Call to Order and Roll Call
The 2nd meeting of the Tobacco Settlement Agreement Fund Oversight Committee was held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, at 10:00 AM, in Room 129 of the Capitol Annex. Representative Myron Dossett, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator C.B. Embry Jr., Co-Chair; Representative Myron Dossett, Co-Chair; Senators Paul Hornback, Stephen Meredith, Dennis Parrett, Robin L. Webb, and Whitney Westerfield; Representatives Kim King, Phillip Pratt, Brandon Reed, and Dean Schamore.
Guests: Warren Beeler, Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy; Bill McCloskey, Deputy Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy; John McCauley, Kentucky Department of Agriculture; and Representative Wilson Stone.
LRC Staff: Lowell Atchley, Kelly Ludwig, and Marielle Manning.
Upon motion made by Senator Embry and seconded by Senator Westerfield, the February 1, 2017 minutes were approved by voice vote and without objection.
Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy
Warren Beeler, Executive Director, and Bill McCloskey, Deputy Executive Director, Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, testified about five regional projects approved by the Agricultural Development Board at its February 2017 meeting:
(1) Kentucky Hemp Research Foundation, Inc., approved by the board for $2,000 in Floyd County funds to purchase a dual harvester for research and education purposes;
(2) Sunstrand, LLC, approved by the board for $381,500 in state and county funds for the expansion of its bast fiber processing facility;
(3) Hopkinsville Elevator Co., Inc., approved by the board for $12,000 in county funds, split between Christian and Todd counties, for a study to look at the feasibility of merchandising and processing canola;
(4) Eastern Kentucky University, approved by the board for $179,373 in state funds to purchase and install an Automated Milking System (AMS) for demonstration, education and research at EKU’s Meadowbrook Farm; and
(5) KY Agricultural Opportunities, Inc., approved by the board for $50,000 in state funds for a comprehensive valuation of a marketing opportunity to benefit beef producers.
Responding to a question from Representative King, GOAP representatives explained that the 1997 tobacco production base is used to calculate CAIP funds.
In response to a question from Representative Dossett, GOAP officials stated that the Floyd County harvester is a fabricated specialized piece of equipment to harvest hemp.
Warren Beeler and Bill McCloskey testified about three projects approved by the Agricultural Development Board at its March 2017 meeting:
(1) Ohio Valley Food Connection, approved by the board for up to $88,439 in State and County funds to expand marketing outlets for Kentucky farmers, County Commitments to date: Campbell-$5,000; Clark- $5,000; Fayette-$5,000; Kenton-$2,500; and Woodford-$10,000;
(2) Community Agricultural and Nutritional Enterprises, Inc., approved by the board for $150,000 in State funds to expand its commercial kitchen to allow farmers and opportunity to produce value-added projects, as well as a market for locally grown fruits and vegetables; and
(3) Community Farm Alliance, Inc., approved by the board for $266,888 in State funds to continue the Double Dollars and Market Manager incentive programs.
Documents distributed during the meeting are available with meeting material in the LRC Library. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.