Jun 11, 2024 Agenda Committee

I KNOW.

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:04]

WE'LL START OFF WITH AN INVOCATION BY JUSTICE STOWERS, LED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY KATHY WOULD YOU LIKE TO FILL IN? IF YOU CAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND? ALL MIGHTY, ALL GRACEFUL, ALL LOVING GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER HERE THIS EVENING IN A FREE AND OPEN SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD BLESS OUR PROCEEDINGS.

GIVE US WISDOM, INSIGHT, FORESIGHT AS WE GO ABOUT MAKING THE DECISIONS ON BEHALF OF THOSE WHO HAVE ENTRUSTED US WITH THOSE.

WE PRAY THIS IN YOUR NAME.

AMEN. AMEN.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU. THANK EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING IN OUR OPENING.

AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MISS DAVIS IS ABSENT.

MISS CAPPS IS ABSENT.

MISS LEWISON.

HERE. MISS BLACKWOOD.

HERE. MISS MCMULLEN IS ABSENT.

MISS MASSEY.

HERE. MISS CURRY.

PRESENT. MR. KEITH. HERE. MISS GREEN IS ABSENT.

MISS DOUGAN.

OKAY. MR. ROBINSON. HERE.

MR. MCCOY IS ABSENT.

MR. STOWERS.

PRESENT. MR. ELLIOTT AND MISS MEDLOCK IS ABSENT.

SO YOU HAVE NINE PRESENT.

NINE PRESENT.

WOW. IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON? NO, WE DO.

YEAH WE ALL RIGHT.

WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE COUNTY.

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. THOSE OPPOSED.

OUR MEETING.

OUR MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED FROM OUR LAST MEETING.

I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

WE'LL MOVE RIGHT INTO NEW BUSINESS.

WOW. I'M GOING TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH TO EXTEND THIS.

[24-I-28 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 23-OR-47 (2024 ANNUAL BUDGET, PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS) TO RECOGNIZE AND APPROPRIATE REIMBURSEMENT FUNDS FOR THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT.]

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 23-OR47 2024 ANNUAL BUDGET PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS, TO RECOGNIZE AN APPROPRIATE REIMBURSEMENT FUNDS FOR THE CRISIS STABILIZATION UNIT.

JUSTICE LEWISON.

I MOVE FOR THE ADOPTION.

SECOND. SO I MOVE TO SEND TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT.

SECOND. ALL RIGHT.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OH, OKAY.

SO I THINK JUST AS LEWISON WANTED TO MOVE THIS TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DO PASS RECOMMENDATION, AND I DID HEAR A SECOND.

JUSTICE LEWISON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN? PROBABLY NOT. [LAUGHTER] HUTCH, DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN THIS? DID YOU SEE EVERY MONTH AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ANOTHER ONE NEXT MONTH? ABSOLUTELY I AGREE.

ANY QUESTIONS? THERE BEING NONE.

AMY. I'D LIKE TO ADDED.

OKAY. JUSTICE BLACKWOOD WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED.

JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT MY NAME ON THERE, TOO.

OKAY. OH, MAN.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT.

AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? MISS LEWISON? YES, MS BLACKWOOD.

AYE. MISS MASSEY.

AYE. MISS CURRY.

AYE. MISTER KEITH.

YES, MISS DOUGAN? YES, MISTER ROBINSON.

AYE. MR. MCCOY.

OH, SORRY, I DIDN'T MARK HIM.

MISTER STOWERS.

YES. MISTER ELLIOTT.

YES. SO THAT IS NINE AYES.

NINE AYES. WE WILL SEND 24-I-28 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH A DO PASS RECOMMENDATION.

AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ 24-I-29.

[24-I-29 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 23-OR-47 (2024 ANNUAL BUDGET, PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS) TO RECOGNIZE AND APPROPRIATE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) GRANT FUNDS FOR THE YOUTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT.]

PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS TO RECOGNIZE AN APPROPRIATE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES TANF GRANT FUNDS FOR THE YOUTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

JUSTICE MASSEY.

YES, I MOVE THAT WE SEND THIS TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH A RECOMMENDED DO PASS.

SECOND. SECOND.

A MOTION WAS MADE WITH THE SECOND THAT WE SEND 24-I-29 [INAUDIBLE] BE ADDED AS A SPONSOR.

WELL, I WILL GET TO THAT IF YOU IF YOU LET ME FINISH IT.

[LAUGHTER] OKAY.

SO I HAVE TO START OVER NO.

WE'RE GOING TO SEND 24-I-29 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH A RECOMMENDED DO PASS.

JUSTICE MASSEY WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN? I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR YOUTH DIRECTOR, OUR DIRECTOR OF YOUTH SERVICES SHOULD I SAY MISS JAMIE SCOTT.

[00:05:05]

OKAY, THIS IS A GRANT THAT WAS NEW THROUGH RENEWED THROUGH THE STATE.

IT'S OUR EMERGING CHAMPIONS CAREER READINESS WORKFORCE PROGRAM, EMERGING CHAMPIONS, PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS, CAREER READINESS WORKFORCE PROGRAM.

SO WHEN I CREATED IT YOU KNOW I YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO SHORTEN THAT A LITTLE BECAUSE THAT'S A LONG NAME.

BUT THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO MAKE SURE THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO BE 200% FEDERAL, MEET THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES TO EVEN PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM. AND SO WE HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM AND PARTNERSHIP WITH MEALS.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, IN THE FALL, THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER, WE PLACED PARTICIPANTS AT JOB SITES.

SO LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST YEAR GETTING THE GRANT.

IT WAS JUST RENEWED.

THE STATE DID A LOT OF CUTS, BUT WE WERE ONE OF THE ONES WHO WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE OUR PROGRAM RENEWED.

SO THIS SUMMER, WE WILL BE HIRING 40 YOUTH AND PLACING THEM IN JOB PLACEMENTS.

SO WE'RE WORKING WITH HR BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF KIDS TO KIND OF GET IN AND GET DOWNSTAIRS.

WE'RE MEETING WITH THE JOB SITES THIS WEEK.

WE HAVE COLLEGE TOURS.

SO PART OF THIS PROGRAM IS TEACHING THEM SOFT SKILLS, TOO.

INTERVIEWING SKILLS EXPOSING THEM TO A LOT OF THINGS.

WE HAD A STUDENT LAST YEAR WHO WAS ONE OF HIS WORK SITES WAS HARRIS CONSTRUCTION, AND ONCE HE FINISHED IT, HE WENT ON TO PULASKI TECH TO GET HIS HVAC CERTIFICATION.

AND SO IT'S JUST PLACING THEM IN DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT PARTNERSHIPS.

WE HAVE ORTHOPEDIC.

WE HAVE SALONS, WE HAVE ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF, OUR WORK SITES FOR THE KIDS.

AND SO WE'RE JUST EXCITED THAT WE WERE REFUNDED.

AND IT CAME REALLY LAST MINUTE HAD TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF CHANNELS WITH THE JUDGE'S OFFICE AND HUTCH'S OFFICE.

BUT THE ANTICIPATION DATE IS JULY 1ST.

WE START INTERVIEWS FOR THE KIDS NEXT WEEK INTERVIEWING ALL THE KIDS.

SO ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

AND OUR PRIORITY IS TO GIVE KIDS PLACEMENTS THAT LIVE AND A LOT OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OR THE AREAS THAT DON'T HAVE SUMMER WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. SO WE WOULDN'T BE SPECIFICALLY TRYING TO HIRE A LOT OF LITTLE ROCK KIDS, BECAUSE LITTLE ROCK HAS A SUMMER WORKFORCE PROGRAM AND THEY EMPLOY 600 KIDS.

SO OUR FOCUS IS LIKE WRIGHTSVILLE, ROLAND, JACKSONVILLE, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, PLACES THAT DON'T HAVE SUMMER WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU JAMIE, IF YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR EVERYONE'S MICROPHONE IS ON.

OH, OKAY. DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE MS. MASSEY. I JUST WOULD LIKE FOR HER TO TO TELL US THE AMOUNT.

I KNOW IT'S LISTED, BUT FOR THOSE WHO PROUDLY WERE AWARDED $359,000 RENEWAL GRANT.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

OKAY. AMY, WOULD YOU PLEASE,JUSTICE ELLIOTT.

WOULD YOU PLEASE ADD HIM AS A SPONSOR? JUSTICE MCCOY HAS ARRIVED? DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO? OKAY. I'M GOOD JUSTICE STOWERS.

THANK YOU, SIR. FIRST OF ALL, SENATOR, I DON'T THINK I'M ON.

MAYBE I'VE TURNED MYSELF OFF HERE.

THAT'S BETTER. HERE WE GO.

SENATOR ELECT SCOTT, BY THE WAY, CONGRATULATIONS.

WE'RE GOING TO BE VERY PROUD OF YOU BEING A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM, BUT ALSO BEING A STATE SENATOR COME JANUARY 1ST.

HOWEVER, I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT YOU MENTIONED.

AS FAR AS THIS PROGRAM TEACHING YOUNG PEOPLE TRADES, AND THAT'S REALLY THE DIRECTION THIS COUNTRY IS GOING.

WE HAVE WAY TOO FEW RELIABLE SUBCONTRACTORS IN THE HVAC WORLD AND THE PLUMBING WORLD.

YOU CAN GO ON DOWN THE LIST.

ELECTRICIAN, HAIR, NAILS.

YOU KNOW, WE COULD GO ON DOWN THE LIST OF OCCUPATIONS.

AND I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

I WISH I WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO A WISE OLDER GENTLEMAN WHO, WHEN I WAS A YOUNG PERSON, TOLD ME TO GET A TRADE.

BECAUSE I DIDN'T DO THAT.

I'M NOT GOOD WITH MY HANDS.

I MEAN, I FAILED WOODWORKING WHEN I WAS IN JUNIOR HIGH.

SO Y'ALL PROBABLY CAN'T IMAGINE THAT, RIGHT? BUT ANYWAY, SO I AM EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THIS PROGRAM THAT IT'S THRUST IS TOWARDS CAREERS THAT ARE TRADE CAREERS AND THINGS THAT YOU'RE REALLY PROBABLY NOT, AT LEAST IN OUR LIFETIMES, GOING TO TRAIN A COMPUTER TO DO.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF JOBS ARE GOING TO BE REPLACED BY AI, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CANNOT.

SO I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE CONTINUATION OF THIS, AND I'M HONORED TO BE A SPONSOR, I YIELD.

THANK YOU.

AMY, JUSTICE CAPPS HAS ARRIVED, SO CAN YOU LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT.

JUSTICE CURRY, DID YOU? YES, I WANT TO THANK SENATOR SCOTT COMING IN JANUARY.

I WANTED TO ASK THE AGE GROUP.

IT'S 16 THROUGH 21.

OKAY.

WE REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THE PROGRAM.

[00:10:03]

SO WE WROTE THE GRANT TO START JUNE, BUT WE DIDN'T GET AWARDED UNTIL LATE.

AND BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROCESS WHERE I HAVE TO APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS DON'T HAVE THAT PROCESS.

IF SOMEBODY GIVES THEM AN AWARD, THEY CAN START A LOT SOONER THAN I COULD.

SO I HAD TO GO THROUGH THE GRANT AND KIND OF RESTRUCTURE THE WHOLE WAY I WROTE THE GRANT.

I WROTE THE GRANT FOR THE KIDS TO HAVE A TEN WEEK WORK EXPERIENCE THIS SUMMER, BUT BECAUSE I HAD TO APPROPRIATE IT THIS MONTH, THAT CHANGED THE WHOLE STRUCTURE OF THE GRANT.

SO THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO GET FOUR WEEKS THIS SUMMER BECAUSE I HAVE TO APPROPRIATE IT, AND THEN I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE ORDINANCE TO BE PASSED.

AND THEN I HAVE TO WORK WITH HR.

THE KIDS AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO START WORKING UNTIL THE 15TH OF JULY.

SO BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE HAND I WAS DEALT WITH.

BUT I RESTRUCTURED THE GRANT TO WHERE THEY GET EIGHT WEEKS WORK EXPERIENCE IN THE FALL AND EIGHT WEEKS WORK EXPERIENCE IN THE SPRING.

SO IT WORKS OUT SO THEY'LL GET A, YOU KNOW, MORE TIME TO GET SOME MORE WORK EXPERIENCES.

AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A COHORT KIND OF EACH SEASON.

BUT THAT'S NOT HOW I ORIGINALLY WROTE IT, BUT THEY ALLOWED ME TO MAKE CHANGES TO IT ONCE THEY TOLD ME THE NEW START DATE, BECAUSE LAST YEAR THE GRANT STARTED IN JUNE.

OKAY. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

YOU STILL HAVE THE MIC? YES, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED AS A SPONSOR.

ALSO, ONE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO ASK IS, IS IT A I'M DILATED SO I CAN'T SEE HOW MANY IS THIS A THREE YEAR GRANT OR A ONE YEAR? IT GETS RENEWED EACH YEAR.

WE HAVE TO APPLY FOR IT EACH YEAR. OKAY.

YEARLY. OKAY.

THANK YOU.

GREAT JOB. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO MORE QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. SENATOR ELECT.

DIRECTOR SCOTT. DIRECTOR SCOTT, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

NO, NO. WELL, I DIDN'T WANT TO BE RUDE.

THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SCOTT.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, AMY, WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND PLEASE CALL THE ROLL ON 24-I-29, MR. ELLIOTT. YES. MR. STOWERS. YES.

MR. MCCOY.

MR. ROBINSON.

AYE. MISS DOUGAN.

AYE. MR. KEITH. YES. MISS CURRY.

AYE. MISS MASSEY.

AYE. MISS BLACKWOOD.

AYE. MS. LEWISON.

YES. AND MISS CAPPS.

AYE. 11 AYES.

11 AYES. WE WILL SEND 24-I-29 TO THE FULL QUORUM COURT WITH THE DO PASS RECOMMENDATION.

IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO CLAIM OUR ATTENTION, IS THERE A RECOMMENDATION? SO MOVE. SECOND.

WE HAVE OFFICIALLY ENDED OUR BUSINESS MEETING.

ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NO ANNOUNCEMENTS.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? WE ARE ADJOURNED.

THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.