Legislature(1999 - 2000)
05/05/1999 09:09 AM Senate FIN
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE BILL NO. 31
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
Co-Chair John Torgerson we will begin with the mental
health budget capital appropriations.
JEFF JESSEE, Executive Director, Alaska Mental Health Trust
Authority, Department of Revenue, testified via
teleconference from Anchorage. One of the major items in
the mental health capital budget was the API-2000 FACILITY
REPLACEMENT. Two portions of the project were projected
for FY00. One was the authorization for $7 million in
federal receipts that the trust was working with the
Governor's office and US Senator Stevens to include in a
federal appropriation. That would be matched with $2
million of mental health trust authorized receipts. The
purpose of the two funding sources was to complete the
demolition of the old buildings. Current plans for the
replacement of the Alaska Psychiatric Institution, had not
to date included a funding mechanism for demolition of the
current facility when it becomes a toxic waste storage
facility after its life as a mental institution.
Originally the $225,000 for API STOP-GAP REPAIRS - keeping
the facility operational during the transition to a
different use - was slated to be done with general funds.
However, in an effort to assist the state with the goal of
closing the fiscal gap, the Trust agreed to use mental
health trust funds.
The next item was HOUSING MODIFICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS. This was a match program that included both
$150,000 of general fund/mental health fund and $250,000
from AHFC receipts. This program was to make home
modifications to assist individuals in their ability to
remain in their homes and community as long as possible. He
gave examples of some of the projects.
PROGRAM FACILITITES DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT UPGRADES was the next item. This program
was to give opportunities to nonprofit programs with their
necessary state-owned facility upgrades.
Next addressed was the MENTAL HEALTH TRUST BENEFICIARY
EQUIPMENT. This program was made up of $50,000 in gf/mh and
$100,000 of mhtaar. This was an increase in the in-part
contribution. The main purpose of this program was to allow
nonprofit organizations to meet their continuing equipment
needs. The funds generally were distributed in small
amounts but allowed the programs to continue particularly
those smaller organizations in rural areas.
The MENTAL HEALTH TRUST OFFICE LAND MANAGEMENT AND
ENHANCEMENT capital amount of $660,000 from trust
authorized receipts were the next item in the mental health
budget. This was what the trust land office used to prepare
trust lands for development. For example, Jeff Jessee
referred to a timber sale that needed to be laid out. Also,
work needed to be done in subdivisions to determine the
proper plat approval. Much of the money was used for
contractual services. A fair amount of the money was used
to contract with the Department of Natural Resources, with
whom the trust land office had developed a successful
relationship. This was not a pot of money just handed over
to the land office; there was a specific work plan, which
tied all the funds to specific activities on trust land
with measurable performance criteria upon which they were
measured.
AHFC HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM included $250,000 from
AHFC receipts matched by $200,000 of mental health trust
receipt. The point of this program was to develop long-term
housing options and support for individuals who were
chronically homeless. This was part of a twenty-year plan
to break the cycle of recidivism to services that were not
very affective and costly, and get them into permanent
housing.
AHFC BENEFICIARY AND SPECIAL NEEDS HOUSING was the core of
the mental health housing initiative. The Alaska Housing
Finance Corporation had done an excellent job of working
with the Trust and the Department of Revenue to get housing
funds linked to operating dollars so that the Trust could
maximize the resources of the housing agents, according to
Jeff Jessee.
The last item was the COORDINATED TRANSPORTATION AND
VEHICLES. This had been originally proposed as a match.
Now it would be strictly funded with $300,000 mental health
funds. Instead of purchasing individual vans for each
nonprofit, this program assisted communities to develop
coordinating systems with centralized dispatch,
maintenance, liability coverage, etc.
Senator Randy Phillips wanted to know if the $7 million in
federal funds for the API-2000 facility was secure or
simply anticipated. What would happen if the federal funds
were not allocated? Jeff Jessee responded that the federal
budget process was not complete. However, this project was
on the Governor's priority list for the US Senator to
address. The Trust anticipated it would be funded and did
not foresee any problems. If it were not included in the
federal budget then all parties would need to gather to
rethink how the facility would be demolished. He noted
that under the settlement, the state was obligated to
remove any toxic materials from state land.
Senator Randy Phillip's next question addressed the
Homeless Assistance Program. He asked how old the program
was. Jeff Jessee answered it was older than the three and
one-half years he had been familiar with it. Senator Randy
Phillips wanted brief examples of what projects were done
in the past. Jeff Jessee felt a good example was women's
programs that provided residential placement for homeless
women who were alcoholics. Also, there had been grantees in
Kenai, Fairbanks, Mat-Su and the Aleutians who used the
funds for emergency shelters, to develop transitional
housing and provide case management and rental assistance.
It was spread out not only geographically, but also some
was done by local governments, some by regional housing
authorities and some by non-profit organizations. AHFC
actually ranked the applications for projects, and the
members could review that information, Jeff Jessee pointed
out.
Senator Dave Donley asked for explanation of the obligation
for clean up of the toxic waste. Jeff Jessee said that
under the settlement, the Trust took title to the ground
under the API facility. The facility was still owned by the
state. There was an inter-agency land management agreement
between the Department of Natural Resources and the
Department of Health and Social Services regarding the use
of that property. Once this ceased to be a mental health
facility the question was what was to be done once it no
longer had a useful life. It was the Trust's position that
the intent of the settlement was that clean up of abandoned
buildings was the state's responsibility. It would be
expensive to maintain these facilities as a toxic waste
storage facility, which it would be because of the great
amount of waste present. Therefore, it would be cheaper to
demolish the building sooner.
Senator Dave Donley offered a motion to move the project
recommendations of the Senate Finance Capital Budget
Subcommittee for SB 31 from the Senate Finance Committee to
the Conference Committee on the Budget for inclusion into
HB 51. There was no objection and Co-Chair John Torgerson
ordered the report prepared for the Conference Committee.
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