02/03/2004 08:10 AM House CRA

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS                                                                            
                       STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                                     
                        February 3, 2004                                                                                        
                           8:10 a.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Carl Morgan, Chair                                                                                               
Representative Kelly Wolf, Vice Chair                                                                                           
Representative Tom Anderson                                                                                                     
Representative Ralph Samuels                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Pete Kott                                                                                                        
Representative Sharon Cissna                                                                                                    
Representative Albert Kookesh                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
DEPARTMENTAL OVERVIEW BY COMMISSIONER BLATCHFORD                                                                                
DIVISION OF COMMUNITY ADVOCACY, GENE KANE, DIRECTOR                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
04-1, SIDE(S) A                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR CARL  MORGAN convened  the meeting  of the  House Community                                                             
and Regional Affairs Standing Committee at 8:10 a.m.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
EDGAR  BLATCHFORD,   Commissioner,  Department  of   Community  &                                                               
Economic  Development (DCED),  informed  the  committee that  the                                                               
department has some  innovative ideas with regard to  what can be                                                               
done in working with the rural  and urban communities in order to                                                               
get  the   state's  economy  moving.     Commissioner  Blatchford                                                               
provided   the   committee   with   information   regarding   the                                                               
department's  financial  commitment  to Alaska  through  programs                                                               
dealing directly  with communities,  the fisheries  industry, and                                                               
power cost  equalization.  He  mentioned working with  the Denali                                                               
Commission in administering over  100 grants, which totaled $13.9                                                               
million.  He highlighted that  the department has spent much time                                                               
with 65  coastal communities along  the Bering Sea  regarding the                                                               
Coastal Development Quota Program.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
GENE  KANE,  Director,  Division  of  Community  Advocacy  (DCA),                                                               
Department of Community & Economic  Development, pointed out that                                                               
the Division of Community Advocacy  was established under Article                                                               
X,  Section 14  of the  Alaska State  Constitution to  advise and                                                               
assist local  governments.   The DCA  is the  only agency  in the                                                               
executive branch  that is  established by  the constitution.   He                                                               
highlighted  that  the basic  mission  of  the commission  is  to                                                               
advance maximum local  self government as mandated  by Article X,                                                               
Section 1 of the Alaska State  Constitution.  In order to fulfill                                                               
the  aforementioned   mission,  DCA   is  engaged   with  cities,                                                               
boroughs,   regional  nonprofit   organizations,  community-based                                                               
nonprofit organizations, and  tribal organizations throughout the                                                               
state.   He noted that  committee members  should have a  copy of                                                               
DCA's annual report.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
There  was a  question  and  answer session  in  which there  was                                                               
discussion  of  the  following   topics:    the  Alaska  Regional                                                               
Development  Organizations  (ARDORs),   dissolution,  the  Denali                                                               
Commission project,  the Rural  Utility Business  Advisor Program                                                               
(RUBA),  school  consolidations,   the  fisheries  revitalization                                                               
grants, the  Alaska Seafood Marketing  Institute (ASMI),  and low                                                               
sulfur diesel.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There were no announcements.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no  further business before the  committee, the House                                                               
Community  and Regional  Affairs Standing  Committee meeting  was                                                               
adjourned at 8:50 a.m.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:   The meeting was  recorded and handwritten log  notes were                                                               
taken.  A  copy of the tape(s)  and log notes may  be obtained by                                                               
contacting the  House Records  Office at  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment  of the  second  session  of the  Twenty-Third                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.