperson of his or do you think that's the bill if it'd been active would have changed the race in a municipal election in our district in Springdale accounted for as race and is that why you're reading this bill. This bill has nothing do with race in Spring Hill follow up follow up so if we've heard opposition from mayors across the state including our own mayor it's not about a particular race is not about caterpillar is beating recommends why are you running it. Not sure why you think this has anything to the eleven and floor is actually of like both those gentlemen but I'm running this for transparency because I think people want transparent elections they want to know who's running and like I said if I'm wrong and the people don't want it in the city can pass a resolution to make it non partisan and thank everybody should be fine but that's a decision means need to be made the municipal level. Okay any other questions. Seeing none we have three people us signed up to speak against the bill. Philip Patterson. For. Yes yes of the five. Please identify yourself for the record yes are then you may proceed. I think that's on. Markes I'm the executive director with the Arkansas municipal league been with the league for. Longer than I care to admit but about for about three decades now the interesting thing is happened with this bill if you go back and look at the history of H. B. sixteen fifty five you'll see that it was an identical bill to the original version that existed up to about five minutes ago it was defeated in the state agency's committee so I was a little surprised to see the same version appeared this one and then even more surprised to learn that there's a last minute amendment at the end of the day this is what the schools down to independent elections and cities that works there's nothing broken there's nothing to fix if as the representative says lots of people want to change it in those cities they can they can put it on the election ballot they can have their city council passed a resolution to make it parks and all those options exist right now Lane Jean have made an interesting statement in state agencies when we were discussing this and he remembers as to why it was probably a couple of others in the room the there was a time in the early eighties where in South Arkansas if you're Republican you couldn't get elected that's that's a quote from lane that's not for me that's from representative gene and this was actually this change in the law is actually put forward so that what you would be voting on at a local level wasn't the DRR it was the people you know what your church or your school or civic clubs or whatever the case may be that are committed to making that community better folks know those I mean in local government it's not it's not like what you wind up with in your district you see a lot of your folks but you don't see him every single day and that's what happens with mayors and councilmembers grocery stores church high school football games list goes on and not everybody knows where everybody stand. It's politically so the concept that lots of people want to change it if that were the case in wherever wherever the representative was referring to it be changed right now because I could pass a resolution to do it. There's just nothing broken there's no need to fix it. Would you be willing take questions I'd be happy to any questions. Seeing none we appreciate your testimony thank you Mr chairman. Okay. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak for the bill. Yes. Okay against the bill we have next we have Peter Christie. Please identify yourself for the record and then you may proceed. Thank you I'm Peter Christie on the merit Bellavista I've been in the job six years which is very much a compared to my friend Mr pace. I will tell you that whenever I speak to a constituent and I mention. This particular piece of legislation they say good god no we don't want that. The last thing we need is to have the efficiency of the local council. Being. I would say Marauder but being coated with partisan elections. It doesn't work we fill potholes we look after the dog complaints we do planning. We talked to our neighbors as Marcus said. I don't go to the grocery store without spending double my time talking to constituents. Prior to this job I was in the corporate world for over thirty three years. I ended. As a vice president with the fortune five hundred company. I will share with you my mantra for business that I have employed in Bellavista and it has been extremely successful. Grow your revenue. You expand your margin which is a polite way of saying what your costs you engage your employees. And you engage. Your customers or your constituents. In this particular job you add a fifth component which is you must be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. It takes a great deal of experience to understand that if you pull the lever on one of those. You're going to affect at least one usually to others and you have to think through the consequences and make sure. That you're doing the best thing for the people. They don't care if you're Democrat independent or Republican they want the pothole filled or they want the right planning done they want the right person in the right job. That's what we do each and every day. And to take partisan. Politics and now overshadow all those by basic ingredients that I have worked on for so many years. Does not work. We must have the ability local to be able to meet the needs and the requirements. Of our constituents the people who pay the tax dollars that we cover it's a simple as that. We do not have time to be worrying about. Democrat Republican independent who's doing what what's the home office doing in each of those. Political entities. There is just no reason for whatsoever. Thank you Sir ladies and gentleman thank you. Okay anyone to speak for the real. Against the bill Mr Paterson would you like to speak at this time. Please identify yourself the record you may proceed thank you Mr chairman name is Philip Patterson on the city administrator for solemn springs. I've been in silence springs going on seven years in our form of government we have primary and general elections every two years. We have candidate forms before each one of those elections so the last seven years we've had six candidate forms. Candidates take questions from the public there's never been a question of whether or not you're a Republican or Democrat from members of the public to any of those candidates. As mayor Christie said. City boards and city councils take care streets they take care of sewer and water police and fire and they do budgets. And there's no reason to bring partisan politics into that process if it was an issue in silence springs our board would take that to the public in would hear from them and if the public wanted Parsons elections are board would consider that by resolution we have that right today. I see no reason to change this and require us to adopt a resolution every two years we have the option today if our city wants to do partisan elections it hasn't been an issue. Thank you Mr chair I'm available for any questions. Any questions from committee. Seeing none thank you appreciate your trust fund. Certified would like to speak for the bill against the bill. Yes. It would you would use for against the bill. yes may be. Please identify yourself for the record. Thank you Mr chair and I'm I'm sorry I didn't get signed up I didn't plan on on speak for or against this bill coming in here but I hadn't seen the amendment Lindsay French with the association of Arkansas counties I just have a a practical concern about the running of elections it says that the county parties would conduct the elections but the the County Board of election commissioners and a lot of times with the help of the county Clerk is who runs at the elections in the county and under this amendment. The default would be that every town I believe five hundred five hundred pounds and would have a primary election in less they gave the County Board of election commissioners a resolution saying that they would not I can see that falling through the cracks the County Board of election commissioners not knowing what'll towns they needed to go to and ask are you gonna have an election are you not we don't have a resolution from you so I can see the law being broken unintentionally just because they never got a resolution the defaults to have a primary I don't think it should be the County Board of election commissioners responsibility to put that primary on there but. With five hundred pounds it's it's inevitable that one of these is going to fall through the cracks and a primary required by law would not be put on the ballot so I just wanted to point that out. Okay. Any questions. Saying aye thank you. Is there anyone else in the room that want to speak for against this bill. Seeing none representing Penzo you're recognized to close for your bill thank you Mr chair We had a few people come up to the table and the. It was mentioned that you know we already have an option. And all we're doing is toggling the default from nonpartisan to partisan they still have the option to get out. Somebody said that. Partisan elections no place in. Municipalities. You know we fill potholes will. You know you could argue there's. Two different to different ways you could come approach any any project the city does and you know certain municipalities and in Northwest Arkansas they that used to have more of a conservative leadership and some of them have. More liberal leadership and that's up to the municipality it's not up to. It should be up to the people to decide. How they want their elections to be handled you know and I'm I'm not going to get into the whole this this potentially could have been you know we get into the scenarios you can you can find all kinds of what if's what if's what if's but I think this is a good piece of legislation if if if it doesn't change anything why are people so adamantly against changing it partisan and still out in the municipalities. I have nonpartisan elections I mean ask yourself that what why was there such adamant opposition if it doesn't change anything and I just to. I would ask you all to put in the hands of the voters and have more transparency and every two years let them see the city council put up a resolution stating they want to have nonpartisan elections and let the people decide if that's what they want or not. I appreciate a good vote on this bill. A committee what your wishes. President Carter you're recognized I like to move do pass as amended. Okay we have a motion do pass as amended anyone want to speak on the motion. Playing none all in favor say aye aye aye those opposed say no. The. The nose haven't. Thank. All. All right this second. Representative Holcomb. Representative Holcomb. The Cavenaugh. Representative Cavenaugh. Representative to arrive. Representative to rye. Representative Dalby. Representative Dalby. Representative warned. Representative to warn. Representative Perry. Representative Perry no. Representative Scott. Representatives' gotten NO. Representative slate. Representatives late. Representative McCollum. Represented by Colin no. Representative of a group yes represented by a group yes. Representative tell let. Representative tell let. Representative Godfrey. Representative Godfrey no. Representative Beatty junior representative Beatty junior yes. Representative Collins. Representative Collins no. Representative to hock. Representative hopp. Representative Kerr represent the car yes. Representative under would yes representive Underwood yes. Representative Brian. Representative Brian. Representative Nicks the representative Nicks no. Your bill has failed thank you Committee the. All right if if you're in here today to hear House Bill eighteen oh seven or house bill eighteen oh eight they have been pulled for the day Next up is house bill eighteen should be house bill twelve eighty. Representative Paul. When you're ready you may proceed that afternoon thank you Mr chairman thank you Committee we appreciate the opportunity to bring H. B. twelve eighty back to this committee for your consideration each time that we've come we've learned a lot and we've had good discussions with local entities both in the city and the county level as to how. We can accomplish two goals and that is to. Five. Allow. State which. So. That meant to. Thank you I appreciate that sorry about that. We provided in Amendment. To this bill again that we will discuss and give you some more details but before I I call up some of those that will be helping us understand it I would like to just point out a hand out that provides what other states currently allow in terms of economic discussion economic development discussion for their cities and counties so we have Texas Oklahoma Missouri and Mississippi as states that are surrounding us And what they allow in terms of exceptions to pay for a fully up particularly and then on the other side is what some other states that often especially in the south we lose jobs and manufacturing opportunities and things like that to some of these other states Alabama Georgia Kentucky and North Carolina in particular. So if the chairman would allow I would like to call it Mr mark Hayes was the as the executive director of the municipal league was kind of the architect with For the jobs act of twenty seventeen which is what we are are saying we need some additional. Tools to help cities apply that that particular act of twenty seventeen and Mr John Wilkerson legal counsel for the Municipal League so. Thank you Mr Hayes. Right if you would please identify yourself for the record it John Wilkerson general counsel the Municipal League I just want to just real quickly talk about the amendment The Amendment a louder a mandate requires that we record executive session followed with the city Clerk keep a four year which is also the F. O. Y. requirement for other meetings and then if there is an allegation of improper discussions in the in the executive session the circuit court judge can hear that in camera and make a determination as to whether or not that happened and then as with other after awhile violations that we obviously would be a Class C. misdemeanor but also we would pay the attorney's fees or the city would pay the attorney's fees if there was that finding all all also not really quickly that you know if there's an allegation of an article twelve section five you know violation which is the expenditure of public money for private purposes which really would encompass you know cutting backroom deals with your brother in law that it would be subpoenaed books I make sure word for that but subject to subpoena as well I was representive late yesterday but I'm just year anyway so we're we we try to really I wanna make this clear we we really tried and listen to members the press members the FY task force who endorsed the original version of the or the the amended version of the bill I haven't heard the attorney's fees part but I have had some fruitful discussions we've we tried to be very thoughtful and and. Rafting a way that we can make this work for cities and towns while also protecting the the need for transparency among the citizenry and and again I said this before I'll say it again. When I look at this bill I'm actually proud of it because I think that it really does encourage transparency because the citizens have to know what's what by running executive session they get to they get a summary of the the discussion of the executive session and now course there's a recording and we we look at that is obviously another reason that you know there wouldn't be any bad actions taken there because it's being recorded so we really tried very hard and we really appreciate the press for taught working with us talking with us they obviously object but they've been very kind and we we try to be very kind as well to understand this but again you know mark I I invoke marks name last time is in center has really worked on the jobs act now I'm sort of tease what he's going to say a little bit. The jobs act was a great step in the right direction for cities to have control over a little bit more control over their own economic development destiny but it has as the now is he was made a second ago we got the head of the hammer but we did get the handle and we think that this is a handle to help cities better position themselves better educate themselves better know what to do when it comes to a country comes to economic development I make this point to this is not a panacea for economic development it's not going to mean economic developments going to flourish for every city and town Arkansas it is a tool in the toolbox and I was talking represented Brian for a long time about this the other day and again it's it's it's that it's a little bit of of help for us to to try to take control of our economic our destiny when it comes to economic development and we certainly and the one thing I'll be what I know mark really does have something to say I'm sorry mark but. Yes it the jobs act really has a lot of of hurdles to go through as it should and there's a lot of things you have to do to to invest in economic development using public money those are all going to the public at the end of the day because you have to have contracts you have to have economic feasibility studies it's all going to be out there so the the transparency of the final decision is always going to be there this is not an option for us to go back there just talking answer **** nilly about kind of brought ideas for the city this is when we have something in mind and we can have a representative hawk is very astutely said that intermediate staff or we can convey ideas we can talk about things collectively and hopefully come will come up with a good strategy for economic development or cities and then utilize the jobs act as it was meant to be utilized across all that would be would be public so sorry mark that's a how it at that thank you. I markes I'm the executive director with the Municipal League and in two thousand fifteen and sixteen there were a series of lawsuits across the state with regard to chambers of commerce and several of you I know are familiar with that and they were the contracts or lack of contracts that were in place were found to be in unlawful so it put it put a literally a screeching halt to most of the funding for chambers of commerce that's where this started as a result because of the violations that were existing according to the several of circuit judges under article five section twelve article twelve section five there you go that'll let me practice law much anymore under the the court found that those were improper expenditures and that they were essentially gifts to the chamber so a group of folks myself included died chamber members several folks from the legislature began to punch around an idea to get an amendment put on the on the books and we did Amendment ninety seven which was passed in two thousand sixteen and in two thousand and seventeen this statute was born out of that amendment so the first thing you need to know is that the statute itself is with the exception of the little bit of verbiage here and there is identical to the constitutional amendment so it is in line with the Arkansas constitution on two fronts development so economic development services those would be contracts with chambers and that economic development projects that distinction was made so that there would be an opportunity and an ability not just for cities but for counties as well to engage in. In larger projects than they had been able to in the in the past this this what the idea out here was to make sure that we wouldn't miss opportunities unfortunately we didn't think far enough ahead about how do we how do we kickstarted OR I think actually you may have said this last night I said at the to John as well this is like the dating phase the the tech we've got to have some kind of dialogue with the company or companies or developers to be able to even know whether you can get this thing off the ground the marriage comes in public and and that marriage is very clearly the public in nature all of the votes under the jobs act and there are no fewer in the first year than five public actions that are taken by the city council in order to make those projects go for it is you have to have budgeting decisions there has to be a cost analysis and economic analysis you've got to have a contract with measurables you have to have a claw back provision all of that has to be done by ordinance resolution so in a public meeting and certainly any budgeting any monies that would be expended by the city would also have to be done in a public but before you can get there you need to be able to have a Frank discussion with folks to know whether it's even possible and the problem with doing that as it stands right now is that nobody wants to have that discussion in public because it would mean representative cars business would know exactly what representive Underwood the business is doing and representative under would would not find favour with that that is a you that is a real world problem for us so I appreciate the transparency concerns that the press. Has we have gone to great lengths to ensure that there is transparency in the long run I firmly believe that by organization has routinely taught on the free member information act and we travel around the state to make sure that cities and towns understand it and follow it we take routinely phone calls to make sure it's done correctly I talked to members of the press periodically when they have a concern about something and I we reach out to cities and towns to try to be as transparent as possible this is simply a tool to get it started this is the this is the first couple of dates and it it your note you're not gonna get any decisions made let's be very clear about that in the executive session and just like it exists right now there are sensually six reasons you can go into an executive session they're all personnel based. Once you do that you're you're not making a decision back there you have to come back into the public and make a decision if you're going to make one it may be that you don't do anything in the city council meeting or a quorum court meeting so if this is a this would be another tool to hopefully land some of the larger plants that have been they have periodically sniffed around here to try to to get the work and I you know there's a Toyota dance over and to Eastern Arkansas two years back in a few other things like that but we just can't get off the ground and so this is the this is the opportunity to do it I I do want to say thank you to the representative she has been at a a real trooper through this thing and I I you know anybody who's willing to go back through this I guess this is the third rodeo now we I just wanna say thank you and public at regardless out turns out I think this is a first start first step as a way to get economic development going in cities and towns and counties let's not forget it also is applicable across the board then what that I'm sure there's lots of business and I'll be happy to take questions. Okay representative Parker you three ready for questions yes okay what questions representative Dalby you're recognized thank you Mr chair this may be directed more at the Municipal League in John you may be able to answer my question can you please specifically tell us what changes have been made to this bill that would ensure that other business other than the discussion of economic development with the with the company or whatever what safeguards have been put in this bill that we can assure the public that that all it's being discussed in that they're not planning lots of other little things and trying to get of you know of an agreement before they take on other types of business that was the hope of our amendment to add the requirement to be recorded and so we we went back and forth about this about how exactly that would work but to be recorded we we looked at it and keep the recording for a year and then subject to if there's an allegation of of something going on back there should have been going on then we could you know it would be release or it will be heard in camera so that we wouldn't violate you know the the. Right get over the discussions that were being had a right protected by the F. a lot so. That's the best that's the best route we could figure I will say there is some talk about maybe we can make that releasable that tape release for some other time the problem with making release for some other time is that when you release a tape of record a re release recording discussing things are already exempt in the FY you then basically got the exemptions that are already in the awful lot so we are concerned that if we went beyond that it made the recording just public then it would it would like I said we've got the FY exemption so we tried as best we could to navigate that and that's what we had that you mandated work mandating a recording keep with the city Clerk keep a four year and if there's an allegation of wrongdoing that it can be heard by judge. But may I. Back on that chairman that there's another aspect in the amendment that I think it's it's very unique and it doesn't exist for the remainder of the FY for executive sessions and that is a summary an oral summary of what we're not that has to be placed in the minutes so so if you're talking about business As program and Sibley somebody sneaks in their brother in law's grass cutting business you're gonna have a problem both with the recording and the summary so you've got sort of a dog it's a good check and balance their and then the other thing that's put in an Johnson Zach Lee right if there's litigation out of it and and wrongdoing the city has to pay a little bit of fees aye aye yes very clear that's that's an unusual step as well so I think there's enough safeguards there and you know it's it's again it's nothing's perfect but I think it's a good it's a good first step to see if we can make this work. Representative Beatty you're recognized for a question. It just a question on the recording of what about a transcript of the recording where you could redact any of the non forcible disclosure information was that all that was given to this. I do you know we do that on personnel records right now so that certainly and certainly I thought yeah. Any other questions. That was one Mr Steinberg actually brought this up to it would be difficult to to redact the audit the audio because it's it's always very hard for the transcript that's that makes little that could be a lot. Senator I guess so I. Good good thought. Okay anymore questions by committee. The nun. we have quite a list here today for this. speak against the bill of measurement if I may my a Senate sponsor is also here today senator of Lance Eads if I might call him up if you would like to say anything to the committee before we have those for and against okay yeah you make. Thank you very much thank you yes. Please identify yourself for the record you may proceed. State senator district seven Lance Eads Mister chair Preciado will take too much the committee's time but I just this visit time working in the past on economic development projects with some of our local cities in northwest Arkansas and and what I found is that sometimes the margins so slim and some of these things one little thing can go either way or another to help either land of the big project for your community or or get by past and then go somewhere else so the ability to be able to. Strategize some of these things within the cities and with with maybe if they've got a contract with another economic development company of some kind give you the ability to hopefully gain just a little bit of a competitive advantage that you might not have otherwise and on the reverse that if that information gets out there that something you have you not only lose that competitive advantage but they can be put at a significant disadvantage in a very short period of time and that might be the difference between winning a bunch of jobs and losing them to a a neighboring city or somebody outside the state who might be competing for the same same jobs and that's why I wanted to support and representative talking get on and be part of this bill because I think it's so important that we have ever take advantage of every opportunity we have to try to attract more business and in street or our state our communities thank you. Representative Hawker you through. Okay. It is there any other questions. Seeing no questions speak against the bill Wesley brown. Well actually I think you were last last time so we'll put you first. Please identify yourself for the record you may proceed. publisher of the. Okay it's going. the publisher of the day the daily record business your in Little Rock where weekly we report on a lot of these economic development projects I'm also I'm a member of that the full freedom information act a task force and a member of the Arkansas press association last time I was here I we Talk about I came to Whatever I'm usually quoting people the paper but I was quoted in the papers that the this was a bad bill I'll say this to this this amendment is worse and and mainly because of the real world applications as a news reporter who writes about this so. and late last year we had a cover of the cosco development that's coming to town Those records that we use came from public meetings three different organizations the Planning Commission city council the report of the ward. Couldn't have written that story without that information. right now if this bill passes I will simply not right anymore it economic development until the shell bill is in the ground. I can't tell any of my constituents what's going on in the process development of that of Mr a a mark talked about the database will if. That's the dating phase if I'm the taxpayer in the tax payer analogy is the father I want to know what my. My kids are doing in the day to day. And that's that's what taxpayers need to know what's going on these projects We talk about. Projects were lost for this reason or that reason well the Toyota project and Mr more more Mr Hays mansion was lost because of we didn't have the technical skills the work force to bring that project when the wood there was no other reason that's why we lost our of the other things the. I'll put to the I want to a little below this creates the establishment of a public document of record but doesn't allow the public access to that doctor. The two set on record four year. The glide path for most large projects is gently eighteen thirty six months. One year. Can get to the that doesn't do anything has no accountability has no transparency. I could go on but I have some other colleagues and I know the people to speak but this is a not just a bad bill it's it's a worse bill and there's no transparency in his note that's nuts say this is about transparency this is about and we all want jobs nobody is going to get up and say we but not even press and say we don't want jobs. This is about talking about things behind closed doors and and that's okay but but let's not say it's transparency because is not this is a and I'll go back to my first point this is a this is the worst bill than the original bill that was present thank you. You might have any questions. If not thank you Mr brown thank you. Speaking for the bill Brian day. Please identify yourself for the record you may begin. Thank you Mr chairman members the kid Committee my name is Brian day and I'm the executive director of the Little Rock Port Authority the rapport thorniest municipal agency that was created about fifty years ago to grow jobs for central Arkansas today we have close to seven thousand people that work there and they come from over twenty County so third the state comes to the port to make a living every day my primary role is to buy and sell real estate to attract industry to the port and what I like about this bill what it allows me to do is to negotiate in good faith brief my board and then make some decisions and then come public and say that's what we've done I'd like to share two brief examples of of how this but if this legislation had existed how would have helped me a couple years ago we landed a large distribution company you've already about it over a hundred million dollar investment over fifteen hundred employees the local in the summer when they came to me and so they want to locate the port I had to buy some additional land to make that project happen and I could not do that I could not build a public and I'm meeting and talk to the board about what I needed to do because if those land the owners have gotten wind of it it would have made it difficult for me to go Shea so fortunately this large company trusted me and allowed me to move forward on the assumption in the hope that the board would say yes at the end of the day had I had this ability to go into executive session brief my board on what we were trying to do get approval to negotiate in good faith with this company and adjoining landowners it would have made my task a lot simpler the other analogy I one of the the other example I want to point out real briefly in twenty fifteen I've been there just a few months and a large aftermarket tire company came to little rock and they wanted to locate at the port a billion dollar investment over a thousand jobs and about five thousand real cars a year which is how we make. Our money with an amazing effort for the port we did not get that project and we didn't get it because of the self a life thing but I want to share what happened to our colleagues in North Carolina if you Google the star news paper the same time that this company was looking at us someone Ethel wide the public entity in North Carolina and got the emails that were going around about this company this company immediately disqualified that community and the executive director of the agency resigned that's how difficult it is to negotiate with these corporations the site selectors these large of manufacturers because you're right they have maybe not they maybe haven't told their shareholders they maybe haven't told their employees that they're moving so everything they want to do is send private is in confidence and as a public entity to do right and I believe that we should do right we should be transparent but it doesn't allow me to get make those negotiations and it creates a real problem for me to go out and compete with communities around the world I hope I hope you pass this bill I think it's a good resource it still requires us at the end of the day to go in from the public and say here's what we've done we sold this land we provided this incentive except for a it just gives me a resource that I currently don't have to negotiate and brief my board about what's going on I'd be glad to answer any questions Mister chairman. The question. Yes representative Beatty. You said that this would make your tasks simpler but she still landed the deal you didn't lose the bill is that correct that is correct Sir on the the distribution company we did pull that one off yes Sir have you lost a deal because you run able to take advantage or use this to I have not thank you. Any other questions. Seeing none thank you thank you for your testimony. speak against the bill is Serra more. Please identify yourself for the record you may begin. Hi my name is my name is Sarah Moran from fatal Arkansas and I'm just a regular average everyday and community member I'm not it with an organization but I want to say that I'm very interested in what's having happening and with my government entity is and what meetings are having what conversations are having and so I'm very familiar with Roy and I find it to be a very important law that Arkansas has is something we should be very proud of and should hold on to protect for that transparency that it offers us and with some of the comments that were made and today that I kind of wanted to address that were brought up and I do not live in northwest Arkansas and and it does say a lot of growth right now and Act our economy is really growing and there was a comment made that we have we got the hammer but we didn't get the handle if that's the case in fourth west Arkansas I don't know what the heck we're going to do I guess when we get the handle because we're gonna blow it out of the water it really hasn't slowed us down with the development that's been happening today and fail Arkansas we passed a ten for ten bond project we're building at thirty eight million dollar place facility we're building a forty million dollar of art area all of these projects in my opinion as a committee member or something that needs to be a discussion in the public in the light of day with all of the potential providers the cost and the things that my city is going to give up on one of the things we had a discussion of recently in regard to our art corridor is about a public private partnership with an area with a parking deck I would really hate for those conversations to bend and behind closed doors because that has been a very complex conversation and there's been a lot of public conversation that's been added into that that has actually highlighted some things in some areas that we needed to look into additionally I'm really concerned about the language. The bill and there is many times mentioned about an oral summary that's going to happen after the fact summaries by their very nature are going to vary across the state depending on the entity or the person that's actually providing that I again and some of the of meetings that I attend some of the summaries are incredible they're like a transcript you get honest every single word and it's incredible I shat out take ed to kera and with the drug task force for the fourth judicial drug task force that the Northwest Arkansas because she's word for word however I've also been very disappointed in my neck of the woods with some of the council meetings and the fact that the summaries of those are very vague and so there's no language to actually Titan of the language in this bill in regard to what kind of oral summary you're gonna get out of this executive summary so a lot could be lost is this summary ten words is it five hundred words we don't know additionally I'm very concerned about the recording I was really proud of the last legislative session about act ten twenty eight that actually made audio recordings have to take place I think that's incredibly important I hate the fact that I'm hearing that this recording and the language of the bill today is for one year and then it's not fully able and that's a huge concern additionally as was mentioned earlier these projects go on for years and years and at the end of that one year period I don't see any language in the bill it talks about making this available to the public I think this is the public's record nation of access to it I do appreciate there's conversation about potentially the transcript in making that available and some kind of redacted will form but at the end of the day I will tell you in northwest Arkansas. Even with a the four year that we have in place today we have many entities that already are doing things like calling something an advisory group so that they can have meetings behind closed doors I'm very concerned about the slippery slope that starts to be put into place whenever we start but these conversations behind closed doors and I hope that you will protect our for you the way it is today so that we are really being good stewards of our tax dollars and letting our public be a part of these conversations so I'd ask for you not support this bill today thank you. Okay. The Dallas speaking for the bill is Peter Christie. Please identify yourself for the record. Thank you Mr chairman is Peter Christie once again the of the Barrett Bellavista. First of all let me assure you that in Bellavista there is nothing held behind closed doors zero. We are completely transparent we do not have advisory committees for the sake of being able to meet and squirrel away something everything is always wide open and advertised in fact we get so anal about it that when we go down to the AML conferences which I hope mark we're going to have somebody again. At least in. In person we publicly advised the press that there will be members of council traveling together going down to the conference and if anybody from the press wants to ride in the car and come with this and see what we're talking about how that. Secondly. Bellavista has this stigma of being a retirement community. Over the past six years allow me to share with you what is happened. Less than thirty percent are over the age of sixty five. The median is fifty on one side of. There you go. But again we're having more more young families coming in why because we have homes at a reasonable price and we also have a tremendous amount of recreation including a hundred miles of trails. But this also puts tremendous pressure on the infrastructure and we have very little commercial. Very little. And as we all know and somebody said earlier sales tax pays the bills not property tax we have been aggressively going after economic development and getting over the statement so that people will come and invest in Bellavista. We need to have this tool in our kit bag it is terribly important so that we can move forward. There is no. Reasons for us to hide anything. I'd be very happy to give a full summary. We tape all our council meetings both work sessions and the regular sessions all the commissions today and we even have them streamed online. And they're also taped by our local TV station. There is nothing to hide nor would I ever try and hide and the thing. Back to Mister Hayes comment however I have to be very very cognisant that Mr cars company and Mr under which company are betting. And they don't want me telling the other somehow that I know what your business plan is now let me put my corporate had on. If I had been ever doing that. And especially because I was looking after Walmart if I started to play games on the Walmart account we would have been kicked out and I would have had two thousand people out of work and I would have had a nine digit PNL go down the drain. There are things that you have to speak about. With your own board so that they understand what's going on then the disclosure comes after the fact. I'd be open to any questions. Service representative baby you're recognized for a question mayor mayor Christie I I I respect your comments and and your position is that it's a different world and the political round there the business world but I'd also say that I believe that you would have those conversations with your board members individually and discuss the issues that you need to discuss in order to move an economic development project for would that be a fair statement. I don't think I would I've never done that on any other issue I've never believed in daisy chaining things that that to me is just under half. I have always believed that if we're going to have a Frank discussion about a topic it's when everybody is present. I I also thank you by the way for your suggestion I think it's a good one and and follow up yes that you said right now you don't have any closed door meetings and and Bellavista and and I'm I know that to be a fact I have a good friend that lives there won't say his name because he may be a thorn in your side. I don't have any of those. I thank you would appreciate that comment so. Is this a tool that you would openly utilized hello this to yes and you would you would go to these closed door sessions and that would not have the transparency that you're proud of than the Jews spoke about to this this committee know what I would do is actually follow of the intent of this of this Amendment. Once we have talked about it together then we have the responsibility to come out and and present a summary. And then it's also taped as I mentioned before we tape everything. And From my perspective. That puts it squarely in front of the taxpayer because if you remember my comment before the fifth. Business philosophy that I have since I've taken this job is you must be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and I have never ever way from it nor will I ever do so. Thank you thank you the representative right you're recognized for a question. Thank you thank you Mr chairman Sir you may not be able to answer this but you may the states around Arkansas Missouri Oklahoma Texas Louisiana Mississippi Tennessee they have anything in place. Just like this I'm not aware of that but it did here earlier that yes they do have but I don't have it in front of me no I'm sorry. Thank you. Have that kind of state's website. Thank you. Sections of. Okay. Any other questions. Seeing none we appreciate your testimony thank you Sir thank you any single UP next speaking against the bill Luke's story. Please identify yourself for the record. You may begin. Thank you Mr chairman and committee on Luke's story on the executive director of the Arkansas broadcasters association. And I appear here today as a representative of our state's two hundred fourty plus broadcasters. I'd like to start by thanking you for welcoming welcoming me back once again for a third time I'm really starting to consider you all family at this point And allowing me to speak in really for your ongoing support of our state's freedom information act. We just heard from Mr Christie from Bella Vista that it's a priority to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and we believe that a majority of our public servants are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. But unfortunately the reality is that's not always the case. I don't know for sure. But this may be the first time in four year history that someone has proposed creating information in a meeting for the sole purpose of keeping that information secret. I don't know I don't know for a fact but that's could that be that could be a record. I would like to thank I'd like to take a moment to thank the Municipal League for keeping an open dialogue throughout this whole thing this is really been a marathon and I really appreciate their cooperation and their willingness to work with us but the fact remains. That we're still opposed to a policy that goes this far to a road the people's right to know what's being done in their government under forty a the people's law this isn't just the purview of the proof that proverbial camel's nose under the tent. It's the whole camel under the tent. I also appreciate Mr Hayes. And his statement that the intent is for this to apply to the dating phase but if you read the bill carefully the bill doesn't specify only that phase in that project. And Mr day I was taking notes to during all the other testimony I Mr day he referenced emails in North Carolina I believe we are all aware that those economic development documents are already exempt here in Arkansas. In this bill we're talking about executive sessions not emails not those type of documents that are already exempt. Before we were barring the public from hearing first hand the conversations taking place behind closed doors about a wide range a laundry list of issues thank you goals that could all fall under the economic development project umbrella now we're creating a public record of those conversations and denying access to the public record. And the recording is only retain for one year. As you all know even after some of these projects are agreed to. They don't happen within a year. It could be eighteen months to two years down the road before details emerge that would trigger a member of the public or the media to suspect those closed door discussions need to be reviewed that maybe something inappropriate transpired or maybe a projects not panning out like it's supposed to and the public wants to know what was agreed to and what was that company supposed to do with their tax dollars. Even if it becomes apparent the recording needs to be reviewed within a year a citizen would have to file a lawsuit sue the city or the local government claiming an improper discussion occur at that point the judge would listen to the same recording still behind closed doors to determine whether the discussion was improper racking up legal fees and still quite possibly never learning what was said behind those closed doors in those meetings. This is a time consuming and costly process to burden our citizens with in a process they shouldn't have to go through to know for sure there local government is operating in their best interest. I think it's also important to note that there really hasn't been much discussion about attorneys being present at these meetings that is a whole new territory that's and that's an exemption that no one has even thought about before and no we are still at that I've grave concerns about that. For more than forty years now I think all of us all of us as our Kansans we've been survived one of the strongest for use in the country that's something to be proud of is not something to constantly try to jab holes in two and try to compare ourselves to other states to see if we can become on par or on a level playing field with our competitors and our state surrounding us why why not try to be of the why not try to have the best for you. All these decades later. The people that taxpayers of Arkansas deserve to have their law and their voice protected. I urge you and ask you to please send a message to your fellow Arkansans that for you will not be we can on your watch I ask that you please vote against this bill once again I'm glad to take questions and I thank you for your consideration of my comments. Question. Seeing none we appreciate your testimony thank you. UP next speak for this bill Patterson. And again would you identify yourself for the record. Then you may proceed. Thank you Mr chairman committee. I have his prepared speech but I'm not really sure where to begin. So bear with me if you will. My name is Philip Patterson the city administrator in silence springs been there for seven years. Going on seven years. The last thirty years plus I work for small cities less than twenty thousand population. Some of those years were spent out of state working on downtown redevelopment and Economic Development. And in that other state. Those cities had a number of tools at their disposal to do economic development. Arkansas cities don't have the number of tools at our disposal. In twenty sixteen voters of this state by sixty five percent voted for a constitutional amendment. Basically the jobs act that Mister Hayes referred to sixty five percent of the voters supported that. And that was a new tool for cities. To do economic development. It's new to cities it's brand new. And what we found out was there's a piece that's missing. I'm the one that referred to the hammering the handle I apologize if that would the best analogy Mr Wilkerson stole it. I have there I had to scratch it out. It is my opinion that in order for cities and I'm not referring to Fayetteville to Bentonville in that quarter some springs is in Northwest Arkansas but we're not in that growth corridor. I was hired to do economic development for solemn springs. That tool that the jobs act from twenty seventeen is a great tool it's a great beginning. But there is a heck up in that tool. And it is the fact. That. Certain things that were voted on by the public and adopted by the legislators are exempt from FOIA files and materials that if disclosed would give an advantage to a competitor or bidder. Our records maintained relating to planning site location expansion operations and product delivery and marketing. Many of you know that the Arkansas Economic Development Council sends out what's called horrifies request for information there's a new company new industry looking to locate in Arkansas and they will send out requests for information and we as a city we get that request and we fill out a bunch of information we send it back in for lucky. The site selectors which are really looking for sites they're looking for ways to eliminate sites but if we're lucky they didn't eliminate us. And if we're lucky enough that company will come to visit our city. And I've had those visits. And they look at me and they say if we bring our plant to your city. But incentives are you gonna put on the table. I can talk about what we can do this and we can do that I haven't landed one of those yet. But you can bet I'm going to because that's what I that's that's my job. But at some point I'm going to have to have a conversation with the board about those things in my case boards about those things that are exempt from for you that could give a competitive advantage to a competitor. I can't do that in public if I'm going to ask the city board to invest a hundred thousand dollars or whatever it's going to be to run a water line or a sewer line for you know a quarter mile for a new industry they're going to want to know what is that industry may they're going to want to know how much is that industry investing what's the name of that company. And I can't tell them collectively as a whole they can't discuss it as a whole. The comment was made earlier that. This planning phases it's going to take away that whole planning phase we're talking about the early step of a project. Mr Wesley talked about the Planning Commission the board of directors of the city council's going through that planning review that's still going to happen. But that's not gonna happen if the city decides not to incentivize a project that's still got to go through the whole process the cosco process would still be the same. It's the early stage at the very beginning is where there's this gap. That I believe can be solved with this bill. To allow the city council or the city board to collectively discuss those things that the voters decided were exempt from FOIA. Not one by one because they can't meet. I assume. That as state legislators you get to talk to another state legislator about a bill that's coming before your committee our city boards city councils don't get to do that they have to do it in a public open meeting. There were comments made the last time I was here that. If you go into executive session there's gonna be some backroom deal that's done. There are no such things happening in executive sessions the only thing that you get to do is have a discussion. No decisions can be made if there's a decision made they have to come out the city council of the city board has to come out in public and make that motion and vote on. If it's direct me to offer a hundred thousand dollars to project X. they're going to have to say that in public can vote on. All they get to do in that executive session is to discuss those things that are exempt from FOIA that could give a competitive edge and do it as a whole. I don't think it would work very well if we had this discussion individually with everyone of you about this bill. We need to discuss it as a group as a committee as a whole. There's no. There's no attempt to jab a hole in for you. It is my opinion that the jobs act provided the city a new tool. But we can't completely utilize that new tool at this time. This is a brand new that jobs act as a brand new game for cities. It's in it's it's easy in Fayetteville and Rogers and Springdale and Bentonville. I mean that's the growth corridor it's the Interstate through their. It ain't that easy in silence springs let me tell you. I have to be able to encourage people to come to solemn springs and see what we have to offer. And when it comes time to make some incentive offer I need to know. That the board is okay with that moving forward. Not individually but as a whole. And let them discuss as a whole those things that are exempt from FOIA. Whatever it is that they make with their investments are the number of employees that they're going to. How ARE new jobs that they're creating. We're not trying to hide from transparency or asking is to give the board the opportunity to have a discussion. If you wish for us to keep the recording longer than a year that's fine. Projects to get to the certificate of occupancy take longer than a year but it generally won't take longer than a year to make a decision about incentives and go forward from that standpoint they still have to go through site plan they still have to go through the construction in the O. nine yards. Full advantage of that jobs act because today I don't believe they can. Mister chair I appreciate your time. I think all of you for your service and I'm available for any questions thank you for the meeting. Seeing none we appreciate your testimony. Okay speak against the bill Beth I apologize I cannot read your last name. If you would the. Okay would you please come to the table and State your name. And you may proceed okay. I thank you Mr chairman and committee my name is Beth eleven fable in Washington County and I too am just an ordinary citizen like miss Morris matter fact we work wrote down together today but I'm I'm very I'm very involved in our county government in inner city government and Washington County and available so that's one of six some of my interest in this bill and after hearing some of the discussion here today I'm wondering how we have any economic development in Arkansas with all the obstacles that we have. I believe this bill raises many questions that aren't properly answered and leaves a lot open to discretion and judgment. for instance who makes the season decision as to whether or not a public discussion would give an advantage our competitors are an edge to competitors are bidders what makes the record become related to an economic development project could it be something as simple as a memo or does it have to be very detailed like a letter of intent does it have to contain drawings of financial information to be a record what would that be based on and what does it take for a record to be related to planning site location. Skews me M. expansion operations are product developed and marketing marketing but those are that's important because all those things are but because the executive session to kick in. I believe that all discussions concerning taxpayer dollars should be held in public when discussion discussing economic development often times there's incentives the incentives that are given to the company that's coming to town and over years those could add up to billions of dollars that taxpayers are paying. And that's those discussions should be held in public and as some have already addresses this but the bill says the recording should be. That's that's a very short time considering that it takes years for projects to be finished and could take years because before anything came up that the public would even know that we should be discussing it discussing and taking into asking questions about and I realize that this bill is about executive sessions and I love hearing that Bellavista has all their meetings open and nine advisory that's great but I live in Washington County and in real life I see elected officials routinely hold meetings and declare them only advisory instead of instead of governing and that designation is used to shut out the community. I'm not sure this bill sufficiency strip sufficiently addresses the possibility the executive sessions sessions could be over used much like the advisory versus the governing body exemption in for you and in doing so unnecessarily limit public access. It's not enough to just give a summary and that summaries even limited under the bill the public needs to hear that thanking the reasoning that went into that decision those look at mice concerns thank you very much. Okay speaking for the bill is markes. Those are not thank you become one of our favorite scent. Okay is there anyone else who would like to speak for or against the bill. I would planning to testify I think all the talking points have been used okay I'm actually Wimberley with Arkansas press association and I just wanted to say that I think representative Beatty made the best point today what problem what is the solution what is this bad bill trying to solve them we've been asking over and over again what is the issue on that you know if the economic development process and there really hasn't been given an example where they've lost an economic development process and so that's that's what we're when you're asking for a tool you need a tool to solve a problem and so I think that's her point today is there is no issue with the current process. Thank you. Represented by. Let's give our at the proper time. My bad okay. Right anybody else would like to speak for or against this bill. Seeing none would you like to close for your bill. We got one back there. Okay. I got a big column in front of me I can't see what's going. Page fine okay all right and would you like to close for your bill thank you. Thank you chairman thank you Committee and I do thank each one that came today and and has the heart of our state and our cities at the best interests just a couple weeks ago we had our representative Denise Ennett come before this committee with a project that the Port Authority was asking for opportunities to go into an executive session to talk about opportunity that the court would have this committee passed that bill it didn't have the word for it and it so I don't think any of the four people came but we pass that out of the committee and out of the house and that is now a law or gone going to the Senate allowing our Port Authority to do exactly what we are asking you to do here. We are not talking about our everyday business that is conducted with government monies and government projects we're not talking about All of our council meetings and things like that we are talking specifically and you all helped to shape this bill to be specific to the jobs act of twenty seventeen to be specific to those items that were already deem to be non for able we are asking you with all of the information that you have asked us to do to make this a tool that can be used by the city's for economic development specifically related to the twenty seventeen jobs act. To have this be added up to well in the early stages where there is a gap between a mayor or and city administrator going one on one with each council member or a third party economic development foundation much like Mr Beattie representative Beatty is done four years as an economic developer. Those things are happening now that's how it's done now so there is economic development going on. We're asking to be able to do things that the surrounding states are able to do in bringing these large projects when we talk about the twenty seventeen jobs act we're talking about large job acts job opportunities for our local communities. If one thousand asylum springs that helps all the surrounding towns we didn't hear from the mayor of Cape Cave Springs he's here today also a small community right in the heart of northwest Arkansas looking for economic development opportunity to help the residents of his town. that's what this job it this bill does we've tried to address every concern from having it listed on the agenda for the public and the council to know what was happening we have addressed an oral summary be given. After the meeting amid consecutive session as as held for the purposes stated purpose of the twenty seventeen jobs act economic development opportunity not other projects related to government parking or things that are being built or anything like that we're talking about jobs bringing new industry to our state. An oral summary is given a written summary is given and put into the minutes of the meeting a recording is being offered of the executive session to be heard at any particular time that would be deemed appropriate so that this opportunity could be discussed in very. responsible ways by those citizens that are tasks taxed with providing the opportunities for all of us so I know there's not a lot of trust by the press in our local authorities the question was asked you know who would use this my question is who wants to be a public official these days and have a job that they have to do and still be not given the tools in order to do their job that's what we're asking you as this committee for city county local affairs to give us the opportunity to let these economic opportunities to be discussed by local communities for the purpose of the twenty seventeen jobs act and with that I will close and ask for a good vote and a do pass. Right and you made a motion. Okay okay represent representative baby you had a you had. Okay all right we've got it right now. Okay. We we have a motion to do pass any discussion on the motion yes. Mr chairman not I'll start with maybe I don't know third time may be the charm but it's it's not if this is not something that I wanted to come back and talk about a third time and I have the utmost respect for my colleagues she and I actually spoke about this last night in in detail I voiced my concerns L. I'll state what I said the first time. This is not about economic development and I'll say that again this is not about economic development as a look around the ring the folks that are here and and I if I'm wrong somebody stand up and tell me but I don't see one individual from Arkansas Economic Development Commission all are anyone from that area that we have the expertise that we working with the mayor's to pursue these economic development projects so I would assert that if this were about economic development someone from that organization would be here to speak either in support or opposition the things I've heard discussed today are more about making my job easier or it would be a another tool to help me be successful. Well I I mean I'm sorry politics is a hard game I've learned that as of late I respect the job that that the mayors and the council members and and what you have to do we set here I haven't heard anyone say one one project that they've lost I've heard you say that is the dating stage are just you know that we're getting to know each other what I'm going to tell you and in twenty five years of economic development at this is that the dating stage they're not asking you water your incentives. Not say what can you offer me water the incentives at the front those site select selectors are are are coming to town to look at your community they already know what you can offer. They're not coming for that you're not gonna go to your counsel at the first outbreak of an economic development project and say Hey can we give them you know ten acres or a hundred thousand two hundred thousand dollars I would pray my mayor sitting here I wish that we had that kind of cash sitting at the city of Crossett are in economic development foundation that we can offer those type of incentives but they're not coming with that at the dating stage at you know even the incentives that the state offers that's at the end of the project the state doesn't package those things up so here's what we're going to give you. That's at the end of the process that's when that takes place. The other thing is you know what thank you for the attempt to make this better but I echo what was said it made it worse. You go into an executive session you gonna recorded so now the decision is are we gonna get sued over violation of FOIA or gonna get sued because someone thinks we made the wrong calm in an executive session and got out of line of what we're supposed to do. I don't think as an elected official that's a good choice either way you're still going to involve the lawsuit and the fact that the taxpayers have to go to court to even get that information I think that's of service will. I'm sorry that fully makes jobs difficult for councils and and and counties I agree with that is not supposed to be an obstacle to governance. But I know it is. And so I'm sorry I wish we could do something about that and maybe collectively we can but this bill is not the way to do that and the last thing I would say. Is out of all of us have spoken there were two private citizens that came today. Came of their own free will maybe they saw the bill I don't know how you found out about it. But they're here on their own free will. And we've heard their comments in their concerns and I would state that folks from all the communities and all the mayors that were here. There are hundreds maybe thousands of private citizens that would have the exact same concerns that these two ladies Hey. And those voices are heard our job is not to take care of the mayors and the county judges is to take care of the people. So that's the last thing I gotta say analysts say what I've said before colleagues here those comments and vote no on this bill we can find another way to accomplish what you need to you need to work with ADC get those folks involved and let's come up with the process it's new it's brand new let's all work to get a process that works but this here ain't gonna work. It's going to create problems is gonna call city council problems I would want to go into executive session and and speak my mind freely if voters don't get sued I'd rather speak in an open meeting where the people can hear and then they can judge me on my comments so again I just ask you to vote no on this this is bad legislation. Okay any other discussion on the men on the motion. Seeing the saying none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no no hi seven well. The roll call. Representative Brian. Representative Brian no. Representative Underwood. Representive Underwood yes. Representative car yes representative card yes representative Haak. Yes yes representive hop yes representative Collins. Representative Collins yes. Representative Beatty junior. The representative Beatty junior No representative Godfrey yes representative guy FOR yes. Representative Tom let. Representative Tom let. Representative talent no. Representative I grew. Yes representa grew yes. Representative McCollum yeah representative McCollum yes. Representatives late this represents late yes. Representative Scott. Representative Scott. Representative pairing. Representative Perry. Representative Warren yes representative Warren yes. Representative Dalby yes representative dobby yes. Representative to ride. Represented representative have no. Representative Cavenaugh. Representative Cavenaugh. Representative Holcomb represented Hogan yes. The motion the motion passes. Okay we'll give a I know some of you are here just for that I'll give you moment clear out if you'd like to reflect the next bill. And representative offices if you would make your way up to the table and. Okay represented Hawke's you if you would identify yourself for the record and you may present house bill fourteen sixty three. Thank you Mr chair and let me apologize if this is not gonna be near as weighty as those first two bills that we had and hopefully I can expedite your dinner this is actually a clean up of a clean up bill and I would like to thank representative Godfrey for pointing something out this bill is passed out of this committee before but what we did is we have tied this language to the actual bill that was cleaning up and this way everybody is on board with it still does is the same thing it allows a municipality to lessen the burden for development if they so choose to do so I have not seen any opposition since the bill is been filed and the amendment has been filed and it's been hanging out there for awhile as well so I'm open to any questions but A good vote. Okay any questions from the committee. Saying none we have two people signed up to speak for this bill. Okay. Does anybody. If anybody would like to speak against the bill. Seeing none. That the voter to. Okay you you close for your bill represent all I'll close for the bill thank. I'd entertain a motion I have a motion by representative warned. Any discussion on the motion do pass. Seeing none all in favor say aye. Those opposed say no. Congratulations you have passed your bill thank you Mr chair thank committee help you enjoy a good dinner. All right. All right we we will be meeting next Monday. So. We are adjourned for today.