Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
04/13/2017 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB106 | |
| HB148 | |
| HB78 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 148 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 78 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 87 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 106 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 148-SECOND CLASS BOROUGH SERVICE AREAS
3:40:06 PM
CHAIR MEYER announced the consideration of HB 148. He noted that
SB 77, sponsored by Senator Micciche, is the companion bill to
HB 148.
3:40:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CHENAULT, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,
Alaska, sponsor of HB 148, provided an overview as follows:
HB 148 would expand the authority of the second-class
borough to exercise a local option of creating a non-
taxable service area to provide emergency response
along state-highway corridors that are not currently
covered by any existing emergency-service areas; in
particular, this would allow the Kenai Peninsula
Borough to establish a service area for coordinated
coverage for the almost 90 miles of Sterling and
Seward highways that are not within the current
existing boundaries of any existing emergency-service
areas.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT referenced a map and noted that the
Sterling and Seward highways' area is very highly traveled and
currently is semi-serviced with two-volunteer fire departments.
He remarked that the voluntary staff is aging, and HB 148 is a
good idea on how to fund the noted service area. He explained
that the legislation would be implemented by action of the Kenai
Peninsula Borough Assembly.
3:42:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GARY KNOPP, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,
Alaska, testified in support of HB 148. He detailed his previous
history with the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly as follows:
In my time on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly, we
struggled with volunteer service in the area and as
equipment and volunteers aged, we've been running
short. So, we've been struggling to find the way to
provide medical services as most of you know, and
Senator Giessel at one time represented this area, so
she's probably familiar with, but it doesn't allow us
by law to exercise any type of support because it is
outside of the service areas that currently exist, so
our hands are somewhat tied in providing support. From
January 2015 to December 2016, we serviced 123-medical
calls, ambulance calls in that particular area. I'm
sure most people have driven that from Cooper Landing
to Hope, Seward, and then over the pass to Girdwood,
and that's primarily the area we are talking about
servicing.
3:44:32 PM
CHAIR MEYER opened public testimony.
3:45:00 PM
LARRY PERSILY, Chief of Staff to Borough Mayor, Kenai Peninsula
Borough, Soldotna, Alaska, testified in support of HB 148. He
disclosed that approximately 4000 vehicles traverse the Seward
and Sterling highways daily with levels doubling and tripling
during the summer peak that results in a lot of accidents.
MR. PERSILY explained that the Kenai Peninsula Borough does not
have area-wide-emergency-services powers and only in a specific
service area that results in a no-service area on the highway
right-of-way. He said HB 148 would allow a local option to the
six-second-class boroughs around the state via an assembly
approval and public vote the ability to create a service area
for emergency-response services on highway corridors and state
right-of-ways where there are no residents or private property.
He detailed that the Kenai Peninsula Borough's mayor would
propose to the borough assembly that federal payment-in-lieu-of-
taxes (PILT) be used because the highway corridor is mostly
federal property.
MR. PERSILY summarized that HB 148 would allow the borough
assembly a local option to help take care of residents, Alaskans
and visitors that use the Sterling and Seward highways year-
round.
3:47:02 PM
GEORGE PIERCE, representing self, Kasilof, Alaska, testified in
opposition of HB 148. He said the state cannot afford new
projects. He opined that the bill is a "land grab" by the Kenai
Peninsula Borough. He claimed that local-tax dollars outside of
the federal money would have to be used to fund the proposed
service area.
3:51:40 PM
CHAIR MEYER closed public testimony.
SENATOR GIESSEL explained that during her time representing the
Kenai Peninsula Borough that there was a need for equipment. She
asked Representative Chenault if HB 148 would cover the cost of
equipment for the volunteer fire departments.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT noted that Representative Knopp recently
served on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly and could better
address Senator Giessel's question.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP replied that the initial intent is not to
purchase any equipment, but conceded that the PILT money could
be used in the future to update an ambulance or replace
antiquated equipment. He noted that the borough annually
receives $2 million to $3 million in PILT dollars and the mayor
plans on spending up to 20 percent on the service area.
SENATOR GIESSEL concurred with the representatives' comments
regarding the aging-volunteer population in the Kenai Peninsula
Borough region. She opined that the area has a crisis due to
long accident-response times during bad-weather-driving
conditions and thanked the two representatives for coming up
with a collaborative solution.
3:57:13 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to adopt the committee substitute for HB
148, version: 30-LS0597\U as the working document of the
committee.
CHAIR MEYER objected for discussion purposes.
3:58:00 PM
CHRISTINE MARASIGAN, Staff, Senator Meyer, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that the CS combines SB
106 and HB 148. She detailed as follows:
Sections 1-3 of SB 106 has been inserted in HB 148
following Section 1. The subsequent sections have been
renumbered and it was thought that since both bills
deal with local-control issues, that it related to
either municipal-tax exemption or non-taxable
services, that those two things would go well
together; the office did contact the sponsors of both
bills and that seemed amenable.
CHAIR MEYER removed his objection.
SENATOR COGHILL said he appreciated the cooperation of the House
members in looking at the issue addressed in HB 148.
3:59:29 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report the CS for HB 148, version: 30-
LS0597\U, [SCS HB 148(STA)], from committee with individual
recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).
CHAIR MEYER announced that seeing no objection, the bill moved
out of committee.
3:59:49 PM
At ease.