Call to Order and Roll Call
The third meeting of the Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, Personnel, and Public Retirement of the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue was held on Thursday, October 26, 2017, at 10:00 AM, in Room 131 of the Capitol Annex. Senator Danny Carroll, Co-Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator Danny Carroll, Co-Chair; Representative Suzanne Miles, Co-Chair; Senator Dennis Parrett; Representatives Tim Couch, Will Coursey, Kenny Imes, Adam Koenig, Michael Meredith, Russ A. Meyer, Jerry T. Miller, Phil Moffett, Rick G. Nelson, and Steven Rudy.
Guests: John Holiday, Executive Director, Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (KOHS); Mike Sunseri, Deputy Executive Director, KOHS; and, Jarred Ball, KY 911 Board Administrator, KOHS.
LRC Staff: Liz Columbia and Spring Emerson.
Kentucky Office of Homeland Security
John Holiday, Executive Director, KOHS; Mike Sunseri, Deputy Executive Director, KOHS; and, Jarred Ball, KY 911 Board Administrator, KOHS; provided a brief overview of the agency budget.
Co-Chair Carroll commented that Executive Director Holiday is very qualified for the position. In response to a question from Co-Chair Carroll regarding the use of law enforcement grants, Mr. Holiday said the funds are used primarily for replacement of firearms, which last for about ten years, and body armor, which lasts for about five to seven years. A breakdown of the latest grants that were awarded throughout the state was provided in the meeting packet.
In response to questions from Co-Chair Miles regarding expired equipment, Mr. Holiday said it depends on the type of equipment as to how long it lasts. A common sense element of judgement would have to be used by the local authorities in determining whether certain equipment could be used after the expiration date. Mr. Sunseri added that teams of peers review the grant applications for equipment. In some cases, even though a piece of equipment may have expired without ever being used, it may still be unusable after the expiration date. Grants were distributed equally across the state, and funding was provided for equipment for communications, personal protection, detection, chemical/biological, search and rescue, explosive device remediation, and medical equipment. Mr. Holiday said technology changes almost daily, and becomes obsolete. Mr. Sunseri said it is important to bridge the inter-operability gaps. Representative Miles commented that communication is a major concern. Co-Chair Carroll commented that it is a very valid concern and remembers the safety risk involved with the communications issues during ice storms in the past.
In response to questions from Representative Koenig, Mr. Ball said the extra $1.4 million comes from a combination of both salary reductions and the point of sale legislation in the 911 Bill, which increases the collectability of 911 usage on cell phones. Mr. Sunseri added that the maps in the packet show the Homeland Security Grant Program and the Law Enforcement Protection Program separately. Mr. Ball said the Next Generation 911 program is being developed. Mr. Sunseri added that the last statewide plan in 2009 is now completely obsolete. Mr. Ball said the Next Generation 911 will move from the traditional phone system to an Internet Protocol (IP) network, which will allow calls to be able to accept texts, photos, and videos. Mr. Holiday added that it would also decrease the response time.
In response to questions from Representative Moffett, Mr. Holiday said the KOHS is a state group in the Executive Branch, but is federally funded. Federal funds do not pay for guns and ammunition; those are funded 100 percent by state funds through the Law Enforcement Protection Program.
In response to a question from Representative Miller, Mr. Holiday said there would be no change in the agency budget request.
Representative Meredith commented that ambulance services in Edmonson County are passing on an unfunded mandate for certain equipment. Mr. Sunseri said there are commonly matching funds.
Senator Parrett pointed out that the City of Lowell was listed in the documents as being in Hardin County; however, it is actually in Harlan County.
Co-Chair Carroll called for a motion to approve the minutes of the last meeting, held on September 28, 2017. The motion was made by Representative Miller and seconded by Representative Moffett, and the minutes were approved without objection.
There being no further business before the subcommittee, the meeting was adjourned at 11:00 AM.