Arkansas Legislative Council Review Committee – August 5, 2009

Posted on August 5th, 2009

Date & Time: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Location: Room 171, State Capitol
Agenda: http://tr.im/vBCR
Attachments: http://tr.im/vBDB

This committee reviews Agency requests for professional services contracts and consultant services contracts. (A.C.A. 19-11-1006). Proposed methods of financing for capital expenditures in excess of $250,000 which have not been approved by the General Assembly (A.C.A. 22-9-104) are reviewed by this committee. Requests of state agencies for leasing of motor vehicles (for more than 30 days) prior to final approval of said lease by this state purchasing administrator (A.C.A. 22-8-102) are approved by this committee. Also, other matters may be referred to this committee by the Legislative Council.

1:32 pm – A special request for an emergency contract review was reviewed without question or comment. Extensive information was provided in attachements.

1:34 pm – DHS provided responses regarding clients served under contracts and sub-grants. This information is also in attachments. No questions or comments.

1:35 pm – We are currently reviewing the Response from Higher Education Institutions regarding Lobbyists. The information is in section C2 of the attachments.

1:37 pm – Rep. Pennartz is asking for examples for what ASU Jonesboro is actually lobbying for and who exactly it is they are lobbying. The answer is that they are seeking federal grants. Rep. Pennartz asked if they are lobbying our own congressmen and senators. She wondered why our own elected officials are not sufficient.

1:40 pm – Rep. Pennartz asked if any of our own state tax dollars are used to lobby “us” (the state legislature.) The response was “yes.”

1:43 pm – ASU Jonesboro spent $173,000 for a Washington D.C. lobbyist. U of A Fayetteville spent $183,139 for a Washington D.C. lobbyist, $55,000 for “other” lobbyists.

1:45 pm – Upon review of requests from various state agencies regarding Review of Methods of Finance, Senator Altes asks how can projected costs be missing actual costs by so much. Look at page 18 of the attachments, this is section D1. Notice that for the Arkansas Department of Corrections that the original projected cost was $695,500, but the revised total projected costs is $8,040,475. Also notice that Arkansas Tech University had an original projected cost of $100,000 with a revised total projected cost of $2,815,138.

1:51 pm – The contracts for the Arkansas Military Department concerning a couple of alternative delivery contracts was held. I personally am a strong supporter of alternative delivery method, but failure to have someone at this meeting to answer questions given the current suspicions of the legislature of the method is irresponsible. Rep. Dunn was right to ask to hold the contracts.

1:57 pm – Senator Altes and Rep. Burris are asking about DHS Grants for ARRA (Stimulus Funds) “to provide statewide capacity for van conversions for physically handicapped individuals and home modifications to help with handicap accessibility; and to collect and report ARRA data per applicable federal and state directives.” Apparently they are concerned that grants go to those in actual need and sufficiently to address those needs rather than spreading the grant money as widely as possible even if needs are marginally justified.

2:07 pm – Currently reviewing a pile of contracts with sole-source that have been reviewed in the past and are being renewed. See section D5 in the attachments. Let us know if you see anything out of line. The more eyes that look at this stuff the better.

2:18 pm – The committee is not over, but I am sparing you from suffering the mind-numbing boredom of listening to the reading of every contract. If you want to know what is going on look at the attachments in D3c, D3d, and D5c.

2:23 pm – Senator Pritchard inquired about Mid-South Community College paying $300,000 to a grant writer. It is the feeling that this could be done much cheaper by an in-house employee.

2:25 pm – Rules were suspended to provide a review of a contract “to provide engineering services for the design of plans and supervision of the construction of a storage facility to house emergency disease response equipment and supplies adjacent to the agency’s headquarters.

2:27 pm – Meeting adjourned.

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3 Responses to “Arkansas Legislative Council Review Committee – August 5, 2009”

1. Sharon Says:
   August 5th, 2009 at 3:09 pm

   “Notice that for the Arkansas Department of Corrections that the original projected cost was $695,500, but the revised total projected costs is $8,040,475. Also notice that Arkansas Tech University had an original projected cost of $100,000 with a revised total projected cost of $2,815,138.” Good grief!!! Have we all gone mad??

2. Mark Martin Says:
   August 5th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

   Sharon,

   I am glad someone is paying attention. If I understand correctly, there is a disconnect in how these project are originally reported and approved and the actual cost of the total contract. I don’t know if there is some intentional misdirection, or simply a failure of the legislators to understand the process. Regardless, we are working on changing how this stuff is reported so we don’t have this occurring in the future.

3. Paul Says:
   August 7th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

   “…Mid-South Community College paying $300,000 to a grant writer”

   Was this really considered?

   I can refer you to several grant writers who work for the State who can do it for thousands less.

   Email me and I will provide contact information.