Approval of Renovation - Mobile Poultry Processing Building (Handicap Accessible Bathrooms).

Kentucky State University has a Mobile Poultry Processing unit (MPU) and a docking station located at the Harold R. Benson Research and Demonstration Farm, 1525 Mills Lane, Frankfort, Kentucky. The Mobile Processing unit has been in operation since 2004. Small producers have come to The Mobile Processing Unit and process their animals for sale.

Kentucky State University recently received a grant from the Kentucky Agriculture Development Board to turn the mobile unit and docking station into a permanent processing facility in order to increase social distancing and help with the lack of small livestock processing facilities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The unit has a USDA exemption (PL90-492) to process all types of poultry, rabbits, and aquaculture species. On average, there are 2-3 processors weekly during our operating months approximating to 48 small livestock processors yearly. Franklin County Health Department is requiring the processing facility to add handicap accessible restrooms attached to the building to ensure compliance with health and safety standards.

$60,000 in Kentucky Agriculture Development Board Grant Funds and Federal USDA Grant Funds would be utilized to add handicap accessible restrooms in the processing building. Procurement would follow state methods that require Kentucky State University to bid out this project if its total costs exceeded $40,000. All renovations and repairs will also require prior USDA approval.

Interim President Ronald A. Johnson recommends that the Kentucky State University Board of Regents approve the installation of handicap accessible restrooms for the Mobile Poultry Processing Building and Docking Station.

Approve installation of handicap accessible restrooms for the Mobile Poultry Processing Building and Docking Station.