Legislature(2017 - 2018)CAPITOL 106
03/21/2017 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| HB166 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 166 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
March 21, 2017
8:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Zach Fansler, Co-Chair
Representative Justin Parish, Co-Chair
Representative Harriet Drummond
Representative Dean Westlake
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative David Talerico
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative DeLena Johnson (alternate)
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (alternate)
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 166
"An Act establishing a museum construction grant program in the
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 166
SHORT TITLE: MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) PARISH
03/08/17 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/08/17 (H) CRA, FIN
03/21/17 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM CAPITOL 106
WITNESS REGISTER
LISA WORL, Staff
Representative Justin Parish
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
166, on behalf of Representative Parish, prime sponsor.
PATRICIA RELAY, Executive Director
Valdez Museum & Historical Archives
Valdez, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 166.
KATHERINE ELDEMAR, Director
Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA)
Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development (DCCED)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
166.
JANE LINDSEY, Member
Museums Alaska;
Director
Juneau-Douglas City Museum
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 166.
EVA MALVICH
Director/Curator
Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 166.
KATHERINE WRINGSMUTH
Eagle River, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 166.
LINDA LUCKY, Volunteer Docent
Anchorage Museum
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 166.
STEPHEN LUNDEEN, Member
Board of Directors
Pioneer Air Museum
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the hearing on HB 166.
PETE HAGGLAND, Curator
Pioneer Air Museum
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 166.
JAMES LOUNSBURY
Koyukuk Miners Museum
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified during the hearing on HB 166.
LAURIE STUART MORROW, Executive Director
Pratt Museum
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 166.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:03:40 AM
CO-CHAIR ZACH FANSLER called the House Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:03 a.m.
Representatives Saddler, Westlake, Talerico, Rauscher, Parish,
and Fansler were present at the call to order. Representative
Drummond arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 166-MUSEUM CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM
[Contains brief mention of SB 7.]
8:04:42 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 166, "An Act establishing a museum
construction grant program in the Department of Commerce,
Community, and Economic Development."
8:05:27 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH, as prime sponsor, presented HB 166. He
paraphrased the sponsor statement, which read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
House Bill 166 establishes a matching grant program in
the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development, for eligible museum construction,
expansion or major renovation projects. Museums are
eligible for this program if they are located in
Alaska, entitled to receive state grants, and provide
matching funds from other sources of at least 50
percent of the project costs. Alaska has more than 60
museums throughout the state that provide cultural,
tourism, and educational programs. Alaska museums
receive 380,993 annual visitors and they serve 29,469
school children each year. Alaskan communities are
enriched with the art, history, and cultural language
and education provided at the museums. The approval of
this bill will enable museums to access and leverage
funding so that they may improve, expand or upgrade as
needed, when funds are appropriated. Included with the
bill documents you will find twenty three letters of
support from nine different Alaskan museums, four
regional or statewide museums organizations and
Senator Bishop. The award is subject to appropriation
and cannot exceed more than 50 percent of the total
proposed project costs. HB 166 is a companion bill for
SB 7, Sponsors: STEVENS, Bishop, Stedman and Egan.
CO-CHAIR PARISH added, "This does not allocate money; it only
creates a program to which, in happier days, we'll be able to
put some money for museums which are able to find substantial
alternate sources of funding."
8:07:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted the co-sponsorship of HB 166 and
asked Co-Chair Parish if there is a particular project he
envisions for Southeast Alaska should HB 166 pass.
REPRESENTATIVE PARISH answered no, but he opined that [Juneau]
does benefit from some of the finest museums in the state and
everyone in the state should have similar opportunities. He
noted that museums throughout the state may benefit under HB
166. He pointed to the numerous letters of support in the
committee packet and indicated two are from Juneau - one from
the [Juneau-Douglas] City Museum.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked how the State Library, Archives &
Museum (SLAM) construction was financed.
CO-CHAIR PARISH indicated he did not know.
8:09:27 AM
LISA WORL, Staff, Representative Justin Parish, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Parish, prime sponsor
of HB 166, offered her understanding that SLAM was financed
partially by means of an appropriation through a program similar
to that set up for the libraries by the Department of Commerce,
Community & Economic Development (DCCED). She noted that the
director of the Division of Community and Regional Affairs,
Katherine Eldemar, was available via teleconference.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said he would appreciate a source of
reliable information as to how that facility was constructed.
8:10:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what other funding mechanisms the
bill sponsor would envision regarding the 50 percent match under
HB 166.
CO-CHAIR PARISH answered he imagines there would be:
applications to large philanthropic organizations, such as the
Rasmussen Foundation; concerned community groups raising funds
"by hook or by crook"; and a good number of corporate sponsors.
He said, "There are no few individuals and organizations who
recognize the bounty that museums can have to our communities
and are willing to put their money where their mouth is."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if Co-Chair Parish envisions that
the matches would have to be private or could be from municipal
fund sources.
CO-CHAIR PARISH answered that he imagines people attempting to
build a museum would accept money from any source willing to
provide it, including public sources.
8:12:04 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER opened public testimony on HB 166.
8:12:32 AM
PATRICIA RELAY, Executive Director, Valdez Museum & Historical
Archives, stated that she is the co-chair of an advocacy
committee for Museums Alaska [a statewide museum association]
but is speaking today on behalf of the Valdez Museum &
Historical Archives in support of HB 166. She paraphrased her
written testimony, [included in the committee packet], as
follows:
Museums are facing critical infrastructure issues
throughout the state. Research shows that almost half
of all museums in the state are either currently
involved in a construction ... project or will be in
the next five years. That's pretty incredible. This
bill provides the structure for establishing a
systematic approach to prioritizing museum capital
project ... funding requests ... [in] the state.
Museums and cultural organizations in Alaska are a
critical part of our educational and economic
infrastructure, spurring tourism and partnering [with]
schools to teach the local curriculum. They
contribute to our economy and wellbeing by employing
over 260 Alaskans statewide. We spend over ... $23.5
million annually in the state; we host over 650,000
visitors annually; and serve over 36,000 school
children annually .... In Valdez, ... we spend over
$1.3 million annually in our local community; we host
over 20,000 visitors annually; and in a small
community of less than 4,000, we serve over 3,000
school children annually.
Despite this vital role of museums, our facilities and
collections ... are at risk through decreasing
federal, local, and charitable giving. As collections
grow and visitation increases, the pressure ... [on]
our aging infrastructure must be managed. The Valdez
Museum [& Historical Archive] is no stranger to this
dilemma. We've accomplished a lot within the last few
years: incorporating [a] successful expanded range of
public programming; major upgrades to several
exhibits; we've increased visitation; ... and [the
museum has] raised ... [its] standards of collections
management. Despite these achievements, our
institution is now at a point in which its progress is
being hampered by limitations of space. ... In order
to maintain and improve our standards of
professionalism and to preserve our vision for the
future, our organization needs to move away from our
current environment of shared-purpose space and move
towards a facility [with] dedicated ... space
[designed] for single use functionality. At this
point, we've got collections stored at baseball
fields; we've got collections stored in tents; and
this environment is not suitable for rare artifacts
that tell the Alaska story.
Now, at the core of our mission is education. Over
the years we've had numerous teachers share their
gratitude for how the Valdez Museum [& Historical
Archives] supports their work. Recently, Sheri Beck,
a fourth-grade teacher with the Valdez City Schools
shared with our museum educator: "I just returned
from a National Social Studies convention in New
Orleans. I thought of you so many times and wished
... [we] could be brainstorming side by side. I was
also reminded how fortunate we are in Valdez and in my
partnership with you to have a local museum available
for help and support. Thank you. Your recent lesson
with my students using artifacts and primary sources
was such a wonderful example of what we heard at the
conference as stellar teaching."
So, without proper care and housing of our ...
museum's collections and artifacts, we ... won't be
able to continue our robust education program. I urge
this committee to speak up for all Alaska museums;
we're just one example.
MS. RELAY concluded her testimony by thanking the committee for
its time, consideration, and service to Alaska, and she urged
its members to pass HB 166.
8:17:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Ms. Relay how the Valdez Museum &
Historical Archives construction and operation were and are
funded.
MS. RELAY answered that the Valdez Museum & Historical Archives
operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. She said the
organization formerly operated as a department of the City of
Valdez but in 1997 switched to a public, private partnership.
Currently, the City of Valdez supports the Valdez Museum &
Historical Archives through a community service organization
grant that is 60-65 percent of the organization's annual
operating budget. She said the onus is on the nonprofit to
raise the remaining 35-40 percent through fundraising efforts.
MS. RELAY stated that it is the mission of the Valdez Museum &
Historical Archives to preserve, present, and interpret the
heritage and culture of not only Valdez, but the Copper River
Basin and Prince William Sound. It serves the entire Valdez and
Cordova U.S. Census area and does outreach programs throughout
the region. She reported that the Valdez Museum & Historical
Archives has over 75,000 rare objects and artifacts. She
offered examples. Ms. Relay said the Valdez Museum & Historical
Archives tells the story of its collections through exhibits and
educational and public programs; it has approximately 11,000
square feet of permanent exhibit space and temporary exhibit
space [for paintings], which is funded primarily with generous
support from the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA). She
said the Valdez Museum & Historical Archives has a robust
education department, with a museum educator that brings
artifacts to students and hosts groups of students at the museum
on a regular basis. She said homeschooled children in Valdez
consider the museum their live history classroom. She said the
public programs are multigenerational and bring viewers in year
round.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if the Valdez Museum & Historical
Archives would have plans for capital projects, for which the
state, under HB 166, would pick up half the cost.
MS. RELAY responded that the Valdez Museum & Historical Archives
has completed a master interpretive plan, which she described as
a pre-planning document that assesses the current situation and
considers options to expand, renovate, or build new. She said
the Valdez Museum & Historical Archives currently has two
facilities. The most cherished exhibit, "Remembering Old
Valdez," is housed in old Army Corps of Engineers' warehouse
built in 1967. She explained that following the Earthquake of
1964, Valdez was moved four miles, and "Remembering Old Valdez"
is a scale model of the original town site. The warehouse is
going to be razed and a sustainable solution is to merge the
museum's two locations into one facility. She said hopefully in
the next five to ten years this work will be feasible.
MS. RELAY, in response to follow-up questions, said the
estimated cost of the plans is between $28 and $35 million. She
added that a landowner has offered land and other city-owned
parcels of land are also being considered. She said the Valdez
Museum & Historical Archives receives over 20,000 visitors each
year, the majority of them between Memorial Day and Labor Day,
and approximately 80 percent of visitors come from outside
Valdez. There is a year-round effort made. Currently, the
Valdez Museum & Historical Archives is preparing for its annual
student art show, sponsored by Alyeska Pipeline Service Company
and ASCA. She said this exhibit takes six months of planning.
She said her staff comprises: a full-time curator of
collections and exhibits and a full-time curator of education
and public programs. Funds from grants are used for big
projects. She offered examples. She said the majority of the
capital expense goes to housing of the collection, including
heating, electricity, staff pay, and security, at a cost of
approximately $90,000 in utilities annually.
8:29:28 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked if the Valdez Museum & Historical
Archives charges admission.
MS. RELAY answered yes. She related that currently support from
the City of Valdez through a community service organizational
grant covers payroll and a minor part of utilities, and the
museum would not be able to function without the admission
charged, which is: $8 general, $6 seniors and military, and
free to children and members. In response to a follow-up
question, she estimated that general admission, museum services,
and public programming fees combined equal approximately $60,000
in annual income.
8:32:18 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said he would like to know what the
state's role has been in capital funding of museums, archives,
libraries, and preservation societies.
8:32:31 AM
KATHERINE ELDEMAR, Director, Division of Community and Regional
Affairs (DCRA), Department of Commerce, Community & Economic
Development (DCCED), stated that [HB 166] is modeled after "the
library grant statute." She mentioned designated legislative
grants that get funded through choices made by the legislature.
She said the system "under this statute" would be slightly
different: The division would receive applications, score them,
and allocate the resources based on the score, but the
legislature would appropriate the funds. Ms. Eldemar continued:
"Like I said, this is modeled after the library program, but it
still remains unfunded, so we don't have anything to report as
how that actual program ... will, in fact, work."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Ms. Eldemar to confirm she was
saying that it is the library grant program that is currently
unfunded.
MS. ELDEMAR answered that is correct. She said the division
accepted applications and scored them, and it is holding on to
those applications. She directed attention to language in HB
166, on page 1, lines 10-11, which read: "The department may
not accept the application for a grant under this section unless
the legislature makes an appropriation for the grant program."
She said this language would prevent grantees from doing a lot
of work until after the legislature has made the appropriation.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked, "Has there ever been grant funding
through the library grant program?"
MS. ELDEMAR answered no.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER surmised, "And this program for the
museums is modeled after the library grant program."
MS. ELDEMAR answered that is correct.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what the state's role has been in
the past for construction funding for libraries and museums.
MS. ELDEMAR said she could research for an answer by looking
through former designated legislative grants.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said that would be helpful, because the
proposed legislation would establish a new program of public
support for museums at 50 percent of the cost, and he is trying
to find out what the precedent has been. He offered his
understanding that Ms. Eldemar was saying it is primarily, if
not exclusively, through [designated] legislative grants.
MS. ELDEMAR responded that that is her understanding.
8:36:39 AM
JANE LINDSEY, Member, Museums Alaska; Director, Juneau-Douglas
City Museum, paraphrased her written testimony [included in the
committee packet], as follows:
Good morning, my name is Jane Lindsey, I'm here today
as a member of Museums Alaska, a non-profit
association of statewide museum professionals; I'm
also the director of the Juneau-Douglas City Museum.
I'd like to thank Representative Parish for sponsoring
HB 166, companion bill to SB 7, sponsored by Senator
Stevens.
The need for this bill is demonstrated in a 2014
McDowell survey for the Foraker Group that studied the
needs of Alaskan museums and capital planning. This
information underscores that most of our Alaskan
collections are in buildings never meant to be
museums. Three-quarters of the respondents of the
survey identified significant capital improvement
needs within the next five years: Exhibition space
expansion or improvement; increase in facility size;
collections storage expansion; and security
improvements are the top priorities listed.
Building expansions and new construction are
complicated projects that take years of planning and
fundraising. Outlined in the museum profiles in the
McDowell survey, museum staff and personnel are tasked
with raising funds at least 10 times larger than a
museum's annual budget. These ... same folks are
working on collections care, exhibits, programs,
education, and the regular business of caring for a
facility and generating revenue to operate.
The core mission of what we do is our collections; our
work entails preserving objects, photos, [and]
documents of the history of Alaska, and we care for
these in perpetuity, and we find meaningful ways to
give them back to the public through exhibits,
education, and research opportunities.
HB 166 is a zero fiscal note bill for capital
improvement projects if and when funding becomes
available. Modeled after the successful library
construction grant program, 50 percent of proposed
costs to build, expand, or renovate existing
facilities will encourage museums to assess needs
within their buildings - such as sustainable energy
initiatives for specialized environments, which
museums need - and develop achievable goals. It can
help them create financial partnerships with local,
non-profit, state, and federal granting agencies,
which is what we regularly work with.
... Governor Walker's proclamation that 2017 is a
"Year of History and Heritage" ... [recognizing] the
One Hundred and Fiftieth anniversary of Russia ceding
its Alaskan interests to the United States ...
encourages us "to study, teach, reflect upon our past,
and apply its lessons to a brighter, more inclusive
future." HB 166 helps us preserve Alaskan heritage so
that we may continue to study, teach, and reflect.
Thank you for your time and the work you do on behalf
of the state of Alaska and our fellow Alaskans.
8:40:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted that Ms. Lindsey had said HB 166 is
modeled after the successful library grant program, while Ms.
Relay had said there have been no legislative grants through
that program. He asked Ms. Lindsey if she could describe the
operation of the library grant program and explain why she
called it successful.
MS. LINDSEY answered that while she does not know the details of
the program, she does know it resulted in the construction of
13-20 libraries in Alaska, all of which have come up with 50
percent matching grants. She offered her understanding that
these libraries worked as a consortium. She said her
understanding - from speaking with people at DCCED and those
associated with the libraries that have received the funding -
is that it takes many years to become "shovel ready," which is
the point a library must be at in order to apply for the grant.
She said the libraries have gone through the process of ensuring
there is community consensus, the necessary money is there, that
they can operate, building the community resources that are
widely used, and being energy efficient. Ms. Lindsey pointed
out that Ms. Relay pays $90 million annually and operates from
an antiquated building, so certainly it takes more money to
preserve the environment and the collections in it, but when Ms.
Relay is able to afford an expansion, with improvements made,
she will realize energy efficiency.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Ms. Lindsey if she knows how the
SLAM was funded.
MS. LINDSEY offered her understanding that because the SLAM was
funded through the legislature, the money is from the operating
budget rather than the capital budget; therefore, the SLAM would
not be eligible for any money that became available under HB
166.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER talked about the constitutional
obligation of state to provide public education and pay 70-100
percent of the capital costs of building schools and associated
libraries. He asked why the state should pay half the cost of
the museums in Alaska.
MS. LINDSEY answered that museums are charged with the
responsibility of caring for public trust heritage collections,
which are open to the public and owned by and accessible to
everyone. She noted that some money comes from admissions, but
reemphasized the charge given to museums, and she stated her
belief that that is a worthy goal for [the benefit of] "the
state of Alaska and every human being."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said he does not disagree.
8:44:01 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked if the Juneau-Douglas City Museum
charges admission.
MS. LINDSEY answered yes: $6 for adults; $5 for seniors; free
to children 13 and under; and that charge goes down by $1 in the
winter, when the museum finds community sponsors. She said the
museum encourages people to use its facility and its education
programs are free, so dollars in revenues do not necessarily
match the services given. She said the Juneau-Douglas City
Museum brings in about $75,000 annually in admissions and public
programs where it is generating revenue; it has a budget of
about $425,000; but many of its programs are free to the public.
8:45:43 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER opened public testimony on HB 166.
8:46:19 AM
EVA MALVICH, Director/Curator, Yupiit Piciryarait Museum, said
the museum is run by the Association of Village Council
Presidents; it is located within the Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural
Center, which is owned and operated by the Kuskokwim campus of
the University of Alaska. Ms. Malvich related that the Yupiit
Piciryarait Museum is the only one in the region and owns over
8,000 objects relating to the Yup'ik people, including books,
audio recordings, paper archives, photos, videos, fine art
objects, and objects related to natural history. She said there
are tools the Yupik forefathers used to live off the land and
water that are still vital today in teaching children and giving
them a sense of their own identity. She stated, "We have to
tell our own story, according to our own world view, and that is
something that cannot be underestimated." She said HB 166 would
give the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum a chance for needed
renovation.
MS. MALVICH shared that the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum needs a
new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to
maintain humidity at levels consistent for the care of hides,
skins, and ivory - all objects in danger of permanent damage.
She said the current humidity control is hurting the collection,
and a new one will cost $125,000 to purchase and $80,000 a year
to maintain.
MS. MALVICH continued:
Our museum is vital to educating our own people about
making clothing, tools, and art. We do not need an
outside expert to tell us who we are. We do not need
to travel to the Smithsonian down states to study our
own objects. By running a museum and providing
education opportunities in our region, by our own
people, we have the knowledge and means to sustain our
own Yup'ik culture.
MS. MALVICH emphasized the importance of keeping artifacts in
the region, not in Fairbanks or Juneau, which she said are too
far away. She said, "We need them closer to home so that we can
continue to teach and learn about our rich Yup'ik and Cup'ik
culture through studying our collection." She said HB 166 would
help immensely by giving her organization the means by which to
secure funds for construction and renovation of museums and
cultural centers.
8:50:15 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND referred to Ms. Malvich's comment that
the center does not need to leave Bethel to show its artifacts
to its people. She mentioned the Smithsonian's traveling
exhibits. She said she has heard about collections being
returned to museums after being borrowed by other countries,
states, and organizations "after decades of being missing from
the state." She asked, "If your museum was the subject of such
a collection, are there requirements made by ... the returning
organization as to the condition of the facility before they
will return artifacts ... to a particular museum?"
8:51:26 AM
MS. MALVICH noted that the Rasmussen Foundation loans artifacts,
but is not likely to loan them to the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum,
because of the lack of sufficient HVAC that can maintain the
necessary humidity level of between 30 and 50 percent. She said
she does not bother to apply because of that one condition. She
related that the humidity in Bethel ranges from 1 percent in the
winter to 50 percent in the summer; maintaining a range of 30-50
percent is a challenge; and the existing fluctuation is what
causes damage to the collection. In response to a follow-up
question, she said there is one piece that has already sustained
damage: a shaman's shawl that was found inside a coffin in
1971, and while in storage it split in half. She said the
museum would like to get it repaired, because it is the only one
of its kind in the world, but it would get damaged again without
the upgrade to the HVAC.
8:54:50 AM
KATHERINE WRINGSMUTH, testified in support of HB 166. She
shared that Alaska history is important to her. She said she
has: taught history at the Chugiak-Eagle River campus of the
University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA); served as president of the
Alaska Historical Society; and curated historical exhibits.
Furthermore, she currently organizes two lecture series at a
library in Mountain View and at Chugiak High School. Ms.
Wringsmuth talked about the power of historical wisdom and how a
society can erode if history is not "shared, understood, and
valued by everyone." She said Alaska has more than 60 museums
that provide cultural tourism and educational programs to
visitors. She said these museums are caretakers of Alaska's
culture and major contributors to the state's economy.
MS. WRINGSMUTH related that as a professor of Alaska history,
the museum assignments she gives her students afford them the
opportunity to conduct original research at the undergraduate
level. She said only a handful of people have the opportunity
to take Alaska history in school, and she emphasized that
museums are one of the few places where residents, as well as
the many visitors to the state can learn about Alaska. Far too
many of those museums face deterioration and are in critical
need of renovation, which Ms. Wringsmuth characterized as a
threat to Alaska's history as well as to its future. She stated
her belief that "museums help to cultivate Alaska's next
generation." She emphasized there is a need for visionaries.
She quoted former Governor Walter J. Hickel as having said,
"There is no vision, no hope, no future, no agenda for Alaska,
if your only ideology, if your only philosophy, if your only
cause is to cut the budget." She concluded, "As we face
unprecedented financial challenges, we cannot forget from where
we came. We must remember the voice of the people and foster
our newest, youngest visionaries." She expressed thanks for
support of HB 166 as a means to invest in Alaska's future.
8:58:23 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said he hears frequently that museums are
an important cultural repository and educational tool. He asked
Ms. Wringsmuth if she thinks it would be appropriate for the
state to fund museums as part of Alaska's educational mission.
MS. WRINGSMUTH answered, "Absolutely."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if she thinks museums should share
in the funding stream that the public school system receives
from the state.
MS. WRINGSMUTH answered that is a difficult question to answer.
She clarified that while she recognizes the value and reciprocal
nature of [schools] and museums, she cannot speak to the
financial side. Notwithstanding that, she said she can envision
the two working together. She said there are so many new
residents coming to Alaska who do not have the opportunity to
learn Alaska's history and become dependent on "these popular
narratives that may not even have much reality in the past,"
which she said is dangerous. She talked about aligned
partnerships of historical societies, K-12, university systems,
and museums working toward a common purpose, but said she does
not see that happening right now, because "we're all kind of
fighting over the small pot of money that does exist." She said
other states, for example, Minnesota, have adopted this model of
cooperation.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted that Chugiak has a strong
historical society.
MS. WRINGSMUTH concurred and related that efforts are being made
to draw visitors in to learn about the area's rich history.
9:02:34 AM
LINDA LUCKY, Volunteer Docent, Anchorage Museum, testified in
support of HB 166. She said the matching grant program would
help build, renovate, expand, and preserve Alaska collections
that are held in the public trust and support creative vision of
the institution. She said exhibition space, increase in
facility size, collection storage expansion, and security
improvement are listed among the top priorities of the proposed
legislation. She said, "I like that the program takes the
politics out of applying for a grant." She opined that support
of HB 166 would be an investment in the well-being of
communities.
MS. LUCKY stated that the Anchorage Museum connects people
through its programs; through workshops, new experiences,
exhibitions, and events; it expands people's views of the world.
She said just after the museum's latest expansion, it opened a
"Star Wars" exhibit that was "a perfect segue between the old
and the new." The exhibit brought in parents, children, Star
Wars fans, and people who had never been to a museum before, and
there were many hands-on displays to challenge the visitors'
imaginations. She offered further details. She quoted the
director of the Anchorage Museum, Julie Decker, as saying, "We
think museums matter more now than ever before. In an age where
everything is on line, visitation rates to museums around the
world are rising. Museums are not storehouses of the past; they
are an active record of where we come from, who we are, and
where we are going. Museums activate curiosity about the world
in which we see and come to know ourselves as part of a
continuum of shared human identity." Ms. Lucky urged the
committee to support HB 166.
9:05:30 AM
MS. LUCKY, in response to a question from Representative
Saddler, surmised that the funding for the original construction
and the expansion of the Anchorage Museum was from the Rasmussen
Foundation.
9:06:17 AM
STEPHEN LUNDEEN, Member, Board of Directors, Pioneer Air Museum,
identified critical infrastructure needs of the museum. He
indicated that the museum lacks bathroom facilities and depends
on a neighboring facility to be open, and HB 166 would "broaden
potential funding avenues" to take care of such needs. He
related that another need is for a restoration facility for the
proper preservation, restoration, and, in some cases, assembly
of the museum's historical aircraft. For example, he said the
museum owns a 1929 Swallow - one of only 200 built - that needs
to be assembled. Mr. Lundeen stated that the Pioneer Air Museum
has been operating on a self-sustaining basis, and he indicated
that the museum can continue on its own after it receives state
funding. He encouraged support for HB 166.
9:09:40 AM
PETE HAGGLAND, Curator, Pioneer Air Museum, testified that the
museum is housed in a building that was never designed to be a
museum and lacks space for displays, restoration, and archives.
He said the archiving and cataloguing takes place with state
grants. He related that the museum is open from Memorial Day to
Labor Day. He echoed Mr. Lundeen's comments regarding the need
for restrooms, adding that there are not even facilities for the
hired help. Mr. Haggland said the Pioneer Air Museum charges an
entrance fee to the public, but not to school children or "the
disadvantaged." He said the museum receives 9,000 paid visitors
per year, not counting school children and runs classes for the
school district. He said HB 166 has the potential to help the
museum take care of some of its dire needs. He stated support
for HB 166, and he opined that the history of all of Alaska
needs to be preserved and protected for people to see.
9:13:18 AM
JAMES LOUNSBURY testified that he lives in Alaska in the
summertime and, after receiving a gift of land, converted a cook
house into a museum. He said he does not charge an entry fee.
He related that this year will be the second he has hosted the
Pioneers of Alaska, Igloo Number 8, from Fairbanks, Alaska. He
stated support of the [Pioneer Air] Museum in Fairbanks. He
shared that his whole family is in aviation; both his father and
mother flew planes; and his mother was the first female to solo
in Fairbanks. Mr. Lounsbury remarked on the ample storage space
at the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, in Anchorage, Alaska,
and said it would be great if Fairbanks could "get a little bit
of that stuff" in order to have room for the planes stored
there. He mentioned that he had played music at an opening of
an air museum last year. Mr. Lounsbury concluded by revealing
that he is a fourth-generation Alaskan.
9:15:55 AM
LAURIE STUART MORROW, Executive Director, Pratt Museum,
testified in support of HB 166. She said museums fill many
roles: drawing in tourists in the summer and bolstering support
for local, small businesses; and serving as gathering place for
community discussion in the winter. She said museums provide
venues for artists and scientists to "share their discoveries
and epiphanies for the benefit of the community."
MS. STUART MORROW said museums such as the Pratt are structured
as nonprofit organizations that share their mission to the
community, and because their focus is on outreach and
accessibility, they don't usually have money left over for
renovation or new construction. She said at least 36 museums in
Alaska, including the Pratt Museum, have identified significant
capital improvement needs, which means that over 30 communities
in the state are concerned about being able to provide adequate
services for the collections provided to them by the public.
MS. STUART MORROW remarked that as a centennial building, the
current structure housing the Pratt Museum is 50 years old, and
despite two add-on renovations over those 50 years, it lacks the
space necessary to "adequately care for cultural, historical,
and natural history collections from one generation to the
next." She said the museum has been working on a cultural
campaign for over 10 years, with the hope of creating a building
that will protect the heritage and provide the space necessary
for a community to gather and "co-create more resilient
community relationships."
MS. STUART MORROW said the [proposed] museum construction grant
program would provide a mechanism for museums in Alaska that
often lack tax dollars or a for-profit structure to request
support in continuing to be caretakers of "communities' valued
history, culture, and ongoing dialogue." She concluded, "For
this reason, we request passage of HB 166."
9:18:46 AM
CO-CHAIR FANSLER, after ascertaining that there was no one else
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 166.
9:19:02 AM
REPRESENTATIVE WESTLAKE said he has gone to the Pratt Museum and
the museum in Valdez. He said [museums] bring "what's important
to that area." He characterized HB 166 as a worthy cause. He
credited Representative Saddler as having said that "it is part
of education." He stated that as a person gets older, he/she
realizes "just how important this is." He expressed delight
that the proposed legislation is before the committee.
9:19:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO said he thinks [HB 166] is great. He
remarked that it could be a while before the state [has the
financial means] to be able to provide the money for an
appropriation. In response to a concern he said was expressed
to him via e-mail, he clarified on the record that under Title
14, which is referenced in HB 166, museums are defined as
"organized and permanent public institutions"; therefore, any
funds appropriated could not be used for private collections.
9:20:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND said as testimony reflected, there are
collections that are in danger. She opined that at some point
the legislature will have to figure out how to make the
appropriations. In the meantime, she said she thinks the
legislature needs to allow museums around the state to "get this
structure in place" and begin to move forward, so that when
funding does become available, "they can begin to do the work."
She expressed support of HB 166.
[HB 166 was held over.]
9:21:35 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH noted that as he spoke, the Alaska Association
of Student Governments was gathered at the Juneau-Douglas City
Museum, and he urged adjournment so members could attend the
final portion and lend their support for work of the student
government officials.
9:22:57 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 9:23 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB 166 Sponsor statement.pdf |
HCRA 3/21/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/23/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 166 |
| HB 166 lttrs supporting.pdf |
HCRA 3/21/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/23/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 166 |
| HB 166 Fiscal Note CED.pdf |
HCRA 3/21/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/23/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 166 |
| HB0166A.PDF |
HCRA 3/21/2017 8:00:00 AM HCRA 3/23/2017 8:00:00 AM |
HB 166 |