Call to Order and Roll Call
The 3rd meeting of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Protection of the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue was held on Thursday, September 28, 2017, at 10:00 AM, in Room 169 of the Capitol Annex. Representative Jill York, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator Rick Girdler, Co-Chair; Representative Jill York, Co-Chair; Senators Perry B. Clark and Alice Forgy Kerr; Representatives Jim Gooch Jr., Diane St. Onge, and Tommy Turner.
Guests: Kasey Maier, Executive Director, Waterfront Botanical Gardens; Amy Barnes, Executive Director, Office of State Grants, Department for Local Government; Gregory C. Copley, Outreach and Technical Assistance Coordinator, University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research; Lona Brewer, Program Manager, Department for Energy Development and Independence; and Charles Snavely, Secretary, Energy and Environment Cabinet.
LRC Staff: Seth Dawson, Greg Troutman, and Jenny Wells Lathrem.
Update on the Waterfront Botanical Gardens
Ms. Maier gave an update on the status of the Waterfront Botanical Gardens.
In response to a question from Chair York, Ms. Maier stated that the Energy and Environment Cabinet has been very helpful in the effort to transform the site from a landfill into greenspace.
In response to a question from Representative St. Onge, Ms. Maier noted that the effort to raise funds for the Waterfront Botanical Gardens has been multifaceted, relying on both government support and private donors.
In response to a question from Senator Clark, Ms. Maier said that every other major city closest to Louisville has a botanical garden.
In response to a question from Representative Gooch, Ms. Maier stated that although the area had flooded in the 1930s and 1940s, the site now sits forty feet above the flood plain.
In response to a question from Senator Girdler, Ms. Maier noted that the Waterfront Botanical Garden hopes to be self-sustaining within the next two to three years.
Energy Savings Performance Contracting for Local Governments
Ms. Barnes, Mr. Copley, and Ms. Brewer gave an overview of energy savings performance contracts.
In response to a question from Chair York, Ms. Brewer stated that the Department for Local Government anticipates that $200,000 per year would sustain the program.
In response to questions from Senator Clark, Ms. Brewer noted that grant dollars are primarily used to provide technical assistance and education on energy saving performance.
Overview and Update on the Department for Energy Development and Independence programs
Secretary Snavely and Ms. Brewer gave an overview of the programs of the Department for Energy Development and Independence.
In response to questions from Representative St. Onge, Ms. Brewer stated that Kentucky has not received any funds from the Volkswagen emissions settlement.
In response to questions from Chair York, Ms. Brewer noted that there are four coal education related projects that the department has funded in 2017. Secretary Snavely said that the funding for these projects comes from the unmined minerals tax.
There being no further business before the subcommittee, the meeting was adjourned at 11:30 AM.