Legislature(2001 - 2002)

04/26/2001 08:43 PM House FIN

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE BILL NO. 191                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An  Act   authorizing  financing   for  certain   public                                                                   
     transportation projects;  giving notice of and approving                                                                   
     the entry into, and the issuance  of revenue obligations                                                                   
     that   provide    participation   in,    lease-financing                                                                   
     agreements  for   those  transportation   projects;  and                                                                   
     providing for an effective date.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Mulder  MOVED to ADOPT  work draft 22LS766\J,  dated                                                                   
4/26/01. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
PETER  ECKLUND,   STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE  WILLIAMS   provided                                                                   
information on  the proposed  committee substitute.  He noted                                                                   
that  projects  were  spread  out  through  rural  Alaska.  A                                                                   
project  in  Kodiak   was  added.  Projects   in  Matsu  were                                                                   
exchanged at the same dollar amount.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative Davies  noted that other versions  of the bill                                                                   
contained projects  in rural  Alaska relating to  resurfacing                                                                   
for dust control.  Mr. Ecklund noted that there  are projects                                                                   
for  area  roads   in  rural  Alaska,  which   would  be  for                                                                   
blacktopping or dust controlled.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
KURT    PARKAN,    DEPUTY   COMMISSIONER,    DEPARTMENT    OF                                                                   
TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES  explained that projects                                                                   
in the original  legislation for dust control were  part of a                                                                   
$15  million dollar  component.  Some of  these projects  are                                                                   
included on  page 2. Items  7, 8, 9, 10  and 13 were  part of                                                                   
the original package  of projects. Almost $10  million of the                                                                   
$15 million dollar request was included.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Croft  clarified that no funding  was included                                                                   
for Barrow  road resurfacing  and only  one of the  requested                                                                   
fast  ferries were  included.  Ten million  dollars for  area                                                                   
roads  and  trails  in  Fairbanks   were  not  included.  The                                                                   
Soldotna  East   Redoubt  Avenue  rehabilitation   was  fully                                                                   
funded.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Parkan noted that STIP projects were included.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative  John  Davies  MOVED  to  ADOPT  Amendment  1:                                                                   
delete  "Fairbanks: South  Cushman  Street Improvements"  and                                                                   
insert  "Borough Wide  Road and  Trail" on  page 2, line  28.                                                                   
This is the Boroughs 5th priority.  There being NO OBJECTION,                                                                   
it was so ordered.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Representative Croft MOVED to ADOPT Amendment:                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Delete:                                                                                                                    
     Anchorage:   Glenn Highway,  Gambell Street  to McCarrey                                                                   
     Street - $58,180;                                                                                                          
     Anchorage:  Abbott Loop North  Extension 15,000,000; and                                                                   
     Insert:                                                                                                                    
     Barrow Road Resurfacing $10.0                                                                                              
     Fast Ferries   $35.0                                                                                                       
     Fairbanks North Star Borough Area Road and Trails $7                                                                       
     Rural                                                                                                                      
     Village Road Surfacing $9.35                                                                                               
     Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway    $2.83                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Williams OBJECTED.  Representative  Croft spoke  in                                                                   
support of  the amendment.  He noted  that the Glenn  Highway                                                                   
extension is unpopular  in his area. Removal  of this project                                                                   
would allow it  to continue on a slower process.  He observed                                                                   
that  there is  significant  objections  to  the Abbott  Loop                                                                   
North   extension.  He   stressed  that   it  would   not  be                                                                   
appropriate to have the project on an expedited basis.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Mulder stressed  that  there is  a 30  - 45  minute                                                                   
bottleneck moving  in and out of Anchorage during  rush hour.                                                                   
He  maintained that  the bottleneck  will  become a  "Seattle                                                                   
type"  one  hour to  an  hour  and  a half  traffic  jam.  He                                                                   
emphasized  that the  project would  address future  concerns                                                                   
and  noted that  the expansion  would not  occur for  another                                                                   
decade.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
A roll call vote was taken on the motion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
IN FAVOR: Croft, Davies,                                                                                                        
OPPOSED:  Foster,   Harris,  Hudson,   Lancaster,   Whitaker,                                                                   
          Bunde, Mulder, Williams                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Moses was absent from the vote.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The MOTION FAILED (2-8).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Foster  MOVED to report CSHB 191  (FIN) out of                                                                   
Committee  with  the  accompanying  fiscal  note.  Vice-Chair                                                                   
Bunde  expressed concern  with the  East Anchorage  expansion                                                                   
project,  but  did  not  object   to  moving  the  bill  from                                                                   
Committee. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CSHB  191 (FIN)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation  and with  a new  fiscal impact  note by                                                                   
the Department of Revenue.                                                                                                      

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