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GOOD AFTERNOON. DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE DON'T NEED ONE. OH WE DON'T. OKAY. THAT'S RIGHT, I'M COUNCILWOMAN CINDY FOWLER, CHAIR OF PARKS AND SUSTAINABILITY, THIS IS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. I'M JOINED ON, ONLINE BY MY VICE CHAIR, MARILYN PARKER. AND, AND COMMITTEE
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MEMBER KHALIL BASHON. AND IN CHAMBERS, COMMITTEE MEMBER, JEFF HUDSON AND BETSY RUIZ. AND LET'S SEE, COUNCILMAN COREY ARTHUR HAS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE TODAY. WE HAVE TWO DISCUSSION ITEMS ON, ON THE AGENDA. IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS JUST ONE EXTENSION, ONE ITEM, BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TWO, WE'VE GOT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION WITH US TODAY, AND THEN THE, JEFFERSON COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE. SO WILL YOU READ THE DISCLAIMER FOR ME, PLEASE? THIS MEETING IS BEING HELD PURSUANT TO CRA 611826 AND COUNCIL RULE FIVE A READY FOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ARE JOINED BY COUNCILMAN PHILIP BAKER, SO THE FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM IS AB[1. ID 24-0345 JEFFERSON COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION ]
24-0345. THIS IS A REPORT FROM THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION, AND I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE IS GOING TO SPEAK FIRST, BUT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME TO THE MIC AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF, DAVID AND, I THINK THERE IS A WE HAVE A POWERPOINT. YEAH. I MEAN, THEY COULD YOU IF YOU WOULD RATHER SIT, YOU CAN SIT THERE. SURE YEAH. THAT'S FINE. MUSICAL CHAIRS. ALL RIGHT.THANK YOU. AND THEN AGAIN, IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF, DAVID. CAITLIN, SUPERVISOR WITH THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT. I'M IN MY 14TH YEAR AND SERVED, THREE, FOUR YEAR TERMS AND, JENNIFER CHAPPELL WAS ON OUR BOARD AND, GOT ELECTED TO THE METRO COUNCIL, SO, WHEN JENNIFER HAD TO LEAVE, THEY ASKED ME TO STAY ON, BECAUSE THEY SAID, OF MY INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE BEING THERE 12 YEARS ALREADY. AND I SAID, CUT IT OUT, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL MAKE ME SOUND LIKE I'M OLD, BUT BUT, WE HAVE TO CREDIT WITH OUR. IF YOU SEE THE POWERPOINT, OUR WATER DROP UP THERE, JENNIFER DESIGNED THAT FOR US. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD USED SOMETHING FOR THE LAST 30, 40 YEARS. THE SOIL IS IN OUR HANDS, THAT THE STATE HAD. SO, JENNIFER AND BECCA, I BELIEVE PROBABLY THEY CAME UP WITH THAT. A BRIDGE AND HUMANITY ARE. AND THEY SAID THAT, CAN CAPITAL HOLDING BUILDING. I SAID NO, WE NEED SOME RURAL IN THERE. I SAID, THAT'S A SILO. BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR DIRT AND GRASS AND WATER. YEAH. THAT'S NICE. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT. THANKS FOR SHARING. AND, JUST RIGHT CLICK HERE. DID I JUST HIT THE RIGHT CLICK BUTTON? THE ARROW. A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION, WE, YEARS AGO, WE WERE TOLD TO GET OUR BUDGET IN EARLY. YOU KNOW, WE START WORKING ON OUR BUDGET BACK IN, JANUARY EVERY YEAR AND GET IT INTO THE CITY, AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE. AND THIS IS A CONTINUATION ON BUDGET, WE WENT FOR, LIKE, THREE YEARS THERE, DURING COVID, AND IT JUST AMAZED ME AT THE BEGINNING OF COVID, WE WERE, WE HAD A MONTHLY BOARD MEETING. THERE WERE SO MANY PLACES THAT JUST, LIKE, CLOSED UP, BUT WE KEPT, WE HAD BOARD MEETINGS EVERY MONTH ON ZOOM AND, AND JUST CONDUCTED BUSINESS, ALL OVER ZOOM BECAUSE WITH THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT, THERE IS SO MUCH STATE, FIRE GOING AND FEDERAL, IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF, REPORTS THAT NEED TO BE CONTINUALLY DONE. AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, 100% RANKING, WHICH THAT USUALLY GETS US AN EXTRA 7500 A YEAR FROM THE STATE, WHO ALL DO YOU GET MONEY FROM,
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DAVID, WE GET MONEY FROM THE STATE, AND THEN, SEE, BUT ALL THE MONEY WE GET IS NOT FOR OUR OPERATION. YOU KNOW, WE JUST WE NEED THE CITY MONEY. THIS DECADES AGO, IN 1944, WHEN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT WAS ESTABLISHED, WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A MILLAGE TAX. MOST YOUR COUNTIES, LIKE SHELBY COUNTY, SO MOST OF THE COUNTIES, THE FOUR COUNTIES IN KENTUCKY HAVE ARE FUNDED WITH THE MILLAGE TAX. AND WE'RE ONE OF THOSE UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THOSE COUNTIES AND SEE THE OTHER COUNTIES, THEY GET HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, 200,000 ON UP AND, AND, SO ALL THE CITY MONEY WE GET JUST PAYS FOR OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY, OUR RENT, WE CAN GO THROUGH THE COULD COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF? YES, SURE, SARAH BETH SAMMONS, I'M THE CHAIR AND SUPERVISOR ON THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. THIS WILL BE MY FOURTH YEAR SERVING. YEAH YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU? NO. NO WORRIES. SAY LIKE DAVID WAS SAYING, WE ASKED. WE ACTUALLY REDUCED OUR BUDGET ASKS THIS YEAR JUST BECAUSE WE HAD BEEN ASKING FOR MORE, TWO YEARS AGO FROM MAYOR FISHER AND DIDN'T RECEIVE IT. SO WE KIND OF CUT OUR BUDGET AS SLIM AS WE COULD AND DID OUR WE WENT BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL ASK OF 113, 200 AND LIKE DAVID WAS SAYING, ONLY A PORTION OF THAT, REALLY IS UTILIZED. MOST OF THAT IS UTILIZED IN OUR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES THROUGH OUR SLIDESHOW.WE, WE SHOW WHAT THE COST OR WHAT THE METRO CONTRIBUTIONS ARE. AND ALL THIS WAS IN OUR BUDGET AND PLAN OF WORK, THAT WE SUBMITTED ON MARCH, IN MARCH. I LOVE THIS PICTURE BECAUSE THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. THEY HAD RUN OUT OF MONEY. THIS WAS DURING THE DUST BOWL IN THE 30S. THIS WAS 1935. THE SOIL CONSERVATIONIST, I THINK IT WAS FOR THE USDA. THEY WERE RUNNING OUT OF FUNDING. HE REALLY WANTED TO GET EVERYONE ONLINE WITH, SOIL CONSERVATION BECAUSE OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE WEST IN THIS HUGE DUST STORM BLEW UP AND HE WAS WATCHING THE WEATHER, AND HE KNEW EXACTLY WHEN IT WAS GOING TO HIT. AND HE WAS TALKING TO A COMMITTEE IN CONGRESS AND IT GOT DARK IN THAT COMMITTEE ROOM, AND EVERYONE WAS LIKE, OH, I THINK THE STORM'S BLOWING UP. AND THEN HE HAD ALL THE WINDOWS OPENED AND SAID, NO, THIS IS THIS IS A DUST STORM. THIS IS FROM NEBRASKA. AND IT MADE SUCH AN IMPACT THAT THEY PASSED THE SOIL. I THINK IT'S CALLED THE STANDARD SOIL, CONSERVATION ACT. AND THAT ALLOWED STATES TO SET UP CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICTS. SO IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES AND IT KIND OF EMBODIES WHERE WE ARE NOW. WE HAVE TO ACT. WE'RE LOSING LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AT AN ALARMING RATE FOR TIRADE OF REASONS NOT THE SAME REASONS, MAYBE SOME OF THE SAME REASONS AS WE WERE IN THE 1930S. BUT WE'RE FACING NEW DANGERS, AND THAT'S PART OF OUR MISSION, IS TO CONSERVE AND ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL RENEWABLE RESOURCES. SO TELL ME ABOUT THIS MILLAGE TAX. YEAH, THE MILLAGE TAX, IS USUALLY LIKE FAYETTE COUNTY IS POINT. THEIR SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS FUNDED OFF OF THEIR MILLAGE TAX, WHICH IS GOES ON $100 FROM THE PVA OR FROM PROPERTY, REAL ESTATE TAXES. AND THEY GET 0.00 $0.03 FOR EVERY $100, SO THAT COMES OUT TO WHATEVER THEIR I CAN'T REMEMBER, I HAD IT WRITTEN DOWN, BUT APOLOGIES, I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME, BUT WE WEREN'T SET UP THAT WAY. SO WITHIN THE CRS, I THINK THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO ASK, FOR. YEAH. CRS CHAPTER 262, THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO ASK FOR OPERATING FUNDS FROM THE FISCAL COURTS. AND THOSE FUNDS CAN BE SUPPLIED EITHER FROM GENERAL FUNDS OR FROM THE LEVY OF A MILLAGE TAX. THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE KIND OF HOPING THAT IF WE DO GET THE BUDGET REINSTATED FOR US AND FOR EXTENSION AGENCY, THIS WILL JUST BE A BAND AID. WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT TAKING THIS FORWARD AND MAKING THIS MORE OF A PERMANENT THING, WHERE WE GET FUNDING AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BEG FOR IT.
EVERY YEAR, I THINK LOUISVILLE METRO WOULD BE BETTER SERVED THAT WAY. AND AS WOULD ALL THE RESIDENTS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, BUT WE CAN GO THROUGH THE SLIDE SHOW AND KIND OF SHOW WHAT THE METRO CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TO ALL OF OUR, PROGRAMS, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT WERE ELECTED OFFICIALS. NOBODY IT'S KIND OF DISHEARTENING TO KNOW THAT PEOPLE VOTE AND THEY DON'T REALLY READ WHAT THE PARTIES OR THE NOT THE PARTIES, BUT THE
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RACES ARE FOR LIKE DAVID SAID, HE'S RUNNING AGAIN THIS YEAR. I'M RUNNING AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR WILL BE ELECTED THIS YEAR. THREE, THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE. WE DO NOT RECEIVE A SALARY. WE RECEIVE A STIPEND FOR ATTENDING MEETINGS. IF WE ALL HAVE. I THINK IT'S OVER NINE MEETINGS.WE GET $100 A MEETING, AND THEN WE ONLY HAVE TWO PART TIME EMPLOYEES. SO A LOT OF THE SUPERVISORS DO A LOT OF COST THAT WE HAVE TO DO. IF YOU CAN GO BACK ONE. SO THE METRO CONTRIBUTIONS IS 15,418. AND THAT'S FOR THE PER DIEMS. THAT'S ALSO FOR TRAINING, MILEAGE, LODGING, ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO, THIS YEAR, THE KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS, NATIONAL OR ANNUAL MEETING IS IN LOUISVILLE, AND WE'RE ALL GOING TO ATTEND TO KIND OF SHOW A GOOD, ATTENDANCE. YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR HOME COUNTY AND EVERYBODY'S COMING HERE, SO IT'D BE GOOD TO, WELCOME THEM SO YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE. YEAH.
THAT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO. WE HOSTED THAT THE STATE CONVENTION. WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY, THE WONDERFUL GRAPHICS DESIGNER FOR THE DROP. I LOVE THE WATER DROP. YEAH, YEAH.
COUNCILWOMAN CHAPEL, AND THEN THIS IS THE DISTRICT STAFF BREAKDOWN. WE LIKE I SAID, WE HAD TWO PART TIME STAFFERS. THE METRO CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS IS $37,000, TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY AND THEN $25,000 TO THE SOIL TECHNICIAN, THE SOIL TECHNICIAN IS A 7525. SO THAT MEANS THAT WE SHARE THEM WITH NRCS. SO THEY GET THEM 75% OF THE TIME. WE GET THEM 25% OF THE TIME THAT WAY. WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY THEIR WHOLE SALARY AND ALL THEIR, EVERYTHING THAT'S WRAPPED UP WITH THE SALARY. SO YOU CAN SEE THE SHARE THAT WITH. I'M SORRY. WHO DO YOU SHARE THAT WITH? NRCS, THE NATIONAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE. YEAH. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A PARTNERSHIP THAT BRINGS A LOT OF VALUE INTO THE COUNTY. YOU'LL SEE THROUGH WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT BRING, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS DIRECTLY FROM THAT. AND THEY, THEY CREATED THEY, THEY, SUBMITTED LIKE THEY CAN HAVE 50 OF THOSE THROUGHOUT THE STATE, I BELIEVE. BUT THEY'VE ONLY FILLED PARTLY THAT NUMBER WHERE THEY HAVE MORE OPENINGS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE COULD GET ANOTHER, EMPLOYEE AND ONLY HAD TO PAY 25% OF THEIR SALARY. THEY ACTUALLY OFFERED THAT UP TO US AT THE AREA MEETING LAST TIME. SO WE WERE DEFINITELY THINKING ABOUT IT. BUT WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT FUNDS AND ALL THE MONEY THAT THE NRCS BRINGS IN, YOU KNOW, WE IT JUST PASSES THROUGH OUR OFFICE. WE DON'T KEEP ANY OF IT. IT GOES TO DIRECTLY WHO IT BENEFITS IS. WE'RE KIND OF IN THE ACTING FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR. WE KIND OF ACT LIKE A BANK WITH A LOT OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS, SO THIS IS JUST THE DISTRICT STAFF CONTINUED. WE CAN GO PAST THAT ONE. I OH, YEAH, I REALLY LIKE TO COMMEND SARAH BETH AND AUSTIN , THE YOUNG MAN IN THE BLUE SHIRT. YOU KNOW, THEY WORK MONDAY NIGHT TILL 11:00 PUTTING THIS POWERPOINT TOGETHER. AND, WE HAVE ALL THESE YOUNG SUPERVISORS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOTTEN INVOLVED. SO THAT'S WHAT I LOVE TO SEE. YOU KNOW, THE NEXT GENERATION ON IS COMING ON STRONG AND REALLY INVOLVED TO KEEP IT GOING. THAT'S JUST A LIST OF SOME OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE'VE PARTNERED WITH ON PROJECTS AND OUTREACH. IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYBODY, OUR BIGGEST ONE BEING USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND OF COURSE, THE JEFFERSON COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, WHICH IS ALSO ON THE CUTTING BLOCK. AND THEN BY DIRECTION OR DIRECT, I GUESS ADJACENCY. THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY, ANOTHER HUGE PARTNER ON THIS LIST IS PROBABLY NOT IS NOT IN ANY WAY LISTED IN IMPORTANCE.
BUT, WE'VE BROUGHT IN GROW APPALACHIA FROM BEREA TO PARTNER WITH US ON A LOT OF THE URBAN HIGH TUNNELS, AND THAT PARTNERSHIPS BROUGHT IN A LOT MORE HIGH TUNNELS TO JEFFERSON COUNTY. I WONDERED ABOUT THAT. AND ACTUALLY, PAUL, OUR 75, 25 EMPLOYEE AND NATHAN LIND, OUR NRCS REPRESENTATIVE, THEY'RE GOING SATURDAY TO MEET WITH, KATHY, CHARITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S HAVE HUGE GARDENS AND, GOING SATURDAY WHEN MOST PEOPLE ARE OFF, BUT THAT'S WHEN THEY CAN MEET WITH THEM TO TELL THEM ABOUT PROGRAMS. WE HAVE THAT WILL BENEFIT THEM. GOOD AND IN OUR CASE, THAT'S OUR CLOSEST PARTNER. AND YOU'LL YOU'LL SEE HOW THEY BENEFIT OUR PARK SYSTEM
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AND JUST ALL OVER THE WHOLE COUNTY, NO MATTER WHERE IT IS IN THE COUNTY. AND WE RECENTLY FOUND OUT, WE'RE ACTUALLY BE MOVING INTO THE MISTLEY BUILDING BECAUSE THERE WAS A, A FEW YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A BILL PASSED IN CONGRESS THAT SAID, FEDERAL OFFICES MUST BE IN A FEDERALLY OWNED BUILDING, CEASED. SO NRHS HAS BEEN OUT THERE WITH US FOR 40 YEARS, IN THE CHRYSLER BUILDING. SO THEY INVITED US TO MOVE INTO THE MISTLEY BUILDING. SO THEY'RE GETTING A SPACE READY, AND, YOU KNOW, SO WE'LL THAT THAT'LL SAVE US, NO RENT. OH GOOD. GOOD THIS PICTURE RIGHT HERE, YEARS AGO. SO, SOME OF Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER AT HARRODS CREEK MARINA, EVERYBODY WAS JUMPING UP AND DOWN. IT WAS ALL FILLED WITH DEBRIS, AND THEY SAID, WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR THIS CLEANUP? NOBODY COULD FIGURE IT OUT, OUR RETIRED CONSERVATIONIST, KURT MASON.COME ALONG, AND THE EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROGRAM. SO, WE HAD 39,000 PASS THROUGH TO CLEAN UP THE MARINA. SO PEOPLE COULD GO IN AND OUT IN THEIR BOATS. THEN THERE WAS A TERRIBLE ALGAE BLOOM ON THE CREEK THAT WE RECEIVED 20 OVER 21,000. SO AND THAT HARRODS CREEK CLEAN UP THAT BROUGHT OUT SO MANY REPRESENTATIVES, SENATORS. IT'S LIKE EVERY THEY HAD A HUGE PRESS CONFERENCE AND I PARTICIPATED, IN THE FLOYDS FORK CREEK CLEANUP FOR 20 YEARS, WITH THE FLOYDS FORK ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION. AND WE HAD A CLEANUP EVERY YEAR. AND THAT WAS DEBRIS, BLOCKING FLOYDS FORK. AND MIKE FARMER, OUR PAST SUPERVISOR, AND ED HALL, BIG TEN HALL, BIG HUSBAND, THEY WERE STANDING IN THAT WATER. WE WOULD ALWAYS RUN THE ROUTE FIRST THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO ON SATURDAY.
AND PEOPLE WOULD JUST COLLECT TRASH FROM THE CREEK AND WE COULDN'T GET THROUGH THE CREEK.
SO ED AND MIKE CUT US A SMALL PATH PAST ALL THAT DEBRIS. SO I TURNED THAT IN AND WE GOT THAT CLEANED UP 21,000. GET THAT LOG JAM OUT OF THE CREEK. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT WAS, I MEAN, KIND OF HOW IT WAS EVOLVED AND WHY IT WAS CREATED WAS TO DEVELOP LOCALLY DRIVEN IDEAS FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, ISSUES. AND THIS IS DEFINITELY A NATURAL RESOURCE ISSUE. AND THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS, IN ITS PARTNERSHIP AND IN ITS CREATION AND IN ITS EXISTENCE, IT'S, FINDS FUNDING AND COOPERATION FOR PROJECTS LIKE THIS THAT KIND OF DON'T HAVE DON'T FALL UNDER ANYONE'S ENVELOPE NECESSARILY. BUT THAT. SO GOOD DAY. I'LL GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE MYSELF, PAUL BORNTRAGER. I'M THE, SOIL AND WATER TECHNICIAN, THE 75, 25.
THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL STAFF AT THE DISTRICT, AND WE USE OUR RESOURCES INCREDIBLY WISELY, FOR WHAT WE CAN DO. AND SOME OF THESE PROGRAMING OPTIONS THAT THAT WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY ARE, ARE LINKED THROUGH. YOU ASKED A QUESTION EARLIER. EXACTLY. WHO DO YOU GET FUNDING FROM? AND, THE FINE SUPERVISORS DID A GOOD JOB OF SAYING THAT WE, ESSENTIALLY ACT AS A BANK, WHEN WE COME OUT TO A PERSON'S PROPERTY OR FARM, A LOT OF TIMES THEY SEE US AS THE MONEY PEOPLE, AND, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD THERE TO BE WELCOME AND RECOGNIZED AS, AS POTENTIALLY A SOURCE FOR, FOR FUNDING, THAT BEING SAID, IF WE AREN'T FUNDED, IF MY POSITION ISN'T FUNDED, THEN I'M NOT THERE, TO, MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE PROGRAMS AND TO PRESENT THE PROGRAMS AND THEN TO DO THE CONTRACTING FOR THE ACTUAL PROGRAM ON THE BACK END, THE, THE SAME PERSON COULD STILL GO THROUGH THE FEDERAL PROCESS, BUT THE REPRESENTATION WOULD BE THROUGH PROBABLY THE NRCS OFFICE IN SHELBYVILLE OR BRANDENBURG, AND IF YOU'RE IN WEST LOUISVILLE AND YOU'RE TRYING TO GET A COMMUNITY GARDEN STARTED, OR IF YOU, HAVE A CHARITY HORSE
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THERAPY OPERATION, AS ONE OF OUR CURRENT RESIDENTS DOES, WHERE, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN GO AND PARTAKE IN, IN HORSE CARE AND RIDING, THOSE TYPES OF OPERATIONS, THEY NEED FUNDING AND THEY NEED FUNDING ASSISTANCE AND THE ASSISTANCE IS THERE FEDERALLY AND ALSO AT A STATE LEVEL, AND A REPRESENTATIVE LIKE MYSELF NEEDS TO GO OUT TO ACTUALLY MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE PROGRAMS, TEACH THEM HOW TO SIGN UP FOR THEM, AND THEN PUT THEM THROUGH THOSE CONTRACTS AND WRITE THOSE CONTRACTS FOR THEM, THIS IS A HUGE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, MY POSITION COSTS THE DISTRICT, ABOUT $25,000, AND THE CONTRACTS THAT WE WRITE ARE IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. AND THOSE ARE FUNDS COMING IN FROM A FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL, THAT OTHERWISE WOULDN'T COME INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY. I'M NOT SAYING SHELBYVILLE COULDN'T WRITE THOSE THINGS, BUT THE RESPONSE TIME WOULD BE DIFFERENT. AND THE ABILITY TO DO SO WOULD BE DIFFERENT, IN THE LAST YEAR, NATHAN LIND IS OUR URBAN CONSERVATIONIST THROUGH THE NRCS . HE AND I HAVE BOTH COME ON BOARD AND WE'VE TURNED THE WORKLOAD VOLUME FROM AROUND $15,000 TO OVER 400, SO THAT'S THAT'S A SMALL ASK TO FUND OUR OFFICE AND PUT US IN A POSITION TO WHERE WE CAN DO THESE PROGRAMS. AND I WANT TO TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE EXACTLY TALKING ABOUT. WHEN I SAY PROGRAMS, A LOT OF PEOPLE HEAR US SAY, HIGH TUNNEL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A TEMPORARY TYPE OF STRUCTURE, A GREENHOUSE LIKE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS AN AFFORDABLE, CONSTRUCTION OPTION FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO EXPAND THEIR AGRICULTURAL PURSUITS. EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT FOOD DESERTS. EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK, WANTS TO TALK ABOUT, GETTING FRESH PRODUCE INTO THE COMMUNITIES THAT NEED IT HERE IN LOUISVILLE. AND, HIGH TUNNELS ARE A GOOD OPTION FOR THAT. THE URBAN HIGH TUNNEL INITIATIVE WAS WRITTEN IN A VERY STRONG WAY TO ALLOW FOR A VERY STRONG PAYMENT PLAN, WE HAVE RESIDES IN THE SHAWNEE NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT ARE BUILDING HIGH TUNNELS THAT, ARE ABLE TO DO IT AT A RATE THAT THEY CAN AFFORD AND AT A COST SHARE RATE TO WHERE THEY'RE THEY'RE FOOTING THE MONEY UP FRONT, BUT THEN THEY'RE GETTING A REIMBURSEMENT PAYMENT AFTERWARDS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS. THIS IS UNDER EQIP, THE DISTRICT ITSELF DOES PROGRAMS AS WELL. AND EQIP IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM. WE ALSO HAVE STATE COST SHARE. WE HAVE CAPE, CAPE IS WITH THE TOBACCO SETTLEMENT MONEY. AS YOU ALL KNOW, KENTUCKY WAS VERY WISE. WE SET ASIDE A LOT OF OUR TOBACCO SETTLEMENT MONEY AND PUT IT IN A POSITION WHERE FARMERS COULD PIVOT FROM THE, THE TOBACCO, THE LACK OF THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY, AND SO NOW, IF YOU WANT TO START A POULTRY OPERATION OR A MICRO DAIRY OR CREAMERY OR A VEGETABLE CSA OR JUST A COMMUNITY GARDEN, THERE'S CAPE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO YOU, AND I WISH IT COULD BE AS EASY AS GOING ONLINE AND FILLING OUT A FORM FOR PEOPLE, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMEBODY TO GO OUT WITH THE RESIDENT AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAMS AND THEN CARRY THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE'RE THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. WE KIND OF HOLD HANDS WITH THEM. WE CONNECT THEM WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE GROW APPALACHIA, AND WE CONNECT NONPROFIT GROUPS. WE CONNECT, LIKE LOUISVILLE METRO PARKS, EVEN. WE'RE WORKING WITH IROQUOIS PARK, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE OLMSTED CONSERVANCY. WE BRING IN BIG CONTRACTS TO THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO HELP THEM MAINTAIN ON THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN LOUISVILLE.AND I KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN A CITY THAT WANTS TO GROW, BUT WE HAVE A CITY, THAT HAS A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL PARKS AND A LOT OF WONDERFUL NATURAL RESOURCES. AND AND THESE PROGRAMS ARE HOW WE BRING IN EXTERNAL FUNDS TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT CITY INFRASTRUCTURE. CAN CAN I INTERRUPT YOU THERE? AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THE HIGH TUNNELS EXTEND THE GROWING SEASON FOR THE COMMUNITY GARDENS AND THOSE THAT ARE TRYING TO LIVE OFF THE LAND, HAPPY TO, SURE, I'M GOING TO WELCOME CATHERINE SHEIKH UP HERE. SHE'S ONE OF OUR PRODUCERS AND A MEMBER OF THE EXTENSION OFFICE, AND SHE'S A, RECEIVED ASSISTANCE, SO. THANK YOU. COULD YOU. YEAH. INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I'M CATHERINE SHEIKH. I AM THE EXTENSION DISTRICT BOARD CHAIR, BUT MY HUSBAND AND I OWN A PRODUCE FARM IN JEFFERSON COUNTY , WE WERE STRUGGLING TO GROW ENOUGH PRODUCE TO SELL AT OUR ON
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FARM MARKET. WE GOT OUR FIRST HIGH TUNNEL FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT YEAR. WE WERE ABLE TO PRODUCE ENOUGH TOMATOES FOR OUR CUSTOMERS BEFORE WE WERE DRIVING 2.5 HOURS AWAY TO GO DOWN TO AMISH COUNTRY AND BRINGING BACK PRODUCE. WELL, THAT LASTED ONE YEAR AND WE PICKED UP ENOUGH BUSINESS THAT WE APPLIED FOR A SECOND HIGH TUNNEL. WE HAVE OUR SECOND HIGH TUNNEL IN, AND WE'VE JUST RECENTLY BEEN APPROVED FOR OUR THIRD ONE. I CAN'T TELL YOU THE DIFFERENCE IN HOW THINGS GROW INSIDE A HIGH TUNNEL VERSUS JUST OUT IN A GARDEN. OH YEAH, AND I MEAN, IT HAS JUST BEEN LIFE CHANGING FOR US. I HAD TOMATOES UNTIL NOVEMBER 22ND, RIGHT. AND YOU START PLANTING THE TOMATOES IN JANUARY. RIGHT WE START PLANTING THEM EARLY. I CAN GROW LETTUCE UNTIL JANUARY THREE BECAUSE THE HIGH TUNNEL PROTECTS IT. I STARTED ALL OF MY COLD CROPS IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR AND PUT THEM IN THE HIGH TUNNEL SO THAT I HAD THEM READY TO PUT OUT. I MEAN, IT WAS IT WAS LIFE CHANGING FOR OUR OPERATION. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR EXPLANATION BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND. THEY MAY THINK THAT YOU JUST START SEEDS IN THOSE HIGH TUNNELS AND BUT NO, THEY REALLY EXTEND SEND THE GROWING SEASON BOTH WAYS. THANK YOU. IF WE WERE YOUNGER AND COULD TAKE IT, I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN GROW IN THAT HIGH TUNNEL 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR NOW. BY NOVEMBER, I'M OLD AND TIRED. THANK YOU. CATHERINE, I REALLY APPRECIATE, HAVING A VOICE BEHIND WHAT I'M SAYING AND HAVING SOMEONE REPRESENT THAT, FROM A PRODUCER STANDPOINT, BECAUSE THE PRODUCERS ARE SUCH A VALULE, PARTNER WITH US IN THESE ACTIONS. FURTHERMORE, ON THE HIGH TUNNELS, WITH EXTENSION OF GROWING, ASE ALKNOW YOU SA DON PUT YOUR MATO PLAN OUTILL RBY. D P PLA THPE TARELLING TIME OF YEAR, THEY HAVE HIGHAME TUNNELS AND THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GROWING THEIR TOMATOES. AND, WE'RE TALKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF INCREASED REVENUE PER ACRE. A LOT OF OUR PRODUCERS ARE WE'RE WE DO THE BACKYARD HIGH TUNNELS THAT YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH, BUT THE BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE A LOT OF OUR PRODUCERS ARE ARE DOING 30 BY 70. THESE ARE SIZABLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS RIGH IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, THEY'RE THEY'RE THE OTHER SIDE OF URBAN SPRAWL. THEY'RE THE OTHER SIDE OF CITY GROWTH. THEY'RE CLASSIC AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS WHO ARE ON THE CUTTING OF EDGE OF WHAT'S CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY WISE. AND THEY'RE THEY'RE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE EXTENSION OFFICE AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, BOTH ON THE EARLY FROST SEASON AND, OR ON THE LATE FROST IN THE SPRING AND ON THE EARLY FROST IN THE FALL. THE HIGH TUNNEL SHIELDS THESE PRODUCERS AND ALLOWS THEM TO KEEP MAKING VEGETABLES. OR FRUITS, WE HAVE PARTICULAR YEAR. IT'S A PARTICULAR FUNDING POOL FOR, EXOTIC CROPS. SO, WE HAD A PRODUCER THAT WANTED TO MAKE KEFIR LIME, FOR THE, VIETNAMESE GROCERIES HERE IN LOUISVILLE. AND, THOSE PRODUCTS WERE BEING SOURCED FROM OVERSEAS CURRENTLY.SO NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE A JEFFERSON COUNTY RESIDENT PRODUCING HERE, LIME AND, THE CARBON FOOTPRINT ON THAT IS SMALLER. I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU ALL THAT. WE'D RATHER BE PRODUCING THESE THINGS HERE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY WHEN WE'RE ABLE, OTHER PROGRAMS BESIDES EQIP, WE'VE GOT STATE COST SHARE AND CAPE AND IF WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ON THAT, THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM, BUT I'M JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH. WE'LL TURN IT BACK OVER. YEAH. I'M JUST GOING TO GO REAL QUICK. URBAN HIGH TUNNEL INITIATIVE, METRO CONTRIBUTION $10,000. THIS YEAR WE HAVE FOUR NEW HIGH TUNNELS FOR A TOTAL OF $12,000. AND THE DISTRICT AND DNR'S, NRCS WORK TOGETHER TO SECURE $500,000 FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE FOCUS CONSERVATION PROJECT TO BUILD HIGH TUNNELS IN DOWNTOWN SOUTH END AND THE WEST END. THOSE AREAS OF NEED THE MOST FOR FOOD DESERTS. YOU CAN GO NEXT. URBAN SOIL INITIATIVE METRO CONTRIBUTION $420. THESE PROGRAMS ARE THE NATIVE PLANT COST SHARE PROGRAM, NATIVE LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE, SIGNAGE, COVER CROP WORKSHOP AND COVER CROP GIVEAWAY, AND AS WELL AS THE FREE SOIL TESTING VOUCHERS THAT WE PARTNER WITH ON JEFFERSON COUNTY EXTENSION. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT WORKS? YEAH SO WE GET A GRANT FROM I BELIEVE IT'S THE IT'S I THINK IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL GRANT FROM EITHER NACD, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS OR KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS. AND THAT PAYS FOR WHAT IT WOULD COST IF A RESIDENT
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WAS TO SEND IN THEIR SOIL TEST TO THE EXTENSION AGENCY. EACH COUNTY HAS AN EXTENSION AGENCY THAT DOES SOIL TESTING FOR EACH COUNTY, SO IF A HOMEOWNER IS JUST TO TAKE A BAG OF SOIL IN THERE TO GET IT TESTED, THEY'D HAVE TO PAY A CERTAIN AMOUNT. WE COVER IT ALL SO THAT EVERY RESIDENT OF JEFFERSON COUNTY CAN GET AT LEAST TWO, AND I GENERALLY TELL PEOPLE IF THEY HAVE AN OLDER, IF THEY LIVE IN AN OLDER PART OF TOWN, THEY'RE DEFINITELY IF THEY'RE GOING TO GROW HERBS OR SOME SORT OF ROOT VEGETABLE TO GET A LEAD TEST AS WELL. RIGHT THANK YOU. AND THEN SO OUR URBAN WATER INITIATIVE, METRO CONTRIBUTION OF $1,500 PROGRAMS AND THIS INCLUDE THE RAIN BARREL RAIN GARDEN WORKSHOPS AND TREE SEEDLING GIVEAWAY. I THINK, IN RESPONSE, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAS SAID THAT THERE'S SOME OVERLAP, WITH OUR WITH THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT EXTENSION AND WITH METRO GOVERNMENT SERVICES ARE OFFERED. I DON'T SEE THERE'S ANY OVERLAP, MAYBE THE TREEOGRAM THAT WE DO WITHIN THE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS THAT KEEPS US WITHIN GOOD STANDING. AND AS DAVID SAID, WE'VE BEEN IN GOOD STANDING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. AND THAT GETS US ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE. DO YOU EVER GET FUNDING FROM MSD FOR ANY OF THE RAIN BARREL INITIATIVES? NO, BUT I'M I'M TALKING TO COLLETTE EASTER, WITH MSD TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK OUT A PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE THEY USED TO HAVE A RAIN BARREL, SALES, BUT THEY DON'T DO IT ANYMORE. THEY JUST, SEND THEM TO THE LOUISVILLE NATURE CENTER AND THEIR BARREL IS A MUCH MORE ESTHETICALLY PLEASING BARREL THAN OURS, BUT OURS IS FREE FROM HEAVEN HILL. SO. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. BEGGARS CAN'T BE CHOOSERS.AND IT'S KENTUCKY BLUE, SO IT DEPENDS ON IF YOU'RE A UK OR U OF L FAN, CAPE IS, PAUL SAID IS ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS METRO CONTRIBUTION ZERO. SO, WE JUST GOT AWARDED, WE ASKED FOR $3,500 FROM THE COUNTY AG DEVELOPMENT BOARD. 35,000? YEAH. THANK YOU. $35,000 FROM THE KENTUCKY AG.
I'M SORRY, THE COUNTY AG DEVELOPMENT BOARD AND WE WERE AWARDED THAT LAST YEAR. WE GOT 19,000, THIS MONEY ALL COMES FROM THE TOBACCO MASTER SETTLEMENT. YEAH. JEFFERSON COUNTY. WE USED TO RAISE 2,000 POUNDS OF TOBACCO, BUT. AND I KNOW THE SHAKES DID A WHOLE LOT IN THEIR FARMING OPERATION. BUT SINCE JEFFERSON COUNTY WAS A SMALL TOBACCO PRODUCER, IS WHY WE ONLY GOT LIKE 20,000 A YEAR. BUT WE'VE BEEN, SPREADING THAT MONEY OUT TO A WHOLE LOT OF PRODUCERS, SO BUMPED IT UP THE LAST FEW YEARS FOR COUNTIES WHO TRADITIONALLY DIDN'T GROW A LOT OF TOBACCO, US AND MAINLY THE EASTERN COUNTIES, THIS IS CAPE CONTINUED. KIND OF ALREADY HIT THAT ONE. EQUIP AGAIN, METRO CONTRIBUTION ZERO, 24 ACTIVE CONTRACTS TOTAL 300,000, ALMOST $400,000. 19 NEW CONTRACTS IN 2024. THIS IS A, A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO WORK WITH THE NRCS AND US TO ESTABLISH CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON THEIR LAND, AND IT HELPS PAY FOR IT. AND THE WIDTH PROGRAM IS ALSO IN THIS IN, WHO UTILIZE THESE PROGRAMS A LOT IS OUR CITY PARKS, WHICH THEY WERE SET UP WITH A FARM AND TRACK NUMBER DECADES AGO. CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM, THE METRO CONTRIBUTION ZERO. THIS IS A KIND OF A PROGRAM THAT'S UNDERUTILIZED IN OUR COUNTY, BUT THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDING, AND THERE THE THERE WAS A USDA IS PUSHING THIS PROGRAM JUST BECAUSE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMING THROUGH. YEAH, THIS IS KIND OF A NEW PROGRAM. I'LL, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BRIEFLY. ONCE AGAIN, PAUL BORNTRAGER, SO CSP IS PARTICULARLY GEARED TOWARDS FARMS THAT ARE ALREADY MANAGING MOST OF THEIR RESOURCE CONCERNS. SO A LOT OF OUR PRODUCERS WILL DO EQIP FIRST AND THEN CSP AFTER THAT. AND CSP, CURRENTLY OFFERS A MINIMUM PAYMENT OF $4,000, AND PRODUCERS CAN CERTAINLY GET MORE THAN THAT. BUT A LOT OF TIMES, THEY'RE ABLE TO PUT A COVER CROP ON THEIR FIELDS OR, DO A WOODLAND MANAGEMENT OR A PASTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AND, AND THE FUNDING RATE THERE IS INCREDIBLY STRONG FOR SMALL PRODUCERS. THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE, ONCE AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO, WITH WHICH DAVID TALKED ABOUT WAS ABSORBED, ABSORBED INTO EQIP. SO, THOSE THOSE THINGS FALL UNDER THE SAME UMBRELLA NOW AND JUST REAL QUICK ABOUT THOSE. WE'RE DEALING WITH MORE THAN JUST HIGH TUNNELS. WE DO COVER CROPPING FOR THE COMMUNITY GARDENS. WE DO, STREAM BANK STABILIZATION FOR, PROJECTS ALONG FLOYDS FORK THAT ARE ERODING, WE CAN DO ROTATIONAL GRAZING FOR PASTURES THAT ARE, WANTING TO SUSTAINABLY MANAGE
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THEIR LAND AND REDUCE EROSION. AND, AND A LOT OF THOSE PRACTICES ARE, ARE DIVERSE AND IMPORTANT AND THEY'RE TRADITIONAL AG PRACTICES THAT YOU WOULDN'T THINK OF HAPPENING HERE IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. BUT BUT WE'RE THERE TO OFFER THEM. AND WE DO HAVE PRODUCERS LIKE THE SHEIKHS AND OTHERS WHO ARE CERTAINLY TAKING ADVANTAGE AND, ABLE TO SUCCEED WITH THEIR OPERATIONS BECAUSE OF THOSE FUNDS, THE CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM LIKE EQUIP THAT THE METROPARKS AND OLMSTED PARKS COULD, BENEFIT FROM THE AND WE'RE ALSO TALKING TO JCPS TO GET A FARM NUMBER FOR THEM TO UTILIZE SOME OF OUR OUR FUNDING ISSUES, OUR FUNDING SOURCES FOR THEIR ISSUES, THE LOUISVILLE URBAN INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL PROGRAM WAS ALSO UTILIZED BY OLMSTED PARKS, THEY WON A MASTER CONSERVATIONIST AWARD BECAUSE OF THEIR WORKS. ON INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND CONSERVATION WORK THROUGHOUT THE PARKS. AGAIN, METRO CONTRIBUTIONS ZERO NEXT ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. METRO CONTRIBUTIONS $7,300, THIS IS JUST OUR OUTREACH IN ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSHEET, OUR WORKSHOPS. APOLOGIES, WE ALSO PROMOTE THE JIM CLAYPOOL ART AND CONSERVATION WRITING CONTEST. CONTEST, EDUCATE STUDENTS ON SOIL, WATER AND FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION. COMES WITH A CUTE LITTLE ACTIVITY BOOK, IT GOES OUT TO ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, WE GIVE OUT AWARDS. SO ALL THE STUDENTS. AND LAST YEAR WE PUT THE, ART WINNER ON A MUG AND JUST TO SEE KIND OF THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTY, YOU KNOW, ALREADY KIND OF GETTING THE CONSERVATION MESSAGE IS REALLY HEARTWARMING.WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF, GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS, FOR STUDENTS WHO WISH TO ATTEND CONSERVATION CAMP OR ANY OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION CAMP. AND THAT'S GOT TO BE OUR MOST FUN BOARD MEETING OF THE YEAR. JUDGING ALL THE ART THAT COMES IN AND THE WRITING. AND ONE OF OUR JEFFERSON COUNTY STUDENTS RECEIVED FIRST PLACE IN THE STATE THIS YEAR. SHE WAS FIRST PLACE IN THE SCHOOL COUNTY AND THE STATE, MASTER CONSERVATIONIST AWARD ZERO METRO CONTRIBUTION. THIS IS JUST AN AWARD FOR THE LANDOWNERS THAT, LOST MY PLACE, A COMPLETELY OVER 90% OF THEIR SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PLAN FOR THE LAND IS UNDER CONTROL, AND ONLY 2% OF PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ARE RECOGNIZED. AND GO AHEAD. I THINK MISS FOWLER, YOU HAD A NEIGHBOR. WAS THAT CHIROLYN MIDKIFF WAS OUR MASTER CONSERVATIONIST. ONE YEAR. AND THE PARKLANDS WON IN 2022. OR OTHER PROGRAMS ADMINISTERED? THEY PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY BEEN GONE OVER, BUT AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS CAN BE SET UP THROUGH THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT. BURN PERMITS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS A PART OF I THINK IT'S AN ORDINANCE, HERE IN LOUISVILLE, THAT CONTINUOUS CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM FUNDED BY USDA, FSA AND AGAIN, NO METRO CONTRIBUTIONS TO THAT. THE KENTUCKY'S COST SHARE PROGRAM FUNDED BY TOBACCO SETTLEMENTS, NO CONTRIBUTION FROM METRO FROM THAT. I REMEMBER LIKE WHEN EVERYBODY ALONG EASTERN PARKWAY USED TO PILE THEIR LEAVES UP AND BURN THEM, YOU KNOW, SMOKE THE WHOLE CITY UP. SO LIMIT THAT TO AGRICULTURAL. SINCE OUR BURNING ORDINANCE, THE CONCLUSION IS THAT THE DISTRICT ACCOMPLISHES A LOT ON A VERY LITTLE AMOUNT OF MONEY, WE GET WE HAVE THE SMALLEST BUDGET, THE TIGHTEST BUDGET OF ALL 121 COUNTIES, 122 CONSERVATION DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. WE ALSO HAVE THE LARGEST POPULATION. WE ALSO TRY TO HELP. WE ALSO PROBABLY I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IT BROKEN DOWN, PROBABLY WITH THE MILLAGE TAX. AND I'D SAY THAT WE HELP MORE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BY THE PENNY, WE'RE A GREAT STEWARD OF OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES. EVEN THE FULL ALLOCATION OF $113,000 ISN'T ENOUGH. LIKE I SAID, WE WERE ALREADY GOT OUR BUDGET DOWN AS TIGHT AS WE CAN. WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT PREVIOUS YEARS OF HIRING AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT HAS GREAT RUNNING EXPERIENCE AND THAT CAN FIND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES FOR US TO BRING EVEN MORE MONEY IN SO WE CAN UTILIZE THAT FOR MORE PROGRAMING AND MORE OUTREACH, IF THE BUDGET AT THE CURRENT BUDGET ISN'T AMENDED, THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT WILL HAVE TO CLOSE ITS DOORS AS SOON AS OUR MONEY RUNS OUT, WE DO CURRENTLY BRING, WE HAVE A WE BRING FORTH A TOTAL EVERY YEAR, SO WE HAVE $200,000 IN OUR ON OUR CURRENT BUDGET, BUT THAT WON'T LAST US TWO YEARS. SO LIKE I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, THIS IS A BAND AID, AGAIN, WE WOULD BE MORE THAN
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THANKFUL FOR YOU ALL TO GET US ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET, BUT THIS IS A BAND AID, AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT A MORE PERMANENT, SOLUTION TO THIS, NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT FOR US. OUR EXTENSION.THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL, WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILMAN MULVIHILL, I'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE IN THE QUEUE, AND I WANT TO GIVE ENOUGH TIME FOR MISS SHEA TO PRESENT ON THE EXTENSION. SHE WAS HERE LAST, BUT I ASKED HER TO BRING MORE SPECIFIC NUMBERS SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE SPENT. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. BUT DON'T GO AWAY, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, COUNCILMAN HUDSON, THANK YOU. CHAIR, I WANT TO PREFACE ALL MY REMARKS WITH. I'M. I'M WILLING TO BE PERSUADED , AND BE SUPPORTIVE OF PUTTING THE MONEY BACK IN THE BUDGET FOR THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. IT HAS BEEN A ACTIVE CONVERSATION SINCE THE BUDGET CAME OUT, BUT MOST OF THAT CONVERSATION, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, IS, IS WHAT THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT CAPABILITIES ARE, NOT A WHOLE LOT OF WHAT THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT HAS DONE. SO WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO COMMIT ON THE RECORD HERE THAT IF THE MONEY GETS PUT BACK INTO THE BUDGET, THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO COME AND PROVIDE EITHER A MONTHLY OR AT LEAST A QUARTERLY REPORT TO METRO GOVERNMENT OF THE RESULTS AND THE ACTIONS THAT THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT HAS TAKEN DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. DEFINITELY, WE HAD ALREADY TALKED ABOUT GETTING MORE REPRESENTATION HERE BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR THAT THE POWERS THAT BE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE AND DON'T KNOW OUR VALUE TO JEFFERSON COUNTY. SO THE MORE THAT WE CAN GET IN FRONT OF METRO COUNCIL, THE MORE THAT YOU ALL WILL KNOW WHAT WE DO AND THE VALUE THAT WE DO ADD INTO, RESPOND TO YOUR YOUR COMMENT THAT YOU WERE SHOWING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO, ALL THE NUMBERS THAT WE'VE GIVEN OF WHAT WE'VE DONE. JUST THIS YEAR, WE BROUGHT $447,000 INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY, THROUGH THE EQUIP PROGRAM, THE COUNTY AG INVESTMENT PROGRAM, THE URBAN HIGH TUNNEL INITIATIVE, THE, THE STATE COST SHARE, AND ALSO FEDERAL FUNDS. SO IT'S NOT WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT IT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WHAT WE CAN DO WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING. YEAH, I DON'T MEAN IT IN THE CONTEXT OF SO MUCH OF HOW MANY GRANTS WE'VE BROUGHT IN FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT'S MORE OF, WELL, WE DO SOIL TESTS, WE DO RAIN BARREL INSTALLATIONS. WE WHAT WE DO. I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYBODY THAT HAS SAID, THIS IS HOW MANY RAIN BARRELS WE PUT IN. THIS IS HOW MANY SOIL TESTS WE'VE DONE THIS MONTH THAT THAT'S THE KIND OF METRICS THAT I'M LOOKING TO HAVE AN ACCOUNTABILITY OF IT. I'M NOT QUESTIONING THE CAPABILITIES THAT NO, THAT WAS ALSO IN THE PLAN OF WORK. SO WHAT I'M QUESTIONING IS ARE WE GETTING WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR? AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU. MY REPLY WOULD BE THAT THAT WAS ALL IN THE PLAN OF WORK, AND THE BUDGET THAT WE SENT IN IN MARCH, THOSE EXACT NUMBERS. AND WE'VE GIVEN, 531 SOIL TESTS TO DATE JUST FOR 2024. IS THAT STARTING IN JANUARY? YEAH. OKAY I KNOW COUNCIL, I MEAN, COUNCIL WOMAN. DEPUTY MAYOR GEORGE IS HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET THOSE NUMBERS AND THE PRESENTATION THAT THEY GAVE TO THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE, IF THAT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE, COUNCILWOMAN ROY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I CAN TELL YOU FROM LOOKING AT THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PAGE THAT WE GET, IT'S RUNNING CONCERNS ARE ABOUT TEN FOR SOIL AND WATER AND COUNTY EXTENSION TO ONE FOR FUN. TALK SO YOU'VE GOT THE SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC.
SO NOW IT'S A MATTER OF, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK AND ETC. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE UNDERFUND AND I'M TRULY BELIEVE YOU BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS RIGHT NOW. AND SO IF YOU HAD A WISH LIST AND YOU WERE ABLE TO GET MORE MONEY, WHAT ADDITIONAL SERVICES WOULD YOU BRING TO OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IF WE WERE TO GET ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE WOULD DEFINITELY FIRST OFF, HIRE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SO WE CAN LOOK AT BRINGING IN ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES FOR US AS FAR AS, EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND PROGRAM OUTREACH. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DAVID REMARKED ON PREVIOUSLY WAS THAT WE HAVE A VERY DIVERSE BOARD, AND I THINK WITH THAT, DIVERSITY GETS US MORE NETWORKING FOR MORE OF OUR PROGRAM TEAMS, I THINK THAT EVERY DIFFERENT KIND OF
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COMMUNITY THAT IS REPRESENTED ON THAT BOARD, BRINGS A NETWORKING THAT WOULD GET THOSE PROGRAMS LIKE YOU ALL DID. PROBABLY SOME OF YOU ALL ON THE COUNCIL DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT SOIL AND WATER COUNSELOR CONSERVATION DISTRICT WAS BEFORE THIS WHOLE, KERFUFFLE HAPPENED, SO THERE'S A LOT OF CITIZENS OUT THERE. AND WHEN I TABLE EVENTS AT THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S I GET TWO QUESTIONS. YOU ALL PROVIDE FREE SOIL TESTING. AND WHAT IS THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, WE WOULD DO MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND GET OUR NAME MORE OUT AND GET OUR PROGRAMING MORE, OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THOSE AREAS OF NEED AND START REALLY IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE AREAS OF NEED ARE AND LOOKING AT OUR PROGRAMS AND LOOKING AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WE BRING IN AND HOW WE CAN ALLOCATE THAT TO NEEDS TO BE MET IN JEFFERSON COUNTY, FOOD DESERTS IS A HUGE ONE. THAT'S ONE THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND WE'VE WORKED ON. WE'VE CREATED THE URBAN HIGH TUNNEL INITIATIVE TO UTILIZE OUR STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS TO, GET THOSE HIGH TUNNELS BUILT IN JEFFERSON COUNTY TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WITH FOOD SECURITY. I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT SINCE WE'RE IN, SINCE OUR DOORS ARE OPEN, WE HAVE THAT MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH NRCS. AND JUST ALL THE MONEY THAT, MAKES IT AVAILABLE, WHETHER YOU'RE A PRIVATE LANDOWNER OR PARK SYSTEM, AND YEARS AGO, I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL WERE FAMILIAR WITH LILLIAS PETTIT. SCOTT. SHE, WAS, WE WAS ABLE TO HIRE HER FOR TWO YEARS WITH A HUMANA GRANT. AND WE REACHED OUT TO THE CITY FOR YEARS BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD THEY HAD GRANT WRITERS. BUT THAT WE NEVER DID GET ANY HELP. AND, SO WE HAD TO RELY ON BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO GET A GRANT.AND THAT'S HOW WE FIRST, GOT LILIUS AND, WE HAD HER FOR THAT WAS A TWO YEAR CONTRACT. AND PAUL, HERE HE IS. REALLY, HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND DOING A GREAT JOB, BECAUSE YOU NEED A FACE IN TOWN TO GO TO. SO I THINK, A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR MONEY WOULD BE. HA A 75, 25.
ANOTHER PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY AND NRCS IS PICKING UP 75% OF THEIR SALARY. OKAY I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON THAT REAL QUICK, BECAUSE WE DO GET CALLS THAT WE CAN'T ANSWER BECAUSE, NATHAN LIND IS OUR URBAN CONSERVATIONIST. HE'S A FULL TIME FEDERAL NRCS EMPLOYEE. AND THEN I'M 75% FEDERAL AND 25% LOCAL HERE. AND THEN WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY, JERRY JOHNSON, AND THE THREE OF US MAKE UP THE ENTIRE OFFICE. SO WE GET CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM CONCERNED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT HAVE A POND LEAKING ON THEIR PROPERTY OUT IN ANCHORAGE, OR THEY MIGHT HAVE A SINKHOLE. DEVELOPING. THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD A BIG STORM, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN A, A TRASH CAN SIZED HOLE HAS OPENED UP IN THEIR BACKYARD, AND THEY, THEY WANT SOMEBODY TO COME OUT AND TELL THEM WHETHER OR NOT THAT HOLE IS GOING TO BE THE SIZE OF A VOLKSWAGEN TOMORROW, OR WHETHER IT'S GOING TO SWALLOW CORVETTES, AS SEEMS TO HAPPEN HERE IN KENTUCKY. AND IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE SOME EXPERT GEOLOGISTS, BUT WE HAVE ACCESS TO THEM THROUGH THE NRCS, AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO ENGINEERING, TEAMS THAT CAN COME OUT AND SURVEYS THESE AREAS. AND WHEN WE COME INTO A ENCOUNTERS A PROJECT OR A PROBLEM OF CONCERN, WE'RE THE FRONT LINE OF CONTACTING THESE PEOPLE AND THEN BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL FEDERAL RESOURCES. SO I, I'VE HEARD IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND I'VE CERTAINLY EXPRESSED TO THE BOARD MY OWN DESIRE TO HAVE FELLOW COWORKERS. SO GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, I THINK WE COULD CERTAINLY STAND TO EXPAND BECAUSE THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY ARE LARGE, AND, AND WE'RE INCREDIBLY SMALL STAFF.
AND I THINK THAT WE DO SHOW A VERY STRONG RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PUT INTO THE DISTRICT, IN COMPARISON TO THE AMOUNT OF EXTERNAL MONEY WE DIRECTLY BRING IN AND ALSO THE WORK THAT WE, COMPLETE HERE WITHIN THE COUNTY. SO. THANK YOU, WE'VE GOT ONE MORE QUESTION, AND I WANT TO GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CATHERINE TO SPEAK. OKAY OKAY. SO, YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE BUILDING. WHEN ARE YOU MOVING IN? AND HOW MUCH IS THAT GOING
[00:50:03]
TO SAVE YOU? SO SO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH FPAC WITH THAT, WHICH IS THE ESSENTIALLY THE FEDERAL LEASING OFFICE AND, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THERE AS SOON AS THE 3RD OF JUNE, THINGS HAPPEN PRETTY SLOWLY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO I WOULD BE IMPRESSED IF WE MADE IT NEXT WEEK, HOWEVER, IT SHOULD BE PRETTY SOON, AND I, WE HAVE THE NUMBERS, BUT IT'LL SAVE, I THINK, AT LEAST 1500 A MONTH THAT. YEAH AND THE ROOF NEEDS REPAIRING ON THE BUILDING IS WHAT'S HOLDING THINGS UP AT THE. IT'D BE ON THE 10TH FLOOR AND HAD A LOT OF DAMAGE UP THERE, BUT BUT. YEAH THAT THAT WOULD SAVE, ON OUR INTERNET SERVICE. SO LIKE PAUL SAID, THOUSAND TO ON THE RENT AND THEN YOUR OTHER SERVICES THAT YOU NEED ANOTHER 500. SO WE'LL HAVE 1500 A MONTH SAVINGS MOVING DOWN TO THE BUILDING. I DON'T KNOW HOW EASY IT'LL BE FOR THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS US, BUT WE MAINLY GO OUT AND DO FIELD VISITS. GOTCHA. MORE THAN WALK IN TRAFFIC. OKAY.THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN CHAPPELL , I'LL TRY TO MAKE IT QUICK. SINCE, WE'RE RUNNING SHORT ON TIME, BUT, I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING, OR ELSE I'D HAVE SOMETHING ELSE MORE ELOQUENT TO SAY ABOUT THIS CONSERVATION DISTRICT. AND, IT HAS SUCH A BIG PIECE OF MY HEART, BUT I'M LIKE, BEETLEJUICE. AND DAVID SAID MY NAME THREE TIMES, SO I APPEARED, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SOUTH, JEFFERSON COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT DOESN'T REALLY ROLL OFF OF YOUR TONGUE. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE CREATED A WEBSITE AND THE LOGO IN 2017 OR 18 THAT WE ACTUALLY STARTED TO HAVE A PRESENCE, BECAUSE BEFORE THAT, IT WAS THE GOOD OLD BOYS NETWORK , AND SO WE WEREN'T THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT WASN'T REALLY PLUGGING IN IN AN URBAN SETTING OR PLUGGING IN WITH METRO COUNCIL OR REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THERE, PRESENCE WAS KNOWN, WHEN I WAS CAMPAIGNING, I SPENT MORE TIME EXPLAINING WHAT THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT WAS THAN SAYING WHY I WAS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THAT POSITION, BUT IT IS SOMETHING WHERE IT'S SEVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS, NONPARTISAN, AND THEY, THREE, FOUR OF THEM, THREE, FOUR, THREE WILL BE ON YOUR BALLOT. THIS, SORRY, FOUR OF THEM WILL BE ON YOUR BALLOT IN THIS GENERAL ELECTION. AND SO I HOPE PEOPLE ARE DOING THEIR RESEARCH AND PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY CAMPAIGNING FOR THIS POSITION BECAUSE IT IS VERY, VERY VITAL. AND WITH THAT SAID, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT, SUPERVISORS WORK SO HARD AND I CAN'T EXPRESS THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT SUPERVISORS, ESPECIALLY THE ONES SITTING BEFORE US TODAY, PUT IN FOR $75 A MONTH. THIS IS NOT YOUR FULL TIME JOB. THIS IS NOT HOW YOU PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR YOUR FAMILIES. THIS IS PASSION DRIVEN, AND I HOPE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT. LIKE WITH THIS LIMITED BUDGET, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET DONE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL MOVING INTO THE, BUILDING, THAT WAS A HUGE CONVERSATION IN THE SIX YEARS THAT I WAS ON THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU FOR PIVOTING AND SAVING THAT MONEY, BUT I ALSO WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT YOU ALL ARE IN, IN BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE IN THE SENSE OF, YOU CAN'T REALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH MORE PROGRAMING UNTIL YOU GET AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO KIND OF STEER THE SHIP, BECAUSE ON TOP OF THE SHOULDERS OF THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, YOU'RE ALSO MANAGING YOUR STAFF. YOU'RE MAKING SURE YOU'RE REPORTING IS GOING THROUGH, YOU'RE MAKING SURE THAT METRO COUNCIL GETS THE REPORTS THAT WE SEND OUT EVERY SINGLE TIME. SO I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT IF THE METRO COUNCIL DOES NOT KNOW ABOUT THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT THAT'S ON METRO COUNCIL, ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY THAT THERE IS MORE, OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO ADVOCATING FOR THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT TO GET THEIR FULL FUNDING. AND AFTER THAT, I HOPE THAT THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT IS ABLE TO FIND A DIVERSIFICATION AND FUNDING, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SAVINGS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE WITH THE RENTAL. SO MAYBE ONE DAY AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CAN COME IN AND REALLY TAKE THIS TO THE NEXT LEVEL. BUT YOU HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. YOU'RE SO VITAL TO THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON A SHORT NOTICE. AND, MISS SHAKE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP. AND YOU CAN EITHER SIT OR STAND IT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.
AND JUST, SO SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT I BROUGHT TODAY, AGAIN, I'M CATHERINE SHAKE. I HAVE A LOCAL FAMILY FARM, BUT I'M SERVING AS THE BOARD CHAIR FOR THE EXTENSION DISTRICT BOARD. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE EXTENSION OFFICE DOES IS WE MANAGE THE COMMUNITY GARDENS, WE GET $56,000 EARMARKED IN THE 335,000. WE WERE GETTING TO RUN THE COMMUNITY GARDENS, THE COST
[00:55:05]
TO RUN THE COMMUNITY GARDENS LAST YEAR WAS $97,208. I CAN GIVE YOU AS MUCH DETAIL ABOUT THAT AS YOU WOULD LIKE, HOW DO YOU MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE? WELL, WE TAKE IT OUT OF THE 335,000. I MEAN, IT'S GOT TO HAPPEN. YEAH THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS WE WERE PROVIDING TILLERS IN THE COMMUNITY GARDENS FOR THE GARDENERS TO USE. WE'VE HAD TERRIBLE THEFT PROBLEMS. WE'VE HAD, ANY TIME YOU'RE GIVING EQUIPMENT TO THE PUBLIC TO USE, THERE'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND WE WALK AWAY. THEY WALK AWAY.THEY GET BROKEN, THEY RUN THEM OUT OF OIL AND THEY TEAR THEM UP , SO WE CURRENTLY NEED $125,000 TO REPLACE TILLERS AND PUT THEM IN SECURE SHEDS, WHAT TYPE OF SHEDS DO YOU USE? DO YOU USE THE, LIKE THE CARGO CONTAINER TYPE SHEDS? WHAT? THEY'RE WHAT WE'D LIKE TO USE ARE KIND OF LIKE RAILROAD BOX CARS KIND OF. WELL, THAT'S THAT'S THE CARGO CONTAINERS. YEAH. YES. THAT'S WHAT WE'D LIKE TO USE BECAUSE THEY'RE HARDER FOR THEM TO GET INTO. BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE PRETTY DETERMINED. I KNOW, SO WE NEED $125,000 TO REPLACE TILLERS AND FIVE GARDENS, WE DO PARTICIPATE IN THE SOIL TESTING PROGRAM. THE COST THAT WE GET FOR THE SOIL TESTING DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SHIPPING COSTS TO MAIL THE SOIL TEST BACK AND FORTH. WE SPENT AN EXTRA $6,500 IN ADDITION TO THE MONEY THAT WE GET FROM SOIL AND WATER TO HELP DIVERSE SHARE THE COST OF SOIL TESTING. OKAY, I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK I TOLD ANOTHER GROUP BEFORE OTHER COUNTIES ALLOW YOU TO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SOIL TESTS. SHELBY COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE, ALLOWS THEIR PEOPLE TO HAVE 21 SOIL TESTS BY US ONLY HAVING TWO SOIL TESTS. PEOPLE IN THE WEST END OR BUILDING WHERE THERE'S WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GROW GARDENS, WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A BUILDING BEFORE, HAVE TO DO THAT HEAVY METAL TEST SO THAT THEY DO A HEAVY METAL TEST. IN A NUTRIENT TEST, THEY'VE TESTED ONE PIECE OF DIRT AND USED BOTH OF THEIR SOIL TESTS, AND ONE OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT I HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT IS INCUBATORS IN SCHOOLS. NOW I'M ON THE JEFFERSON COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD. WHEN I, I TOOK OVER THEIR EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR FARM BUREAU, AND I GOT TO TALKING TO EXTENSION ONE, AND THEY HAD TWO INCUBATORS TRYING TO TAKE CHICKS AND EGGS TO HATCH IN THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS. WE THROUGH FARM BUREAU HAVE FUNDED THAT PROGRAM EVERY YEAR. THEY NOW HAVE 25 INCUBATORS, 25 BROODERS. THEY HAVE EDUCATION MATERIALS. SO ONE OF OUR FOUR H AGENTS AT THE EXTENSION OFFICE SPENDS A GOOD BIT OF HER TIME TAKING THESE CHICKS TO THE SCHOOLS, GOING BACK TO THE SCHOOLS AND CANDLING THESE EGGS, HELPING THEM WHEN THE CHICKS HATCH. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CHICKS, BUT GOD PUTS THE STINK IN THEM. LIKE THE MINUTE THEY'RE BORN. SO IT'S NOT VERY LONG BEFORE THE TEACHERS WANT THEM OUT OF THAT CLASSROOM. SO SHE HAS TO COME PICK THEM UP AND TAKE THEM OUT OF THERE. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF TAKING THEM ONE TIME. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WAS A ROOSTER. WE WON'T TALK ABOUT THAT, I JUST I ALSO WANTED TO THROW SOME OTHER NUMBERS AT YOU REALLY QUICKLY. WE HAVE AN F, A FAMILY CONSUMER SCIENCE AGENT IN OUR OFFICE. THEY RUN A HOMEMAKER PROBLEM PROGRAM. THOSE HOMEMAKERS DONATED 4500 VOLUNTEER HOURS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY LAST YEAR. AND THE OTHER NUMBER I WANTED TO GIVE YOU, THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE ROUND US THAT OTHER EXTENSION OFFICES GET. BULLITT COUNTY GOT 1.6 MILLION, OLDHAM COUNTY GOT 1.3 MILLION. SHELBY COUNTY GOT $1 MILLION. SPENCER COUNTY AND I JOKE BECAUSE I'M FROM SPENCER COUNTY, THEY HAD 12 PEOPLE THERE. THEY GOT $666,000. JEFFERSON COUNTY. WHEN YOU TAKE THE 56,000 AWAY FROM THE COMMUNITY GARDENS, THE EXTENSION OFFICE GETS $279,000. WE RUN 200 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, 10,000 STUDENTS IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH ELEMENTARY RECEIVE EDUCATION THROUGH THE EXTENSION OFFICE. THERE ARE 5500 SENIORS AND LOW INCOME FAMILIES THAT RECEIVE NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMING. THERE ARE 5400 STUDENTS AND OVER 2000 EGGS HATCHED IN JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE RUNNING SHORT FOR TIME SO YOU CAN CUT ME OFF. YOU'RE FINE. GO AHEAD. OKAY, THERE ARE TEN COMMUNITY GARDENS. THERE ARE 800 GARDEN PLOTS. WE PARTNER WITH COMMON EARTH GROUNDS, WHICH IS CATHOLIC CHARITIES, TO DO THAT INCUBATOR PROGRAM. THEY TAKE REFUGEES AND ALLOW THEM SPACE TO GROW THEIR TRADITIONAL FOODS IN THEIR TRADITIONAL MANNERS. IF YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO ONE OF THESE GARDENS, THEY'RE OUT THERE
[01:00:03]
WITH MACHETES INSTEAD OF TILLERS. ASTOUNDING. IT IS. I HAVE ON A LITTLE PLOT OF LAND AND WHAT THEY PRODUCE. I'VE SEEN IT. IT'S AMAZING. IT ABSOLUTELY IS. AND I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THESE. I'VE GOT LETTERS. MR. LETTER AFTER LETTER FROM ORGANIZATIONS TALKING ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS. AND WHAT EXTENSION DOES IN THESE PROGRAMS ? YES, SIR. I JUST GOT A COUPLE.THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, A COUPLE QUESTIONS JUST COMING OFF THE BACK OF THE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. REGISTRATION IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE FUNDING REQUESTS. AND ARE YOU ALL FUNDED FEDERALLY? IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY? SO BE ABLE TO MOVE IN AS WELL INTO SO WHAT THE WAY THAT THE WAY THAT EXTENSION IS FUNDED, IT SAYS THAT WE'RE FUNDED THROUGH NATIONAL, I MEAN THROUGH FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL FUNDS AND KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY IS THE LAND GRANT UNIVERSITY IN KENTUCKY. SO THEY GET THE FEDERAL FUNDS. SO THE FUNDING THAT WE GET COMES THROUGH UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. NOW, IT'S KIND OF A WASH BECAUSE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY CHARGES US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR RESOURCES. THEY DO ALL OF THIS RESEARCH. THEY CAN YOU BREAK IT DOWN JUST A LITTLE. SO I LET ME SEE IF I GOT IT IN FRONT OF ME. IT'S ROUGHLY $79,000 A QUARTER THAT IS REMITTED BACK TO UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. OKAY AND SO WHAT THEY DO AND I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEY DO A LITTLE BIT I GET BECAUSE I AM A PRODUCER, I GET A BOOK FROM UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY EVERY YEAR THAT TELLS ME WHAT I CAN SPRAY ON MY VEGETABLES, HOW OFTEN IT IS. IT IS BEFORE YOU CAN GO BACK IN THERE, IT TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF SEEDS. IT TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT DISEASES THAT ARE COMING UP, I WANTED TO ADD SOME FLOWERS TO MY MARKET, SO I WENT TO UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AND THEY GAVE ME ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GROW THEM AND HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT THERE'S A COST TO THE COUNTY TO HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE RESOURCES, AND I GET THAT, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE CORK BECAUSE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, WHICH I'M SUPPORTIVE OF BOTH. RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT THE SAME RESOURCES IS IF I'M HEARING YOU RIGHT, THAT THERE'S ABOUT A $300,000 ASK, THERE'S 79,000 THAT YOU GOT TO PAY BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY. WELL, BUT BUT UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. SO UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY INVESTS $600,000, $664,000 THIS YEAR. OKAY THAT'S OUR STATE. THAT'S OUR STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING. AND WE ARE GETTING THAT FROM UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. NOW THAT PAYS. WE HAVE FOUR AGENTS AND 12 PROGRAM ASSISTANTS AND TWO ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF. OKAY SO GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. AND SO THE UNIVERSITY PAYS FOR THE SALARIES AND THE BENEFITS OF THE AGENTS AND THE PROGRAM ASSISTANTS. BUT OUR UTILITIES, OUR, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, OUR RENT FOR OUR BUILDING, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF COSTS HAVE TO BE COVERED SOMEWHERE ELSE, YES. AND SO YOU ALL, ARE YOU ALL PARTNERING TO FIND SO AND AGAIN, NOT PITTING SHOE, I JUST WATCHED THE PRESENTATION WHERE WE'RE INVESTING, SAY 500 BUCKS AND THEN WE'RE GETTING $5,000 MATCHES AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. I WILL TELL YOU THAT EXTENSION HAS NOT BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR A LOT OF GRANTS. AND WHY IS THAT? IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. OKAY. WE ARE LIMITED TO WHAT GRANTS WE CAN. NOW, ONE OF THE NEW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY IS FUNDING THIS YEAR FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY EXTENSION IS A COUNTY DIRECTOR POSITION, THE COUNTY DIRECTOR POSITION, PART OF ITS TASK IN THIS JOB DESCRIPTION IS TO LOOK FOR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THE SECOND THING IS TO BE A LIAISON WITH METRO LOUISVILLE, BECAUSE PART OF THIS PROBLEM, I FEEL LIKE IS ON US. WE DID NOT DO A GOOD JOB OF COMMUNICATING TO METRO LOUISVILLE WHAT THEY WERE GETTING FOR THEIR MONEY. AND I WOULD I WOULD LOVE TO COME BACK QUARTERLY AND TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING. OKAY, BUT BUT WE HAD A PERSON WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE EXTENSION OFFICE THAT WASN'T REALLY GOOD AT DOING THAT KIND OF THING. AND HE LET THAT GO. SO WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATE WITH YOU. AND WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN GET SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING. AND I GUESS FOR ME AND I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE COUNCIL, BUT IT IS IT IS HARD TO HEAR AND I, I GET IT BECAUSE I SAY IT'S ALL THE TIME. LOUISVILLE HAD SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK, BUT WE DON'T TELL THE STORY RIGHT THAT WAY. BUT IT IT'S HARD TO FOLLOW A PRESENTATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORKING MIRACLES WITH NOTHING. ESSENTIALLY AND I'M NOT SAYING NOTHING. BUT THEN TO HAVE A SIZABLE PARTNER AS UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AND THEN THE ASCII BE EVEN BIGGER. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT. HOW DO WE
[01:05:06]
TELL THAT STORY AND RELAY IT TO COUNCIL? ABSOLUTELY AND I'M BEING HONEST, NOT BEING JUDGMENTAL. NO, I ABSOLUTELY GET THAT NOW. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I HAVE FOUR AGENTS AND TEN PROGRAM ASSISTANTS. YEAH. SO WE HAVE A LOT MORE PEOPLE AND WE ARE GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS DOING FOUR H.WE ARE GOING INTO PLACES DOING AND I ACTUALLY WORK IN THE SCHOOL AND, I'M CURIOUS HOW HOW HOW MANY SCHOOLS THAT YOU ALL SERVICE IN JCPS THIS LAST YEAR. I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME. I KNOW THEY HATCHED 2000 EGGS AND OUR INCUBATORS ARE SEVEN EGGS AT A TIME. OKAY, SO THAT'S A LOT OF INCUBATORS. OKAY, I KNOW THAT THEY DO FOR H PROGRAMS. I KNOW THERE ARE 5000 CHILDREN ENROLLED IN FOR H. THERE ARE 200 KIDS GOING TO CAMP THIS YEAR, WITHIN JCPS. YES.
YES, SIR. OKAY. YES, SIR. AND I HAVE A MAP THAT SHOWS IT'S ALL OVER THE COUNTY. I MEAN, THEY DON'T TARGET ANY ONE AREA. THIS IS THE THING I SAY ABOUT EXTENSION PROGRAMS. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE. THEY DON'T CARE WHERE YOU LIVE. I MEAN, WE GO ANYWHERE AND SERVICE ANYBODY. GOTCHA. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE. ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH UP. IF THERE WERE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO HEAR. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONSERVATION AND EXTENSION IS CONSERVATION IS KIND OF LIKE A PASS THROUGH ORGANIZATION THAT, DELIVERS, GOES OVER HERE AND GETS A PRODUCT AND DELIVERS IT TO THE PEOPLE, THROUGH GRANTS AND SUCH, YOU ALL ARE MORE, NOT THAT YOU'RE NOT HANDS ON, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ARE. YOU'RE OUT IN THE FIELD, BUT YOU ALL ARE OPERATING THE COMMUNITY GARDENS. AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THAT COST ALMOST $100,000 A YEAR TO DO, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH JENNIFER PALMER TO, GET ONE OF THE LAST COMMUNITY GARDENS THAT ARE HAVING TO PAY WATER BILLS. YES. TO WHERE? THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE OTHER ONE IS YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO PAY IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON CITY PROPERTY. BUT I THINK WES, WITH MSD, IS TRYING TO WORK OUT SOMETHING TO WHERE WE CAN GET THAT WATER PAID FOR THAT, THAT ONE OF THE LAST ONES. BUT I DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE THAT THOSE COMMUNITY GARDENS BRING TO THIS COMMUNITY. WELL, I WILL TELL YOU, BECAUSE WE ARE SO STRAPPED FOR FUNDS, IT IS TOUGH. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US REALLY TAKE THOSE COMMUNITY GARDENS AND HAVE FUNDS TO HAVE CLASSES OUT THERE AT THE COMMUNITY GARDENS TO REALLY MENTOR THOSE PEOPLE AND WORK WITH THEM. I'M ACTUALLY GOING WITH JENNIFER. THEY'VE GOT A PLACE THAT'S GOT A HIGH TUNNEL THAT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO BECOME OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT HIGH TUNNEL UP AND GOING THAT FARNSLEY-MOREMEN. I THINK IT IS. YEAH I DONATED THAT. SO WE'RE GOING I'M, I SHOWED HER I ACTUALLY SENT HER PICTURES OF MY HIGH TUNNELS ON HOW WE DO IT TO DO WEED CONTROL AND IRRIGATION AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND I MEAN, THAT'S THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING. YEAH, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU DO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, IT'S BEEN KIND OF KILLS MY SOUL WHEN I SEE SOMEBODY WITH A HIGH TUNNEL THAT'S OVERGROWN AND NOT USING IT. RIGHT. BECAUSE I. I'VE BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL WITH THEM, AND WE LOVE OURS SO MUCH.
IT'S MADE SUCH A DIFFERENCE TO US. IT JUST KILLS MY SOUL. I WANT EVERYBODY TO USE THEM AND USE THEM. YOU DOING THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? AND ARE. LET'S SEE. I THINK COUNCILWOMAN RUBY HAS A QUESTION. GO AHEAD. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SINCE YOUR BUDGET WAS SLASHED AND YOUR BUDGET WAS SLASHED, HAVE YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT COLLABORATING BECAUSE A LOT OF WHAT YOU DO, AT LEAST IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC, SEEMS VERY SIMILAR. SO, WE HAVE TALKED WELL, AND THIS AND THIS IS THE OTHER THING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. ANY TIME A COUNTY IMPLEMENTS A MILLAGE TAX, THEY ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE IT FUND BOTH SOIL AND WATER AND EXTENSION WHEN IT'S TOGETHER, THEY ARE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE THEY'RE A FEDERAL ORGANIZATION AND WERE THROUGH UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY. WE'RE PRETTY DIFFERENT AS FAR AS THE SERVICES WE OFFER. I CAN SEE THAT WE WOULD KIND OF BE A LIKELY PARTNER, AS FAR AS OUTREACH AND NETWORKING, BUT WE'RE VERY DIFFERENT. BUT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT LIKE I TALKED ABOUT MORE OF A PERMANENT SOLUTION. WE HAD TALKED ABOUT KIND OF MAKING ALMOST A CONGLOMERATION OF US EXTENSION ANY OTHER KIND OF
[01:10:01]
UNDERFUNDED, NATURAL RESOURCE, ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE COUNTY. AND GETTING TOGETHER AND TRYING TO PUSH FORWARD FOR A MILLAGE TAX, I TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE, NAMELY KURT MASON, ABOUT PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS AT DOING THAT, AND THEY WERE TOLD THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO WAS IT POSSIBLE, AND HE BROUGHT UP THE LIBRARY TAX, WHICH THEY GOT IT ON THE BALLOT. AND THEN IT KIND OF FELL FLAT. AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE KNOW WHAT A LIBRARY IS AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT WE ARE. BUT I THOUGHT GETTING US TOGETHER AND AS A MORE OF A FRONT AND IT'S MORE OF A NATURAL RESOURCES, NOT NECESSARILY ENVIRONMENTAL, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF A TOUCHY WORD, BUT NATURAL RESOURCES, GROUP TOGETHER AND PUSHING THAT AND KIND OF CONTINUING ON THIS CAMPAIGN, HONESTLY, OF JUST GETTING OUR INFORMATION OUT AND JUST KIND OF GETTING THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO. I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE THEM INTO THE BUILDING WITH YOU GUYS. YEAH SO THAT WOULD BE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE IN THE FARM BUREAU BUILDING AND WE HAVE NOT RAISED THEIR RENT SINCE THEY MOVED IN. WE HAVE TRIED TO ASSIST THEM. I MEAN, WE GAVE THEM A $5,000 GRANT FOR SOIL TESTING, TRYING TO GET MORE SOIL TESTING IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. I FUND THE INCUBATOR PROGRAM. WE HAVE CCSU AND THEIR URBAN AG INITIATIVE IN THE FARM BUREAU BUILDING. WE HAVE SNAP IN OUR BUILDING. MAYBE THEY JUST NEED TO MOVE IN WITH US. ARE YOU A FEDERAL BUILDING? WE ARE NOT. WE ARE NOT A FEDERAL BUILDING. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD FROM THE ADMINISTRATION WAS THAT THAT, FUNDS PROGRAMING AND FUNDING WAS GOING TO OTHER COUNTIES AND OTHER STATES FROM US, IT'S ABSOLUTE. NO, IT IS NOT. THAT IS NOT TRUE. HOW ABOUT FROM YOU ALL CAN'T HAPPEN. IT HAS TO BE FROM LIKE EVEN IF WE HAD A PRODUCER OR A FARMER, THAT'S LAND WAS ON BOTH. I THINK THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE COUNTY THAT I THINK IT CAN BE USED IF THEIR LAND IS ON BOTH, BUT THAT MONEY HAS TO BE USED WITHIN JEFFERSON COUNTY. OKAY.WELL I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEARED UP. AND SOMEBODY ELSE HAD SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, WELL, WE COULD JUST APPLY FOR GRANTS AND YOU CAN'T FUND AN OPERATION OFF OF GRANTS BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW FROM YEAR TO YEAR IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET THEM. THAT'S RIGHT. WE HAD AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR FOR A FEW YEARS AGO, WHICH WAS GREAT, BUT SHE WAS HER POSITION WAS PURELY FUNDED ON A GRANT, WHICH WE LOST. SO THAT POSITION DOESN'T CONTINUE. I'VE STILL GOT HER TOMATO RECIPE. YEAH. WITH THE FISH HEAD. OH, YEAH. YEAH. WELL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR HEARING FROM ME AGAIN. YES. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY ON SUCH A SHORT NOTICE. AND I'M HOPING THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WILL WATCH. AND IF YOU'VE GOT ANYTHING IN PAPER FORM, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET THE POWERPOINT. BUT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN SEND, I WILL MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS. I'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL. WE HAD A LITTLE CONFUSION ON THE DATES, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. OKAY, LET'S SEE. YEAH
[Adjournment Note: Agendas are followed at the discretion of the Chair. While an item may be listed, it does not mean all items will be heard and/or acted upon by the Committee.]
THERE'S TWO.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.