This list of questions and answers accompanied a story published in the Casey County News on June 23, 2005, as the first of a five-part series on the county Agriculture Development Council's programs and problems.

Questions that the Casey County Agriculture Development Council asked about its powers, and answers from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board

Question: Can this council issue a policy that would only allow a participant to receive money from only one program, regardless of which program disbursed the money? Answer: The county council can issue policies for the county that are stricter than the state guidelines.

Question: Can this board require that, before a person can be put on a waiting list, there must be on file a dated application with the amount requested? Answer: No. Model program guidelines prohibit accepting applications from farmers if there is not enough funding available to fund the applications. Therefore, if there is a waiting list and there are no funds in the model program, the program administrator is not authorized to accept application, only to create a list of the individuals that wish to participate in the program when it receives additional funding. Question: Can this board refuse to allocate any funds to any program until that program administration entity begins to abide by the rules as dictated by the state for programs? Answer: The local county council cannot refuse to allocate funds to any applying administrator. The county council has the authority to place a HIGH or LOW priority on applications submitted for county funds.

Question: How does this board retrieve disbursed money that was given in violation of the rules set forth? Answer: If there is a documented violation of the state guidelines dealing with disbursement of county funds for model programs, the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy should be notified in writing.

Question: Is there an investigative mechanism that we might use for compliance checks? Answer: On-farm spot checks shall be conducted by the program administrator. According to the model program guidelines, program administrators are required to conduct random site visits.

Question: Can you explain to this council, in writing, how Mr. J.D. Young, the Cattlemen's Association representative, who never grew tobacco in Casey County and never owned a farm in Casey County that had a tobacco base on it, can approve his own application and receive the second check that was written on Casey County funds while other tobacco farmers have to stand in line for money? Answer: Mr. Young is an eligible participant, as a farmer in Casey County with a Farm Number registered with the FSA office.

Question: How does this board retrieve money from defaulted contracts regardless of the reason for default? Is that the obligation of the Casey County Cattlemen's Association? Answer: Defaulted contracts should be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Question: When do the existing programs that are now in place end for Casey County? Answer: Model programs, with the exception of the Hay, Straw & Commodity Storage Program and the Fencing Improvement Program, have a program life of 12 months from the date of the executed legal agreement. All Hay, Straw & Commodity Storage Programs approved after January 2004 have a program life of 18 months. All Fencing Improvement Programs approved after January 2005 have a program life of 18 months. At the end of the respective period, the program must be closed out and reported to the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy and any remaining funds must be returned to the county account.