Call to Order and Roll Call
The 8th meeting of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee was held on Wednesday, September 7, 2016, at 10:00 AM, in Room 129 of the Capitol Annex. Senator C.B. Embry Jr., Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator C.B. Embry Jr., Co-Chair; Representative Wilson Stone, Co-Chair; Senators Carroll Gibson; Representatives Mike Denham, Tom McKee, Terry Mills, Jonathan Shell, and James Tipton.
Guests: Warren Beeler, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy; Bill McCloskey, Director of Financial Services, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy; Dr. Wayne Lewis, Executive Director of Educational Programs, Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet; Darlene Hoover, Assistant Director, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Community Based Services, Division of Child Care; Brigitte Blom Ramsey, Early Childhood Advisory Council; and Dr. Ruth Ann Shepherd, Division Director, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Public Health, Division of Maternal and Child Health.
LRC Staff: Lowell Atchley, Kelly Ludwig, and Marielle Manning.
Upon motion made by Representative Tipton and seconded by Senator Gibson, the August 3, 2016 minutes were approved by voice vote and without objection.
Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy
Mr. Warren Beeler, Executive Director, and Mr. Bill McCloskey, Director of Financial Services, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, presented projects receiving the Agricultural Development Board approval at its August 2016 meeting. Those included animal show facility improvements, Youth Heifer Chain Program, grain bin rescue equipment, hydroponic high school greenhouse, butcher shop expansion, Viticulture and Enology Extension Program, on-farm investments, Deceased Farm Animal Removal Program, shared-use equipment, and major statewide or regional projects.
Representative Stone mentioned the new Kentucky Agricultural Development Board member, Stewart Hughes, representing beef cattle producers and grain farmers across the Commonwealth.
Responding to a question from Representative McKee, GOAP officials explained out of the 757 loans approved by the Agriculture Development Board, $101 million has been loaned or approved, of which only five loans have lost out for less than one percent.
The committee received reports on six regional projects: (1) McLean County 4-H, approved by the board for $6,325 in McLean County funds to install energy efficient LED lights in the 4-H Activities Center at Myers Creek Park and construct an open shed onto the Dubin Pavilion Animal Show facility; (2) Taylor County Cattleman’s Association, Inc., approved by the board for $10,000 in Taylor County funds for its beef and dairy youth heifer chain program; (3) Green County Fire and Rescue, Inc., approved by the board for $1,100 in Green County funds to purchase grain bin rescue equipment; (4) Henry County Board of Education, approved by the board for $5,000 in Henry County funds to construct a hydroponic greenhouse at Henry County High School; (5) Boones Abattoir, Inc., approved by the board for up to $329,301 in state and multi-county funds for an addition to its slaughter facility, meat processing plant and retail store; (6) University of Kentucky Research Foundation, approved by the board for $416,301 in State funds across two years to support the Kentucky Viticulture and Enology Extension Program.
The GOAP representatives described two funding denials: (1) Kentucky Hemp Research Foundation, Inc., turned down for $296,157 in multiple County funds and $861,180 in State funds for various research projects and educational programs. Adequate research being conducted by eight universities regarding 15 projects were mentioned as reasons for denial; (2) Pumpkin Vine Creek Farm, LLC, turned down for $500 in Madison County funds and $82,500 in State funds for upgrading their kenaf processing equipment. Lack of producer impact was mentioned as reason for denial.
GOAP officials answered questions about the six regional projects received by the board in August.
Representative Mills mentioned Dale Dobson in regards to the grain bin rescue equipment in the Green County Fire and Rescue, Inc. project.
Representative Mills mentioned that Marion County people use Boones Abattoir, Inc. GOAP officials commented that people as far away as Carter County travel to receive meats from Boones Abattoir, Inc.
Representative Denham moved for a resolution honoring the service of former Agricultural Development Board member Karen Curtis. Representative McKee seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote and without objection.
Responding to Senator Gibson, GOAP officials further explained the denial for the University of Kentucky Research Foundation project. GOAP officials said the board decided there is adequate hemp research currently being conducted and eight universities are doing 15 to 18 research projects on hemp. Senator Gibson commented that he hopes this funding denial does not jeopardize education and continuance of hemp production.
Responding to Representative Stone, GOAP officials confirmed that $861,180 was requested in state funds for the University of Kentucky Research Foundation project.
Governor’s Office of Early Childhood
Dr. Wayne Lewis, Executive Director of Educational Programs, Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, Darlene Hoover, Assistant Director, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Community Based Services, Division of Child Care, Brigitte Blom Ramsey, Early Childhood Advisory Council, and Dr. Ruth Ann Shepherd, Division Director, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Public Health, Division of Maternal and Child Health, introduced themselves.
Brigitte Ramsey discussed the funds provided by the Tobacco Master Settlement Fund to early childhood education.
Darlene Hoover explained various childhood assistance programs and the Kentucky All STARS program.
Responding to a question from Representative Stone, Darlene Hoover said that children must obtain quality indicators and maintain those indicators in order to keep the STAR level in the STARS program. Dr. Wayne Lewis explained the Race to the Top- Early Learning Challenge grant was used to create a new system, the Kentucky All STARS program.
Dr. Ruth Ann Shepherd explained the Kentucky Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) program.
Responding to Representative Tipton, Dr. Ruth Ann Shepherd explained that 25 percent of the families in the HANDS program do have substance abuse. There is no direct substance abuse treatment provided by the HANDS program. Darlene Hoover explained that, in the childcare programs, providers receive training in health and safety issues that give providers the resources to help the families.
Representative McKee commented that former Governor Patten had a large interest in early childhood and how 25 percent of the Master Settlement Funds go towards early childhood.
Documents distributed during the meeting are available with meeting materials in the LRC Library. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.