03/25/1993 05:00 PM House TRA

  HB 207 - ESTABLISH FOUR DOTPF REGIONS BY LAW                                 
                                                                               
  Number 039                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIR FOSTER indicated to the committee that he was prime                    
  sponsor of this resolution and introduced LARRY LABOLLE, his                 
  Chief-of Staff, and indicated he would be providing                          
  testimony on HB 207.                                                         
                                                                               
  Number 042                                                                   
                                                                               
  LARRY LABOLLE began his testimony stating that HB 207 was                    
  introduced to generate discussion related to the need for                    
  more emphasis on rural airport and road maintenance and                      
  construction.  He described how neglected the roads and                      
  airports were, particularly in the Central Region.  He                       
  stated, "not only are many rural airports in serious need of                 
  being upgraded; airport roads, roads to safe water sources,                  
  roads to sewage disposal sites and roads to land fill sites                  
  are nonexistent or in bad repair in many villages."  The                     
  district described by Mr. Labolle is envisioned to encompass                 
  the part of Northern Alaska not connected to the Dalton                      
  Highway, Western Alaska, the Lower Yukon River, the                          
  Kuskokwim River, South Western Alaska and the Aleutian                       
  Islands.  Kodiak would probably still best be served by the                  
  Central Region, he said.                                                     
                                                                               
  Number 046                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIR FOSTER indicated that he hoped that as this bill was                   
  discussed, people would give thought as to how the                           
  Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT\PF)                  
  might be reorganized to better develop the necessary                         
  transportation infrastructure in that rural part of the                      
  state not connected to the core highway system.  He said it                  
  was distressing to travel and see the shape of the airports                  
  and roads in many parts of rural Alaska.                                     
                                                                               
  Number 098                                                                   
                                                                               
  RON LIND, DIRECTOR, PLANS, PROGRAMS AND MANAGEMENT, DOT/PF,                  
  discussed the high costs attached to the proposed fiscal                     
  note and mentioned that some of the administrative services                  
  could be provided by the Central Region, etc.  However, he                   
  mentioned that anyplace these offices would be located                       
  beyond Anchorage would increase the costs.                                   
                                                                               
  Number 177                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE MENARD asked Chair Foster if the main purpose                 
  of the bill was in response to the lack of attention                         
  currently given to the rural region of the state.                            
                                                                               
  Number 186                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIR FOSTER responded that the rural areas really lost out                  
  in federal road money provided by the Intermodel Surface                     
  Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) in the past.                   
  Currently, due to the lack of roads in rural Alaska that                     
  qualify for the "core" definition type roads money attached                  
  to the ISTEA program, rural Alaska gets a minor amount on                    
  this ISTEA money.                                                            
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE MULDER felt that the Finance Committee could                  
  narrow down and make the fiscal impact considerably smaller.                 
  He felt that the cost of shifting personnel and merging some                 
  of the duties could help lessen the impact.                                  
                                                                               
  Number 244                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE JERRY MACKIE asked to be shown as a sponsor                   
  of HB 207.  He indicated that he shared a lot of the same                    
  frustrations as discussed by Chair Foster, and also felt                     
  that the Finance Committee could do a lot of work in looking                 
  at this legislation, and the fiscal impact could be more                     
  adequately addressed there.                                                  
                                                                               
  Number 279                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE MACKIE stated that he felt HB 207 had a lot                   
  of merit and felt that the Finance Committee would be the                    
  logical place for the bill to go at this time.                               
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE MACKIE moved that HB 207 pass from committee                  
  with individual recommendations.  No objections were heard;                  
  it was so ordered.