05/03/2007 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HJR 23-REUSE GALENA AIR BASE                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
8:04:34 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN announced  that the first order of  business was HOUSE                                                               
JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 23, Supporting  the reuse of  facilities at                                                               
the Galena Air Base to provide regional educational services.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:04:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KELLY  HUBERT, Staff  to Representative  Nancy Dahlstrom,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  presented HJR 23 on  behalf of Representative                                                               
Dahlstrom,  prime sponsor.   She  said the  Base Realignment  and                                                               
Closure  (BRAC) Commission,  in  2005, announced  the closure  of                                                               
Galena Air Force.  Having  originally promised a "soft landing" -                                                               
enough time for the citizens of  Galena to figure out how to keep                                                               
their community thriving - the  Air Force announced a target date                                                               
for exodus by  2008.  Ms. Hubert explained, "We  were hoping that                                                               
the soft landing would take us through 2011."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  HUBERT  said  the  proposed  resolution  would  express  the                                                               
legislature's support  to the federal delegation  for the purpose                                                               
of securing  funds for  [the City  of Galena]  "in its  effort to                                                               
implement a  viable and long-lasting  reuse of Galena  Air Base."                                                               
She  said the  city and  school district  have submitted  a reuse                                                               
plan to  the Air Force,  have received comments, and  are working                                                               
towards a final proposal.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:06:32 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JIM SMITH, Superintendent, Galena  School District, confirmed the                                                               
statement in the resolution which  notes that the Galena Air Base                                                               
constitutes   a  critical   aspect   of   that  city's   economy.                                                               
Furthermore,  he  said the  economic  viability  of the  City  of                                                               
Galena is  important to the  economic viability of  the Fairbanks                                                               
North Star Borough and adjacent  communities.  Galena serves as a                                                               
transportation hub  for the villages  of the Interior  of Alaska.                                                               
If the  City of  Galena is  unsuccessful in  its "use  plan," the                                                               
result will be the loss of  60 out of the approximately 200 jobs.                                                               
The  facilities in  question  are  assessed at  a  value of  $150                                                               
million.  The Galena Economic  Development Council - comprised of                                                               
the City  of Galena, the  Lowden (ph) Tribal Council,  the Galena                                                               
School  District, and  the  Air Force  - has  come  up with  "the                                                               
viability  of  using the  facilities  for  the existing  boarding                                                               
school operations  that Galena has operated  successfully for the                                                               
past 10 years.   Currently, there are 100  children being served,                                                               
and   the   graduation   rate   is   excellent.      He   thanked                                                               
Representatives  Dahlstrom  and Salmon  for  their  support.   He                                                               
mentioned a need  for [sprinklers] to be installed  to meet state                                                               
fire codes.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:10:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DOLL directed attention to  page 2, line 12, which                                                               
mentions  "a location  for an  interior military  youth academy".                                                               
She asked what that means.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:10:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. HUBERT told  Representative Doll, "It's just  another idea we                                                               
would  ask  the state  to  look  into."    She said  the  already                                                               
existing  academy  has  been  successful,   and  another  one  is                                                               
desired.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:11:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARVIN  YODER, testifying  on behalf  of  himself, indicated  his                                                               
concurrence with  the comments  of [Mr.  Smith].   He said  he is                                                               
anxious to see  action taken on the reuse plan.   He relayed that                                                               
the Tribal  Council, as part  of the Galena  Economic Development                                                               
Council, has insisted that part of  the goal of the council is to                                                               
help Native  students throughout the  state, and he said  that is                                                               
what the [Galena] School District is  trying to do.  He expressed                                                               
appreciation  for certain  legislators' support  of the  project.                                                               
In response  to a question from  Chair Lynn, he said  the project                                                               
would  not  result  in  added  impact  regarding  transportation,                                                               
because all  transportation in and out  of the City of  Galena is                                                               
by  air.   He  added, "We  do transfer  students  back and  forth                                                               
between the village school and  the boarding school, and so there                                                               
[are] a  few logistical  issues, but  that's just  a part  of our                                                               
growing pains, and eventually we'll get those resolved as well."                                                                
                                                                                                                                
8:13:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DOLL asked  if the  Air Force  will leave  behind                                                               
funds to help rebuild the economy.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:13:50 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. YODER said  that "seemed to be the pattern"  in previous BRAC                                                               
ground evacuations.  However, in  this particular case, there was                                                               
no money budgeted for bases  that were closing, because money was                                                               
being spent to  expand other bases.  He said  three to four years                                                               
of transition  funds are necessary  just to  get to the  point of                                                               
sustainability.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:14:56 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. YODER,  in response to  a question from  Representative Doll,                                                               
said  there are  two dormitories  and one  hotel, but  no officer                                                               
housing.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:15:29 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ROSES suggested  that if the plans  for a boarding                                                               
school do  not pan out, the  City of Galena could  negotiate with                                                               
pipeline companies for them to use the area as headquarters.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:16:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN closed public testimony.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
8:16:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE DOLL moved to report  HJR 23 out of committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, HJR 23  was reported out of  the House                                                               
State Affairs Standing Committee.