Call to Order and Roll Call
The meeting of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee was held on Wednesday, January 8, 2014, upon adjournment of both chambers, in Room 129 of the Capitol Annex. Representative Wilson Stone, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator Paul Hornback, Co-Chair; Representative Wilson Stone, Co-Chair; Senators Jimmy Higdon, Dennis Parrett, and Robin L. Webb; Representatives Mike Denham, Tom McKee, Terry Mills, Ryan Quarles, and Jonathan Shell.
Guests: Joel Neaveill, Bill McCloskey, Angela Blank, Brian Murphy, and Biff Baker.
LRC Staff: Lowell Atchley, Kelly Ludwig, and Kelly Blevins.
The December 4, 2013, minutes were approved, without objection, by voice vote, upon a motion by Senator Parrett and seconded by Representative Mills.
Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy
Mr. Joel Neaveill, Chief of Staff, and Mr. Bill McCloskey, Director of Financial Services, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy (GOAP), testified about project funding decisions made by the Agricultural Development Board (ABD) during its December 2013 meeting.
GOAP officials summarized funding allocations for the previous month under the County Agricultural Improvement (CAIP), Deceased Farm Animal Disposal Assistance, and Shared-Use Equipment programs. Following the overall review, some of the services offered and equipment acquired under programs Deceased Farm Animal Disposal and Shared-Use Equipment programs were explained.
GOAP staff provided details on the statewide and regional projects, which included: ProEquine Link, LLC, approved for $8,000 in state and county funds over a one-year period for the development of a Web-accessible, secure equine database; the Weekly Juicery, LLC, approved for $310,000 in state funds in the form of a $235,000 loan and a $75,000 grant to renovate a centralized manufacturing and distribution facility; Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association, Inc., approved for $15,000 in Taylor County funds to implement a youth heifer chain for beef and dairy; Nicholas County Fiscal Court approved for $12,000 in county funds to construct and equip a kitchen within the Nicholas County Livestock Building; Nona’s Downtown Market, LLC, approved for $5,000 in Daviess County funds to be used for upgrades at its retail facility that specializes in Kentucky Proud products; Fayette County 4-H Council, Inc., approved for $60,945 in county funds to construct a livestock barn for the Fayette County 4-H Livestock Club; Mercer County Fair and Horse Show, Inc. approved for $94,391 in state and $20,00 in Mercer County funds for the construction and permanent farmers’ market structure; Muhlenberg County Fiscal Court, approved for $125,000 in state funds for the construction of a permanent farmers’ market that will include commercial kitchens and classrooms; Rowan County Fiscal Court, approved for $7,000 in state and $7,000 in county funds for the construction of a permanent market facility in Morehead; and Simpson County Extension District Board, approved for $50,000 in state funds for the construction of a permanent open-air pavilion. Denied projects included Community Farmers Market, LLC, Warren County; Cave City Tourism and Convention Commission, Barren County; Sustainable Glasgow, Inc., Barren County; and From the Farm Market, Bourbon County.
Responding to concerns raised by Senator Webb, Mr. Biff Baker said the owners of ProEquine Link, LLC, will not control data, and the farm manager will enter information and make it available to the owner.
In response to a question by Senator Parrett, Mr. McCloskey responded that the question of competing companies came up, and that there is an application for this service. Mr. Baker noted there are similar types of data. The ProEquine Link system is very detailed and sophisticated and would be protected with passwords and other security measures.
Mr. McCloskey responded to Representative Stone’s concern over the number of famers impacted by the Weekly Juicery, LLC, stating that the project has the potential to benefit farmers beyond what was listed in the application.
Mr. Neaveill commented on the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund 2014 program revisions, noting that the Agricultural Development Board did not earmark farmers’ market funding for 2014.
Documents distributed during the committee meeting are available with meeting materials in the LRC Library. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.