Legislature(2017 - 2018)BARNES 124
03/07/2017 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| HB148 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 148 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
March 7, 2017
8:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Zach Fansler, Co-Chair
Representative Justin Parish, Co-Chair
Representative Dean Westlake
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative David Talerico
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Harriet Drummond
Representative DeLena Johnson (alternate)
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (alternate)
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 148
"An Act relating to service areas in second class boroughs; and
providing for an effective date."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 148
SHORT TITLE: SECOND CLASS BOROUGH SERVICE AREAS
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) CHENAULT
03/01/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/01/17 (H) CRA
03/07/17 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CHENAULT
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 148, as prime sponsor.
TOM WRIGHT, Staff
Representative Mike Chenault
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
148, on behalf of Representative Chenault, prime sponsor.
REPRESENTATIVE GARY KNOPP
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
148.
MIKE NAVARRE, Mayor
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified and answered questions during the
hearing on HB 148.
GEORGE PIERCE
Kasilof, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to HB 148.
LARRY PERSILY, Chief of Staff
Kenai Peninsula Borough
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Offered information during the hearing on
HB 148.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:01:01 AM
CO-CHAIR ZACH FANSLER called the House Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:01 a.m.
Representatives Talerico, Rauscher, Westlake, and Fansler were
present at the call to order. Representatives Saddler and
Parish arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 148-SECOND CLASS BOROUGH SERVICE AREAS
8:02:21 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 148, "An Act relating to service areas in
second class boroughs; and providing for an effective date."
8:02:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CHENAULT, Alaska State Legislature,
presented HB 148, as prime sponsor. He paraphrased the sponsor
statement, which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
House Bill 148 expands the authority for second-class
boroughs to exercise the local option of creating a
non-taxable service area to provide emergency response
along state highway corridors not covered by existing
emergency services areas. In particular, this
legislation would enable the Kenai Peninsula Borough
to establish a service area for coordinated coverage
for the almost 90 miles of the heavily traveled Seward
and Sterling highways that are not within the
boundaries of any established emergency services area.
The bill proposes additional language in AS
29.35.490(a) Establishment of a Service Area, allowing
second-class boroughs to create service areas along
state highway corridors by ordinance, provided that no
voters reside within the service area boundaries and
no new taxes are levied for the service area. Under
the current statute, approval by a majority of voters
is required to create a new service area with
residents this legislation would not change that
provision. The intent is to deal only with
unpopulated highway right-of-way corridors. Second
class boroughs within the state, besides the Kenai
Peninsula Borough, are the Aleutians East Borough, the
Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Ketchikan Gateway
Borough, the Kodiak Island Borough and the Matanuska-
Susitna Borough.
In the case of the Kenai Peninsula, subject to borough
assembly approval, the municipal government could use
a portion of its federal payment-in-lieu-of-taxes
(PILT) allocation to cover the costs of providing
highway corridor travelers with life-and-safety
response services.
The Overview, Background and Conclusion brief that is
included in your back up materials provides a more in-
depth analysis as to why this legislation is necessary
and needed.
8:04:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT noted that there is a map in the
committee packet showing the area the bill addresses, and it
shows the accidents that have occurred in the area from January
[2015] to December 2016.
8:05:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked if those in the service areas
being discussed currently pay taxes.
8:06:06 AM
TOM WRIGHT, Staff, Representative Mike Chenault, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Chenault, prime sponsor
of HB 148, stated that someone living in a service area would
pay taxes. He added, "For the most part."
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT, in response to Representative Rauscher,
clarified that the section of road being addressed under HB 148
currently has no service provided; therefore, he offered his
understanding that no one is paying taxes on it. He said
currently areas like Cooper Landing and Moose Pass send their
volunteer fire departments to service the areas discussed under
HB 148 when people are available.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked if the borough area would be
expanded under HB 148.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT answered no: the borough currently
encompasses the area being discussed in relation to HB 148. In
response to a follow-up question, he offered his understanding
that currently the land being discussed is federal and there are
no residents living in the area that pay a current tax.
8:08:50 AM
MR. WRIGHT said most of the service areas being proposed by the
Kenai Peninsula Borough are "along federal land," and [the
borough] receives PILT to cover costs - "whatever the borough
may ... incur." He said HB 148 would create service areas along
state highway corridors by ordinance, provided no voters reside
within the service area boundaries and no taxes are levied for
the service area. In response to a follow-up question, he said
it is the borough that would be involved in deciding upon the
option.
8:10:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked under which specific program the
federal PILT is available and how much money it would generate.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT explained that under HB 148, the borough
would be allowed to use the money currently generated under the
federal PILT to fund emergency services along the highway
corridor. In response to a follow-up question, he said he does
not know how much money is currently made available by means of
the federal PILT, but he suggested that Mr. Persily, Mr.
Navarre, or Representative Knopp, who sits on the assembly, may
be able to offer more details regarding where the money is
currently being spent.
8:11:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE GARY KNOPP, Alaska State Legislature, indicated
that the Kenai Peninsula Borough receives a few million dollars
of federal PILT in timber receipts. In response to the previous
queries from Representative Rauscher, he said service areas
typically are created by a vote of the people and the boundaries
are defined; the purposes of those areas include fire service,
road service, and recreation, and there is a proposed mil rate
to fund what the voters deem is necessary. He indicated that
the borough is asking that its powers be expanded under statute
to be allowed the option of using federal PILT to create a new
service area along the highway corridor where currently there
are no emergency services and no residents to tax.
8:14:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said the idea sounds like a good one and
is a novel approach. He asked if the presence of a voter in the
area - someone who, perhaps, purchases private land in the
corridor - would change the situation.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP answered that in order for a person to
purchase land in this area, the state would have to give up its
right-of-way, which he said "won't happen." He said the amount
that would be spent for ambulance services and training would be
minimal; he deferred to Mayor Navarre for further details.
8:15:44 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO offered his understanding that the area
in question already has [emergency response] services; the
proposed legislation would "clearly define for these people
where their service areas goes" and make certain that
"everyone's aware that everything that they have in place would
be covered." He indicated that is how things worked in his home
rule borough and "this just really kind of cleans it up and
gives it a good definition."
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT responded, "It's true: most of our
departments have mutual aid agreements." He deferred to Mayor
Navarre, but stated, "I think that they're really pushing the
envelope calling some of this mutual aid, because ... they
really weren't doing it - they were responding because they were
the only ones that could respond."
8:17:50 AM
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH asked for confirmation that his
understanding was correct that HB 148 would allow a second-class
borough to extend a service area, provided there is no tax payer
living in that area, but it would not allow a borough to
"increase the property tax with that expanded service area."
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT responded, "That's correct as far as our
interpretation. There are no tax payers ... in the area that
we're talking about, and ... it wouldn't expand any other
borough power." In response to Representative Parish, he
offered his understanding that in recent years the following
volunteer emergency responder services have been covering the
area being discussed: Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, Hope, and
Central Emergency Services (CES) out of Sterling - all within
the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH commended the sponsor for a bill that aims
to "do right by the borough."
8:19:49 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE said he thinks HB 148 is a great bill
and a great idea. He asked what would happen with the current
volunteers.
8:20:21 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP explained that the volunteers would still
remain, but HB 148 would allow the borough to assist the
community in which those volunteers operate. He mentioned CES
and said that the borough has been pushing outside the
boundaries. He said there are stringent rules around services
areas. Regarding CES, he said the borough has been "pushing
completely outside the boundaries that was approved by the
voters." The proposed legislation would provide the opportunity
for the borough to provide the financial support to the
communities to keep these services in place.
8:21:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how reliable the timber receipts
are in regard to the federal PILT.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT deferred to Mayor Navarre.
8:22:00 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER expressed uncertainty as to whether "if
no voters reside in the service area" means no one owns property
in the area.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT said he thinks there are a few cabins
along the road, but he does not know whether they are on federal
land via permit or private land. He deferred to Mayor Navarre
for further information.
8:23:02 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER expressed appreciation for the colored map
included in the committee packet as a means to understand the
number of responses that have occurred in the corridor. He
offered his understanding of the map was that everything except
the top-right Girdwood Portage is part of the Kenai Peninsula
Borough, which sets up the service areas, including the CES near
Kenai and Bear Creek near Seward, and everything else makes up
the area that is being discussed, including Hope and Moose Pass.
He concluded, "So, what we're talking about is perhaps the
central emergency following the corridor out, perhaps, if they
wished, is what this bill would allow."
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT answered that is correct. He said the
line on the left of the map is where the services of CES stops.
Coming out of Seward, at the bottom of the map, and up to Bear
Creek is another service area. All the rest is covered by
volunteer fire and emergency service departments in Cooper
Landing, Moose Pass, and up toward Hope. He said, "The rest of
that area is in non-service areas."
CO-CHAIR FANSLER asked if only those second-class boroughs
listed in the sponsor statement would be affected under HB 148.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT offered his understanding that is
correct. In response to a follow-up question, he said his
office has asked the Kenai Peninsula Borough to contact all the
other second-class boroughs to elicit comments, but he has not
heard back from those boroughs.
8:25:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP related that the Kenai Peninsula Borough
owns "the two hospitals" and has created a task force to study
how to provide better services. He said the mayor has proposed
expansion. He clarified that [the proposed legislation] focuses
solely on providing emergency medical services in the highway
corridor area highlighted on the aforementioned map - not road
improvements.
8:26:53 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER expressed concern about other boroughs.
He asked if a specification that "no private properties exist in
the service area" would "interrupt what you're trying to do."
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP responded that he cannot speak for the
other boroughs, but if the request being made through HB 148 is
successful, the issue would still have to be vetted by local
governing bodies and assemblies would still have the final say;
therefore, every second-class borough's governing body would
have the authority to make the decisions.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER said he will support HB 148, but wants
to ensure that under HB 148 private properties would not be
taxed if caught in the service area.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP said current statute requires a vote for a
borough to be included in a service area; therefore, private
property could not be included without a vote of the people.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER offered his understanding that a borough
can have six different reasons for having a service area,
including for gas, river erosion management, or road service.
He said Representative Knopp is correct that private property
owners do have to vote to be included in one of those service
areas, but he was "just making sure that that language would
fit."
8:29:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER questioned why no definition of "highway
corridor" was included in the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT pointed to a legal opinion in the
committee packet [a memorandum from Legislative Legal and
Research Services dated 2/5/17] regarding highway corridor, and
he said it would be the purview of the committee to include a
definition in the proposed legislation.
8:29:54 AM
MR. WRIGHT related that he had forwarded the legal opinion to
the Kenai Peninsula Borough, which did not think a definition in
HB 148 was necessary. Nevertheless, he echoed Representative
Chenault's remark that it would be the purview of committee.
8:30:29 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER asked what, under HB 148, would happen if a
private land owner is involved in an accident while pulling out
of his/her driveway onto a highway in the highway corridor
service area in question.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT answered, "I would assume that they
would respond to any accident within the corridor and provide
life/health assistance to any accident there." He offered his
understanding that "what it would do is it would have somebody
that would respond versus wondering if somebody will respond
...."
CO-CHAIR FANSLER offered a [reverse] scenario in which someone
driving in the highway corridor loses control of the vehicle and
hits a tree on someone else's private property. He asked if
that scenario would also be a situation in which [emergency
medical services] would respond.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT said that would be his assumption,
because the intent of HB 148 is to create an emergency response
group that can assist people involved in accidents along that
highway corridor.
8:32:16 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP offered that most highway corridors vary in
width but are typically about "100 foot each side the center
line"; therefore, "a lot of your driveway approaches are into
right-of-way highway corridors way before you get to the actual
driving portion of the road ...."
8:32:55 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH offered his understanding of only one instance
in statute where "highway corridor" is defined, and that is as
"land within five miles of the right-of-way of a highway". He
said, "It does just make me leery to have that as the statutory
precedent for this within ... the State of Alaska." He added,
"It would ... set my mind at ease if, for the purpose of this
bill, it were redefined along the lines that Representative
Knopp outlined just few moments ago."
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP responded, "I'm not familiar with that
language, ... so I can't respond to that. The mayor may be able
to do that, though."
8:34:11 AM
MIKE NAVARRE, Mayor, Kenai Peninsula Borough, expressed
appreciation for those who had worked on HB 148. He said there
is little tax base in Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, and Hope, in
part because a great deal of the property is federal forest or
refuge land. As a result, there is a huge gap in emergency
services in the area between where CES ends and Bear Creek's
fire and emergency services begins, and that gap in coverage
currently is being filled by volunteers. He said the borough
has spoken to community members in that area who want to help
their community, but that portion of the highway is populated
with people commuting from other areas and visitors to the
state, and accidents that require emergency service response are
stretching thin the resources of those sparsely populated areas.
He said Cooper Landing, in particular, is populated by many
seniors, which is significant because their tax base is lower
and many of the volunteers have lost their stamina and are no
longer allowed to drive at night because their night vision has
declined. He said because the area in question is so large, a
transport from an accident, often in the middle of the night,
ends up taking four hours.
MR. NAVARRE said while the area may receive more volunteers
during increased summer population, in the winter they will
often call CES or a dispatch service to state that they have no
one who can respond to an emergency. He said the permission for
one service area to respond in another service area must come
from a government authority, such as by mayoral approval or at
the direction of the Alaska State Troopers; however, even with
that permission, the tax payers in the responding service area
are paying for the emergency services of the outside service
area. He said, "We can do it in the case of mutual aid and auto
aid, but those are prescribed, and the reality is that there is
no mutual aid that comes from Cooper Landing to Central
Emergency Services - it's all ... one-way." Mr. Navarre said
the folks from Cooper Landing approached the Kenai Peninsula
Borough a couple years ago and said they did not want to respond
all along the highway - they wanted to reduce the area in which
they served - and the borough could see that that was a problem
for visitors and residents of the Kenai Peninsula who travel
through Cooper Landing. He said the federal PILT received by
the borough fluctuates between 2.1 to 3.1 million dollars a year
for all the federal lands on the Kenai Peninsula - some of it
from forest receipts. He said the amount is not a guarantee,
but it has been fairly stable for the last 20 years or so.
8:39:21 AM
MR. NAVARRE said the borough is proposing to its assembly that
the borough would use up to 20 percent of the federal PILT to
provide resources and coverage to the area in question. He said
because PILT monies are already utilized in the budget, the
borough recognizes that if it diverts the funds for this purpose
without any other changes in its budget, it would have to raise
taxes on a borough-wide basis in order to cover the funds that
would be used for the emergency service. He said the borough is
being upfront with the assembly. He called the proposed method
a creative way to get coverage in an area for which nobody has
taken responsibility, with the exception of the Cooper Landing
emergency services volunteers, who end up getting "burnt out."
He said currently the borough has been offering housing and a
small stipend to a volunteer from the paramedics training
program at Kenai Peninsula College to stay in Cooper Landing.
He said the proposed legislation would, if the assembly is
agreeable, allow coverage of emergency services in an area that
is otherwise not adequately covered.
MR. NAVARRE said the borough has checked with all the other
second-class boroughs, none of which have expressed any
opposition to the proposed legislation, and it would be the
option of the second-class borough whether or not "to do this."
He said this road corridor in question is already authorized
under AS 29.35.490(a)(2), which read as follows:
(2) all owners of real property in the service
area consent in writing to the exercise of the power
if no voters reside in the service area.
MR. NAVARRE stated:
The problem that we have and the reason that we're
asking for this change is you can imagine that we get
into discussions with the state Department of
Transportation [& Public Facilities], the Federal
[Highway Administration], landowners from the refuge,
and the [U.S.] Forest Service - all the different
agencies having to give permission - and at the same
time, we're in it getting all the attorney's wrapped
up and twisted around the axel over who ends up what
type of liability in this corridor. So, what we're
asking for is a ... clarification of what's already
authorized in state statute, so that we can, using
borough resources, step up and provide coverage to
visitors to resident alike.
8:42:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER referred to AS 29.35.490(a) and (c) and
expressed a desire to learn more about the distinction between
various classes of cities and boroughs.
MAYOR NAVARRE suggested one difference is the amount of power
given.
CO-CHAIR FANSLER suggested Representative Rauscher might find
some answers on that issue from his staff.
8:44:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for more details related to the
anticipated use of 20 percent of the federal PILT by the Kenai
Peninsula Borough.
MAYOR NAVARRE said 20 percent of the current approximately $3
million in federal PILT monies would amount to a little over
$500,000. He said, "The reason that we're going to ask the
assembly ... to utilize those funds is it represents about 20
percent of the federal land areas ... within the Kenai Peninsula
Borough, so we ... think that using up to 20 percent in order to
provide this service makes some sense." He said he is not sure
what the assembly will say, but he opined that this is the
sensible and best way to provide the coverage needed at no cost
to the state.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there would be any negative
affect resulting from a lack of votes to support the intent of
HB 148.
MAYOR NAVARRE answered no, the authority would exist in state
statute, so that at some point, "if we chose to go at it again,
we'd be able to provide coverage." The biggest concern, he
emphasized, is that currently there is no coverage in these
areas. A further problem is that in the aforementioned highway
corridor area, there is often insufficient cell phone coverage.
Without residents in the area, this issue will be up to the
assembly, he advised. He reemphasized the need to take care of
visitors to the area in an appropriate manner.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if HB 148 would balance out any
costs that the people in Mr. Navarre's borough are currently
paying.
MAYOR NAVARRE answered that there is an area serviced by Cooper
Landing Emergency Services, but "it's not a service area." He
reiterated that the taxable value in that area, because of all
the federal land, is not significant. He commended Cooper
Landing for doing an extraordinary job in fundraising but said
it is "deficit spending on an annual basis about $40,000" and
having to try to raise those funds to cover that spending. He
emphasized how overwhelming it becomes for [Cooper Landing] to
serve its community and spend a lot of its resources well
outside its community on the state highway.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted that the Dalton Highway is
referenced in statute in regard to the specifics of a highway
corridor, and it states it is 5 miles on both sides and 100 feet
on either side of the center line. He asked Mr. Navarre what he
thinks is appropriate.
MAYOR NAVARRE responded that he does not think [this definition]
is critical, because "we're still going to provide the
responses." He reemphasized the problem is that more than half
of the emergency responses outside of Cooper Landing are for
people who are passing through - not residents - and HB 148
would allow the legal authority to set up a structure for
additional coverage.
8:51:45 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE expressed support for "getting the
authority out there." He said he has traveled the road, which
he characterized as having "a lot of lonely stretches," and he
commended Mr. Navarre for bringing forward this issue. He
alluded to accidents that happen along the corridor. He said he
feels badly about the money coming out of [the Kenai Peninsula
Borough's] coffers, thus encouraged Mr. Navarre to look for more
PILT money.
8:52:49 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH asked if the emergency responses essentially
would be provided by CES.
MAYOR NAVARRE said he thinks some of it would, because CES is
the largest professional department in close proximity,
depending on the location of the other communities. The
proposed legislation would give the legal authority [for an
emergency response service] to respond outside of its area. The
federal PILT, he said, would allow the borough to access grant
funding and other funding sources in order to supplement the
service to ensure it does not use too much of its funds
currently being used elsewhere in its budget. He said it comes
down to a question of priorities and "in this case, we think
that this service is critically important."
CO-CHAIR PARISH observed that the Turnagain Pass area is
significantly closer to Girdwood and Portage than "any
substantial community" in Mr. Navarre's borough. He asked if
[Girdwood and Portage] have picked up the slack in terms of
helping those who get in accidents.
MAYOR NAVARRE responded that Cooper Landing has a volunteer fire
department and emergency medical services that cover a large
portion of that area. He added, "They are also a part of the
Municipality of Anchorage."
8:55:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER questioned how the proposed legislation
may affect the borough in terms of equipment.
MAYOR NAVARRE answered that Cooper Landing has some equipment,
but not as much as CES or some of the other professional service
areas, and Cooper Landing often does not have enough volunteers.
He pointed out that being a volunteer takes a person away from
his/her family life, and he reiterated that many of the seniors
who love to volunteer may have restrictions in terms of physical
ability. Further, the level of resources is inconsistent. He
reiterated that the borough has been successful in getting
volunteer trainees to help out in Cooper Landing. Under HB 148,
the borough would have the ability to coordinate training,
stipends, and the other costs of emergency response coverage.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER shared that he had the experience of
traveling from Cooper Landing to Kenai in an ambulance, and he
appreciates the volunteers, the distance that must be traveled,
and the proposed legislation.
8:57:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said he would like an appropriate
definition of emergency services.
MAYOR NAVARRE responded that he is not sure how it is defined,
but "what we're intending for this purpose is fire and EMS." He
said having volunteer law enforcement officers would create "a
whole additional set of concerns."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Mr. Navarre if he would object if
the committee was to "define that narrowly enough to encompass
... fire and EMS services in this bill."
MAYOR NAVARRE answered that he does not think it necessary. He
said the committee should have a letter from the Department of
Public Safety (DPS), in which the department recognizes "the
distinction."
8:59:40 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER thanked Mr. Navarre for his testimony. He said
he has driven the corridor in question and appreciates knowing
that people can be safe there.
MAYOR NAVARRE indicated a willingness to field questions
following the meeting, either directly or through the office of
the prime sponsor.
9:00:23 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER opened public testimony on HB 148.
9:00:37 AM
GEORGE PIERCE testified in opposition to HB 148. He said the
federal PILT - once put into the general fund (GF) - could be
spent anywhere. He noted that Mr. Navarre had said that 20
percent of the approximately $3 million in PILT would be roughly
$5,000 going into the project, and he said that amount would not
cover much. He listed the following necessities: a fire house,
emergency vehicles, trained staff, health care, and retirement
funds. He offered his understanding that Mr. Navarre had said
that [the proposed services] would be federally funded but had
also added that the residents will end up paying for them. He
said currently the community of Hope is conducting business with
the borough to put in sidewalks along the highway, and as a
former volunteer firefighter of many years, he said that helped.
He said, "If that's all you're going to do is protect your house
from fire and emergencies for medical, a volunteer ... services
is perfect for that."
MR. PIERCE continued as follows:
We cannot afford to just keep putting these major
projects up there and expecting to ... build all these
infrastructures. This is a bad idea; I do not approve
of this. The borough will end up putting all this on
the backs of the Kenai residents, and we're in a
deficit right now; we cannot afford this. ... People
that live down in this borough just voted on ...
certain taxes being raised, and they were all turned
down. So, this is just another scam of the borough
trying to get land to where they can control. And
it's not about the emergencies. Every time I go
through there and there's an accident, there's always
[Alaska State] Troopers or an emergency vehicle there.
So, if they're worried about more protection for
emergency service along the highway corridor, maybe
the legislators ought to give them some more police
protection.
9:03:39 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER, after ascertaining that there was no one else
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 148.
9:04:35 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER stated his intent to work with the prime
sponsor to add a definition of "emergency services" and possibly
one of "highway corridor" to HB 148.
9:04:51 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER said he would like comment from Mr.
Navarre regarding the infrastructure [Mr. Pierce] had said would
be necessary.
9:05:30 AM
LARRY PERSILY, Chief of Staff, Kenai Peninsula Borough, noted
that Mr. Navarre was not currently available, thus he would
respond to Representative Rauscher's request. He stated that
currently the borough is not proposing or contemplating any
construction or new fire station as part of the emergency
services area, which he said would be limited to the highway
right-of-way. He said existing staff and facilities would be
used. If, in the future, the borough, in consultation with the
existing emergency service providers in Cooper Landing and Hope,
and the staff in CES, decide there is a need for additional
equipment to cover [emergency services], then that would be "a
borough decision to make for ... the borough assembly and a
borough financial decision as to how to pay for it."
9:07:25 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE expressed hope that the committee would
not restrict the bill too much, because he would like help to be
given to those who need the help irrespective of borders.
9:08:12 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP offered response to former queries. First,
he noted that the information Representative Rauscher had sought
regarding various classes of cities and boroughs could be found
under AS 29.200, 210, and 220. Next, regarding highway
corridors, he said the Dalton Highway Corridor is the only one
he knows of that extends out to five miles, and that has to do
with an "archery only" hunting restriction in that file-mile
area. He suggested that if the committee is concerned about
corridors, it might define them as DOT rights-of-way.
CO-CHAIR FANSLER announced that HB 148 was held over.
9:09:37 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 9:10 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 148 Sponsor Statement.PDF |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |
| HB 148-Legal Opinion.pdf |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |
| HB0148A.pdf |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |
| HB148-DCCED-DCRA-03-03-17.pdf |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |
| HB 148-Highway corridor service area map.pdf |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |
| AS 29.35.490.docx |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |
| HB148 Support Letter to Rep. Chenault 03.03.17.pdf |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |
| HB148 Incorporated Cities Within Organized Boroughs List.pdf |
HCRA 3/7/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/9/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 148 |