Task Force Meeting Information

May 10, 2006

302 Capitol Building

Cheyenne, Wyoming

 

Legislative Members Present

Senator Gerald E. Geis, Co-Chairman

Representative Doug Samuelson, Co-Chairman

Senator Bill Vasey

Representative Mark Semlek

 

Other Task Force Members Present

Ken Hamilton, Governor Freudenthal's designee

John Etchepare, Department of Agriculture

Philip Marton, Livestock Board

Robert Orchard, Livestock Board

William Taliaferro, Livestock Board

Dick Hiser, Livestock Industry

Jim Magagna, Livestock Industry

Shawn Madden, Livestock Markets

Joe Thomas, Livestock Member at Large

Jim Wilson, Livestock Member at Large

 

Livestock Board Staff Present

Dr. Dwayne Oldham, State Veterinarian

Lee Romsa, Brand Commissioner

Renae Krakow, Record Analyst

Kathy Sherman-Boltz, Business Manager

 

 

Legislative Service Office Staff Present

Maxine Weaver, Staff Attorney

 

Others Present at Meeting

Please refer to Appendix 1 to review the Task Force Sign-in Sheet
for a list of other individuals who attended the meeting.

 

 

Call To Order

Co-Chairman Geis called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. and all present introduced themselves.  The order of the meeting generally followed the prepared agenda [Appendix 2].

 

Bill Vasey moved to accept the Brand Task Force Agenda.  Philip Marton seconded the motion and the motion carried.

 

The Task Force members were asked to make any corrections to the contact information.

 

Task Force Goals and Objectives.

Task Force members were asked to give their goals and or objectives they would like to see from this Task Force.  Members of the Task Force mentioned that financial stability of the brand inspection program in the future must be addressed.  This includes, funding for benefits, salaries, training and program management.  Other goals and objectives are:  program reviews on a regular basis once changes are made to the program, revising the program to meet industry needs at a more current level, review and upgrade of brand inspection statutes and rules governing the program, reviewing the duties of the industry and the inspectors, reviewing the program history in order to develop solutions that will benefit the program in years ahead, the review of the Livestock Board financial records as a whole in order to better understand how the inspection program relates to the agency needs, what sources of funding may be available for the program and consideration of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) program and how it can benefit the inspection program in the future.

 

Background information review:

Dr. Oldham and Lee Romsa explained each section of the Task Force notebook and the Task Force discussed each section.  Mr. Romsa handed out the surrounding state survey and the financial report for the Wyoming brand recording and brand inspection [Appendices 3 through 5].  Points of interest  discussed included the collection of predator and beef council fees and why they are collected by inspectors.  Mr. Romsa explained how the livestock board calculates the percentage of additional duties the brand inspectors perform and how the estray fund works.

 

List of issues and request

The Task Force asked the Livestock Board to provide the following for discussion at the next meeting:

 

*What it will cost to keep the brand inspection program?

*Projection of current fee structure.

*Break down of agency time regarding inspection, animal health and enforcement.

*What is in a traditional and not in a traditional program?

*Process for review of the program.

*Process regarding liens at the Secretary of State.

*Review of statues no longer applicable.

*Statutes and rules from other states.

*Cost break down of full time and part time inspectors.

*List of personnel of full and part time inspectors.

*Number inspections per district.

*Cost of Wyoming inspections per head for the last fiscal year.

*Percentage of inspections going out of state.

*Copy of Recap Reports and Brand Inspections forms.

*Break down of how many inspections are done on cattle, horses, sheep with each district inspector.

*Financial projection on number of inspections as of last year built into the new fee structure, brand renewals, month by month projection.

*Number of inspections done per year (year end summaries).

*Consideration of a tiered system on a spread sheet.

*Report from animal identification grants (budget).

*1 ½  hour schooling on animal identification.

*Demonstration of identification tags and wands.

*Financial impact to Wyoming without inspectors.

*Estimated cost of the national animal identification program.

*Budgetary needs of the agency, including a breakdown by species.

 

Schedule of Next Meeting of the Task Force

The next meeting of the Task Force is scheduled for June 20, 2006 at 8:30 A.M. in Room 302 of the Capitol Building, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

 

Adjournment

There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 2:30 P.M.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Gerald Geis, Co-Chairman