JBC-Personnel (8:00AM-9:00AM)
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Transcript
13 documents
Bills discussed (6)
| Bill | Title | Sponsor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
HB1091
Act 538
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…ernor’s Letters and Amendments to be Presented: Director 1. HB1091- Department of Health Ms. Renee Mallory Amendment MAH032- G…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1091 is now Act 538 |
|
HB1105
Act 1004
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…Ms. Renee Mallory Amendment MAH032- Governor’s Letter #5 2. HB1105- Department of Human Services-Secretary’s Office Ms. Kristi…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES - SECRETARY'S OFFICE APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1105 is now Act 1004 |
|
HB1174
Act 790
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…Mr. Hugh McDonald Amendment MAH031- Governor’s Letter #8 4. HB1174- Department of Corrections- Division of Correction Mr. Dext…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS - DIVISION OF CORRECTION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that HB1174 is now Act 790 |
|
SB22
Act 377
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…Mr. Jacob Oliva Amendment KMW022- Governor’s Letter #10 6. SB22- Department of Inspector General Ms. Allison Brag g Amendme…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB22 is now Act 377 |
|
SB39
Act 609
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…Ms. Kristi Putnam Amendment LCW040- Governor’s Letter #6 3. SB39- Department of Commerce- Division of Workforce Services Mr.…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE … | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB39 is now Act 609 |
|
SB93
Act 1010
· 1 mention in agenda
Matched: “…Mr. Dexter Payne Amendment DJC013- Governor’s Letter #9 5. SB93- Department of Education Mr. Jacob Oliva Amendment KMW022-…”
|
AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. | Joint Budget Committee | Notification that SB93 is now Act 1010 |
Machine transcript
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- October 2, 2026
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
1:01
Call this meeting of the personnel committee to order this morning. Appreciate the audience being here. he individual
member of the committee, and at this time, I'd asked representative Mike Holcomb to lead us in a word of prayer, if we all stand, please.
Thank you, Representative Holcomb. This morning, we should have a Brief meeting, but Chair, welcome any questions as they develop. And we'll be guided this morning as usual by Tony Robinson, who will take care of the explaining the various items of business, and first of all, we start off with Island B on the agenda, and I recognize Mr. Robinson. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker 6
2:17
Chairman. Items B1 through B6, uh, community
members are all related, um, items B 1 through 5 are
Speaker 9
2:24
positions leaving the agency agencies or departments are currently in and going to the Department of Inspector General. I kind of go through each one and Mr. Chairman, based on our conversation earlier, you want to
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
2:36
take one vote at the end? Yes, we'll tell you we'll do that if the committee agrees, we'll just, since they're all interrelated 1 through 5 and then 6 receives the positions, we'll just take 2 votes, one on, one on the, uh, uh, giving of
the positions from each of the agencies and then the vote of the receiving one. You proceed, Mr. Robertson. Thank you, Mr.
Speaker 6
3:00
Chairman. Item B1 is governor's letter 5. This is for the
Speaker 9
3:04
Department of Health. The amendment will transfer two positions, uh, one assistant controller and one senior auditor to the Department of Inspector General. The total number of positions will be reduced from 2,221 to 2,218. Item B2 is for governor's letter 6. This is for the secretary's office at DHS. The office will
give up two positions, a DHS assistant director of quality assurance and a budget specialist taking the total number of positions from 6 to 52 to 650. They've also reduced the total appropriation for the operation section by $64,000. Item B3 is for Governor's order 8 and the division of Workforce Services at Commerce. The division will be giving up 8 positions, 1 audit coordinator, and, uh, 4 internal auditors, 3 senior auditors, and this takes the total number of positions from 627 to 619.
Uh, item B4 is for governor's letter 9. This is a transfer of two positions from the Department of Correction, Shared Services, one of the positions is an internal auditor. The other is is just an auditor. Uh, this will take the division from 216 to 214 total authorized positions. And then item 5 or B5 is a governor's letter 10. This is for the Department of Education. The department will be giving up one fiscal division manager position, taking the total appropriated positions from 89 to 88, Mr. Chairman. OK, thank
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
4:27
you, Ms. Barnhill, do you have anything to add to this? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Each of you, each member of the committee under understand that it's regarding the uh positions being moved to the inspector General and Mr. Robinson, you want to explain item 6, and then we'll take 1 vote on the giving and one vote on the receiving. Sure, Mr. Chairman, I B6 is
Speaker 6
4:51
this is for Governor's letter 11, and this is for the Department of Inspector General. The
Speaker 9
4:58
department will receive the 15 positions transferred in Governor's letters 5689, and 10. It will also receive a position from the lottery commission. So the the amendment for the inspector General will add the 16 positions along with an additional $2 million in total appropriation for regular salaries, matching and maintenance and
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
5:19
operations, Mr. Chairman, committee members, do you have any questions regarding Adams 1 through 5 and then item 6 in section B.
Any questions? Seeing no questions, do I have? Do you have any questions or any comments? OK. Uh. Do I have a motion to approve the giving of the positions. I have a motion to have a 2nd. OK, all in favor indicate by saying I. All pose the same sign, same, OK, thank you. The motion is passed. Number 6 is the
receiving by the inspector general of the positions that you just approved to be transferred, they'll be transferred into the inspector General's office. Any questions on that? Do I have a motion? motion and 2nd. All in favor, say I oppose likewise, Mr. er, you can inform the governor's office that we
have complied with her request. Yes, sir. Next item is item C and if uh anyone that's familiar with Adam see if you would come to the table, we have some questions. OK, you can proceed. OK. Mr.
Speaker 9
6:55
Chairman, committee members, item C, this is an ARPA request, uh, from Pulaski Technical College. The positions were
authorized, the positions and the appropriation were authorized through, uh, peer review yesterday. The personnel committee is tasked with reviewing the titles that are assigned to these positions. In this case, the positions are a project program specialist in admissions analyst. The positions are purely temporary and cannot be added to the institution's appropriation bill due to the nature of it being an
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
7:22
AARPA request. Oh, you've heard the recommendation. I would like to have some comments from the university, if you would identify yourself and then uh proceed to kind of
elaborate on what we have.
Melissa Rust
Unverified
7:37
Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman, my name is Melissa Rust. I'm with the University of Arkansas
Speaker 19
7:43
System. Um, this particular request from Pulaski Technical College is for, uh, two provisional positions, um, I noticed this last evening when I was going through, um, getting ready for today's committee meeting and inquired first thing this morning about this particular entry on your agenda. Um, I ask
if these positions were provisional positions, and they are, um, and the paperwork that you would normally complete for a provisional position. Um, that you see reflected on a report that's later on your agenda was not completed. There was a misunderstanding apparently at the campus about how they were to make this request before personnel subcommittee today. Um, but these positions are provisional, they are paid for with monies from a grant just like any provisional position that we typically bring, you know, before this committee.
It just so happens that the campus submitted a document that they're required to submit in terms of appropriation and positions that went to peer yesterday and was approved. Um, I'm happy to answer any particular questions about these physicians if you have any. Well, thank you for that uh
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
8:56
enlightenment because um the document that we have has $503,000 listed. Yes, sir. But down below, it has positions of.
'88, well, 89,000 and one of 52,000 just rounded up. And so what did you say that that portion above and beyond the two positions was approved by Pier yesterday. The matching and the operating expense, and then there's uh one for professional fees of 835,000. I don't think that's within our purview. I agree. Um, let me explain if
Speaker 19
9:36
I could about the two positions if
that would help. So on the form that is in front of you, it does indicate for regular salaries, $503,000. That includes the two positions that we're speaking of, plus salary for faculty members that are currently employed at UAPB excuse me, at UA Pulaski Tech. So if you go further down on the document, Mr. Chairman, you will see a position for a project program special. grant coordinator. The salary that that 88,0572 is
the line item maximum salary that could be paid for that position. The second position that's listed as an admissions analyst and the line item max is $51,526 but the actual salary that's gonna be paid for these two individuals is the first position that will be paid $56,000 and the second position, the individual will be paid $40,000. dollars. So that $503,000 line
on this document is reflective of those two positions, their salaries plus fringe plus some faculty members that are
Speaker 21
10:52
currently already employed at UA Pulaski Tech. OK.
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
10:56
The question for you, uh, these,
these positions are provisional based upon the fact when the funding goes away, the positions go away. Yes sir, that's correct. Now what about the 503,000 above what the two positions.
Is that That grant money add to the salaries of those already employed as professors or is this a, a replacing some of their salary. What, what would that be used for? I don't know that
Speaker 19
11:33
I can fully answer your question, Mr. Chairman, but what I can say is that, um, the $503,000 is money, it's ARPA funding through the hired grant that UA Pulaski Tech
received and it does pay for those two positions and their fringe, and it also pays salaries of some, some faculty members that are currently employed at Pulaski Tech. Now, whether that, whether that replaces existing funding that they are using. to pay for these salaries, uh, for these faculty members or not. I can't affirmatively tell you that because I don't know the answer to that question specifically, but it clearly is paying at least a portion of or salary of some faculty members
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
12:18
that are currently, uh, employed at the campus. Well, will you provide the committee with with a letter based on what, what if when that money goes away due to the positions go away or is it or is it. The seller is going to be handled in another way, and if it's, will that be an in increase in the operational expense of uh Pulaski Tech. Yes sir, I will. All right, thank you. All right, committee, you've heard the recommendation
for the additional 2 positions in an explanation of why we received the document that we received what you will be approving is the positions and the salaries. to as the title positions. Do we have any discussion or any questions. Before we take a boat. Saying none to have a motion to
approve as submitted and as explained by Miss Russ. OK, I have a second? Second, all in favor indicated saying I. The poses likewise. Hearing none, motion passes, Mr. Robinson, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The only remaining
Speaker 6
13:39
items are items D through H. These are reports that require no action, uh, just for review of the committee.
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
13:52
OK. Any questions on the remaining reports. Is anyone here from the Department of Correction, Community Corrections. Yes, if you'd come forward, I have a question. Can, can, can y'all enlighten us to the situation involving the
probation officers or we, have we moved, are we still Having vacancies and are we still overloaded in that particular position because we can't get them filled. Yes sir, we're still having trouble filling
Speaker 31
14:36
some of the positions. I think we're currently. Uh, was it 54 positions down. Yes, sir. Do what?
Speaker 32
14:42
Yes, sir. We're currently 54 positions now 84 54 5 54. Yes, sir.
Speaker 31
14:56
Our current note total is 449, but we're allotted for 503 budgeted position at this time. OK.
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
15:02
And what, what is the ratio of uh of uh Promote probation officers to uh probationers. Well, statewide, I think we're running
Speaker 31
15:13
107, which is a little bit high. It varies between areas we try to as we have officers for the state. Yes,
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
15:21
sir. What is that nationally? Well, nationally, I think it
Speaker 31
15:26
says that they need to be between it's, it's just varies American probation pro Association says, uh, moderate to high-level offenders need to be about 50, uh, low level offenders can be up to 200. Most of our cases are combined depending on what areas we're in simply because you may have 1 or 2 officers in the area so you really can't divide them up by level, so we're, we're a little bit high as a state, yes, sir. Well, we've been high for
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
15:52
several years and we've given additional positions, and we, Miss Barnhill too.
Yes, sir. And So what, what seems to be the problem in getting the positions filled. Well, they're working on
Speaker 31
16:08
getting the salary right now our salary, we, they actually come in as a as a 5, and it's 32405 is I think is the starting salary for probation parole officers, so. It's kind of a low salary right now. I think they're working through the pay plan to try to get that up, which assisted, so I mean, we're doing pretty good
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
16:29
on filling positions, but the low level of salary. Yes, sir. OK. Thank you. Uh, any other questions of, uh, Concerning their report or or any of the positions in the Department of Correction. Seeing none, thank you, gentlemen. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
What do we have? Is that it? OK. I have
a question for Ms. Barnhill and the governor's office. Where is the pipe land, the
status of it, the last report I received, um, Monday was it was in BLRB and written up prepared and that we might, we might. We see it this week, but don't look for it till next week, and that's what we were told 3 months ago, and that's what we were told 6 months ago, so where are we? Yes, sir, it is currently
Speaker 35
17:24
being drafted. I think the finishing touches are going on it, probably today or tomorrow and then we'll wait for
it to be filed at that particular point
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
17:35
in time, but I think. Well, thank you. I mean, I, I'm not getting
on to anyone, but it, you know, it's, it's Dragging along the governor's office have been comment on that. OK. All right, thank you. Any other business to come before us. Seeing none, the meeting is adjourned. Thank you. Be on the call of the chair.
Agenda
A. Call to Order B. Governor’s Letters and Amendments to be Presented:
Regular Business:
C. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Request from University of Arkansas- Pulaski Technical College
Reports:
D. Employee/Relative Disclosure Quarterly Report, Division of Higher Education
E. Department of Corrections- Division of Community Corrections Quarterly Vacancy/Caseload Report
F. Quarterly Employment Report- First Quarter FY25 State Agencies and Institutions of Higher Education G. Quarterly Employment Report- Second Quarter FY25 State Agencies and Institutions of Higher Education
H. February New Provisional Report for (52) new positions are approved for (5) Four-Year Institutions of Higher Education and (3) new positions for (2) Two-Year Institutions of Higher Education. (Department of Education, Division of Higher Education. Dr. Ken Warden)
I. Other business
J. Adjournment
Documents
| Title | Type | Pages | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agenda — JBC-PERSONNEL, Feb 27, 2025 | Agenda | 1 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex B1 Governor Letter 5 | Exhibit | 7 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex B2 Governor Letter 6 | Exhibit | 8 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex B3 Governor Letter 8 | Exhibit | 7 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex B4 Governor Letter 9 | Exhibit | 6 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex B5 Governor Letter 10 | Exhibit | 6 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex B6 Governor Letter 11 | Exhibit | 7 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex C ARPA | Exhibit | 1 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex D 4th and 3rd Quarter Employe Relative Disclosure Report | Exhibit | 4 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex E ACC Quarterly Report January 2025 | Exhibit | 7 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex F First Quarter FY2025 Quarterly Employment Report | Exhibit | 14 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex G Second Quarter FY2025 Quarterly Employment Report | Exhibit | 14 | Official source ↗ |
| Ex H New Provisional Positions Report for February 2025 | Exhibit | 19 | Official source ↗ |
Speakers
Representative Jim Wooten
Unverified
Speaker 6
Speaker 9
Melissa Rust
Unverified
Speaker 19
Speaker 21
Speaker 31
Speaker 32
Speaker 35