Legislature(2019 - 2020)ADAMS ROOM 519
02/12/2020 01:30 PM House FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB205 || HB206 | |
| Fy 21 Budget Overview: Department of Military and Veterans Affairs | |
| Fy 21 Budget Overview: Department of Labor and Workforce Development | |
| Fy 21 Budget Overview: Department of Natural Resources | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 205 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 206 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE
February 12, 2020
1:32 p.m.
1:32:25 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Foster called the House Finance Committee meeting
to order at 1:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair
Representative Jennifer Johnston, Co-Chair
Representative Dan Ortiz, Vice-Chair
Representative Ben Carpenter
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative Gary Knopp
Representative Bart LeBon
Representative Kelly Merrick
Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard
Representative Cathy Tilton
Representative Adam Wool
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Major General Torrence Saxe, Commissioner, Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs; Stephanie Richard,
Administrative Services Director, Department of Military
and Veterans Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,
Office of the Governor; Cathy Mu?oz, Deputy Commissioner,
Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Hannah
Lager, Administrative Services Director, Department of
Labor and Workforce Development, Office of Management and
Budget, Office of the Governor; Bill Endicott, Operations
Manager, Management Services, Department of Labor and
Workforce Development; Raquel Solomon-Gross, Administrative
Services Director, Department of Natural Resources, Office
of Management and Budget, Office of the Governor; Brent
Goodrum, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Natural
Resources.
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Corri Feige, Commissioner, Department of Natural Resources;
Sara Longan, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Natural
Resources.
SUMMARY
HB 205 APPROP: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS
HB 205 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
HB 206 APPROP: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET
HB 206 was HEARD and HELD in committee for
further consideration.
FY 21 BUDGET OVERVIEWS:
DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Co-Chair Foster reviewed the agenda for the meeting.
HOUSE BILL NO. 205
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
loan program expenses of state government and for
certain programs; capitalizing funds; making
appropriations under art. IX, sec. 17(c), Constitution
of the State of Alaska, from the constitutional budget
reserve fund; and providing for an effective date."
HOUSE BILL NO. 206
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and
capital expenses of the state's integrated
comprehensive mental health program; and providing for
an effective date."
1:33:28 PM
^FY 21 BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS
AFFAIRS
1:33:35 PM
MAJOR GENERAL TORRENCE SAXE, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF
MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, introduced himself.
STEPHANIE RICHARD, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR,
DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, OFFICE OF
MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, introduced a
PowerPoint presentation titled "FY2021 Operating Budget
Overview: Presentation to the House Finance Committee,"
dated February 12, 2020 (copy on file). She reviewed the
operating budget comparison between the FY 19 management
plan and FY 21 governor's request (slide 2). She
highlighted the increase in unrestricted general funds
(UGF) and designated general funds (DGF) due to the
transfer of the Alaska Land Mobile Radio System (ALMR) and
State of Alaska Telecommunications Systems (SATS)
components to the Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs (DMVA).
Ms. Richard shared that she intended to highlight some
significant budget changes in future slides. Changes
included the transfer of the ALMR and SATS components, the
reduction of matching funds due to business process
realignment and efficiencies in the Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management, the reduction of
authority due to a divestiture process in armories, and the
reduction of authority due to janitorial contract savings.
1:35:18 PM
Ms. Richard addressed the FY 21 fund source breakdown by
fund category on slide 3. She pointed out an increase in
the General Fund due to the ALMR and SATS transfer. The
budget included a reduction in "other" funds reflecting a
technical cleanup where the department's interagency
receipt authority had been aligned with anticipated
revenue.
Commissioner Saxe turned to slide 4 and reviewed the
department's mission to protect and defend Alaska. The
department had military forces in the state and was
deploying on a regular basis. The department provided
homeland security and defense, emergency preparedness,
veterans affairs, administrative services, and the youth
academy providing training and education on a regular
basis. The department had about 4,000 military and 200
state workers. He noted that Air Force service members
accounted for slightly more of the 4,000 individuals and
the remaining individuals were in the Army.
1:36:37 PM
Commissioner Saxe addressed the ALMR transfer from the
Department of Administration (DOA) to DMVA (slide 5). He
stated there was a military nexus with three portions
including Anchorage, the [U.S.] Department of Defense
(DOD), and the State of Alaska. He remarked that the
military would use the ALMR system in the event of an
emergency; however, it was not the only user. He elaborated
that the system would be used by the Department of Public
Safety (DPS) and any part of the state requiring emergency
communication. He explained that ALMR was the radio and
SATS was the telephone line.
Ms. Richard elaborated that the transfer of ALMR included
the transfer of $2.3 million in general funds, $60,000 in
general fund program receipts (a collection of fees for the
service), and federal receipt authority of $1.9 million.
She relayed that the function aligned with DMVA's mission
to provide homeland security and defense and emergency
response.
Co-Chair Johnston noted that the ALMR system had originally
been under DOA. It was her understanding the system needed
to be upgraded and that DOD was waiting to see what the
state would do. She asked if DMVA was the appropriate
department to house ALMR.
Commissioner Saxe answered that DMVA was an adequate
location for the ALMR system. He believed the nexus with
the military made DMVA a particularly strong department. He
shared that he had regular communication with General
Bussiere, commander of the Alaska Command. They had
discussed that because of the military nexus and homeland
security within the department, DMVA was a good location
for the system. For example, DMVA was one of the agencies
that needed the communication during the earthquake [of
2018 in Anchorage].
Co-Chair Johnston assumed DMVA would work with DPS and the
Municipality of Anchorage in terms of coordination.
Commissioner Saxe answered he had spoken extensively with
DPS about ALMR. He reported that DPS had done significant
background work, which it had provided. He intended to work
hand in hand with DPS going forward.
1:39:28 PM
Commissioner Saxe remarked that SATS was the telephone line
that would need to be upgraded.
Ms. Richard relayed that with the transfer of SATS, the
satellite infrastructure, there was a transfer of $4.7
million in general funds, $90,000 in program receipts, and
24 permanent full-time positions.
Commissioner Saxe added that DMVA had reached out to the 24
people and was taking them under its wing.
1:40:17 PM
Commissioner Saxe moved to slide 7 and discussed the
reduction in authority for the Alaska State Defense Force
stipend. He explained that the Alaska State Defense Force
was comprised of members of the state militia who were
always in state status. The individuals would deploy only
within Alaska barring an extreme situation. For example,
some of the members had deployed to Puerto Rico several
years back during its crisis. The department was looking to
focus on efficiencies. He relayed that DMVA wanted to store
equipment at Alcantra. He noted there was $30,000 available
in the commissioner's fund, which was the norm for the
State Defense Force. The department was resetting back to
the norm and looking for efficiencies.
Representative Carpenter asked if the transfer of ALMR and
SATS changed the federal mission in any way. He wondered if
the department would seek additional bodies or mission sets
from the federal government in regard to the capabilities
being required from the state level.
Commissioner Saxe answered the transfer should not change
anything. The three entities were DOD, Anchorage, and the
State of Alaska.
Commissioner Saxe moved to slide 8 and shared that one
administrative position would be deleted. He reported that
the individual holding the position had been notified. He
added that the National Guard could take on the
administrative duties such as picking up mail.
1:41:51 PM
Commissioner Saxe turned to slide 9 showing the reduction
of $400,000 in authority for business process realignment
and efficiencies. He explained that the action would reduce
UGF and replace it with federal funding. He elaborated that
there was no operational limitation. They had spent
significant time researching grant by grant and capability
by capability. The only true scope change was related to
travel for administrative purposes. For example, someone
could travel to Juneau for the current meeting; however,
under the proposed reduction, they would have to call in
via teleconference. He explained that there would be no
change to the afterhours call center and state emergency
operations center, Amber Alert, river watch, and fleet
management for department vehicles. He relayed that a
substantial amount of good data had gone into the decision
to move from state to federal funding.
1:42:53 PM
Commissioner Saxe moved to slide 10 and shared positive
news that DMVA previously had 83 armories in Alaska that it
was working to reduce to 18. He explained that the process
of giving back an armory to a given entity varied, but
typically the process involved an environmental study by
the Army Corps of Engineers and the armory was given back
based on the landowner. The department was aware that
communities wanted the armories back quickly and it was
working towards the goal. The slide showed completed
transfers, armories ready for divestment, and the 18 the
department would retain. He noted that by in large the 18
DMVA would retain were located in the larger [population]
areas.
Co-Chair Foster asked if the process to go through the Army
Corps of Engineers was typically 12 months or less/more.
Commissioner Saxe answered that the process was typically
longer. The department spoke in terms of years because it
was largely outside of its control. He had tasked staff to
focus on the armories coming up and to push it forward with
the Army Corps of Engineers. He remarked that many times
the squeaky wheel got the grease. He had been contacted at
almost every event he had attended by someone in the
community looking for the armory to come back. He provided
the best estimate he could, and staff were contacting
people to provide an accurate estimate.
Co-Chair Foster asked if the process had to go through DOA
and the Division of Public Facilities under the Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities.
Commissioner Saxe answered that the process primarily was
limited to the Army Corps of Engineers; however, it
operated on a case-by-case basis. He explained that there
were different paths depending on whether the land was
federal, state, or Native owned.
Representative Wool had not been aware there were so many
armories around the state and in villages. He wondered
about their primary function. He used St. Mary's as an
example. He asked if the department was storing arms.
Commissioner Saxe answered that it varied. He explained
that in the past, the state had guardsmen - Army guard in
particular - at the armories. He elaborated that about 15
to 20 years back most of the guardsmen had been brought
back to Anchorage and Fairbanks. He relayed that many of
the armories were vacant and DMVA wanted to give the ones
shown [in the "Divest" category] back as soon as possible.
He remarked that it was the number one issue for some
villages - they wanted access to the armory in their
village as the buildings were a good place to gather and
were typically good structures. The reduction of $50,000
shown on the slide reflected future gains that would result
from giving armories back.
Representative Wool stated his understanding that armories
had historically been used for guardsmen and the function
had changed. He surmised that the buildings were vacant and
currently unavailable to communities. He asked for
verification that DMVA was essentially giving the buildings
to the communities to use the space as needed.
1:46:33 PM
Commissioner Saxe agreed. He clarified that it varied based
on who owned the land. He wanted to establish hubs at some
of the larger armories and put guardsmen back in "this"
area of Alaska. They were not contracting completely; the
department was trying to reverse the trend a bit and get
people to sign up and join accordingly. He noted that 83
armories were too many, based on current force structure.
Co-Chair Foster added that there were a couple of the
armory facilities in his district. He explained that the
buildings were very small and usually completely abandoned
and were without electricity, heat, or water. He elaborated
that the community was more than happy to take the
facilities to use for youth programs or a place for elders
to meet. He thought it was a win-win situation.
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked if the movement to divest from
various armories throughout rural Alaska would have an
impact on individuals' ability to serve in the guard. For
example, he wondered if divesting from the armory in Akiak
would impact an Akiak resident's ability to serve in the
guard.
Commissioner Saxe replied that DMVA was trying to make it
as easy as possible for people to join. For example, they
planned to start up the "milk run" again to go to bigger
hubs within the state. He explained that the department was
not consolidating to Anchorage; it was consolidating to
rural hubs (e.g. Nome, Bethel, Galena). He explained that
if a person were in a nearby village, the goal would be for
that person to have the ability to drill in a hub
community. Anecdotally, there were hundreds of people in
Western Alaska who were interested in joining. He stated it
was an excitement they had not seen in years.
Vice-Chair Ortiz asked for the reason in increased
excitement.
Commissioner Saxe believed it was getting out there and
making sure people understood the guard was "part of you as
Alaskans and we invite you to become part of us." The
department had sent additional recruiters to that area of
Alaska and it was hosting events that he and other staff
attended to invite residents to join. He noted that it was
a practice that had not taken place in a while.
1:49:04 PM
Commissioner Saxe addressed the reduction in authority for
janitorial contract savings on slide 11. He clarified that
the department was not looking to eliminate the contract in
its entirety. The goal was to have the guard step up and do
more of the cleaning itself.
Ms. Richard added that the proposal to reduce authority for
janitorial contracts would result in General Fund savings
of $123,000 and federal receipt authority of $378,000. She
explained that the effort was similar to work the State of
Alaska had done several years back. The idea was to focus
on cleaning common areas instead of the entire areas and
reducing the frequency of visits. The department targeted a
50 percent reduction from its prior year expenditure. She
explained that the numbers on slide 11 were the
department's targeted figures. She explained that if the
proposal went forward, the DMVA procurement team would
cancel the current contracts and put the contracts back out
to bid. The department did not know which facilities the
savings would come from; it would depend on the bid
response.
Commissioner Saxe addressed the authority to align with
anticipated expenditures on slide 12. He detailed that the
Air Guard had the ability to increase efficiencies, which
the department was aiming to do. He noted the funds to be
eliminated (shown on slide 12) were excess and would have
no operational impact.
Representative Sullivan-Leonard considered the
responsibilities and duties of the department. She asked
for an update on the Alaska Military Youth Academy (AMYA).
She asked how it was working and how it was translating
into success for program participants. She asked if there
were aspects that needed improvement.
Commissioner Saxe relayed that his wife had sponsored two
of the cadets over the past couple of years. He had
witnessed the lifechanging impact the program had on
participants. He shared that he had been a fan of the youth
academy prior to taking his current position. He elaborated
that the state of the academy was healthy. He highlighted
that one thing that they had changed was sending guardsmen
in much larger numbers to help out with mentoring and
physical training. He expounded that youth participants
were getting help on levels that they had not received in
the past. He had regular meetings with academy staff, and
he observed that morale appeared high. He had asked the
academy to have authority and responsibility at the same
level. He explained that if someone had responsibility for
something, they should also have authority for that same
thing - from the director level down to the trainers who
met with cadets. He had a good communication relationship
with academy staff and visited on a regular basis. He
believed morale was high.
Representative Sullivan-Leonard shared that she was also a
big fan of the program. She asked if there had been an
increase or decrease in the number of AMYA participants.
Commissioner Saxe answered that the enrollment numbers were
pretty steady at around 135 to 150. He stated that the
number was healthy. He had asked AMYA staff what the right
number is, and the existing enrollment was approximately
the target they were looking for. He explained the number
should not be so high that staff could not address students
on an individual basis. He reported that the department had
made healthcare much more robust within the program. He
found it inspirational to see that program staff were
completely vested in caring for the students.
1:53:26 PM
Co-Chair Foster looked at the operating budget comparison
on slide 2. He asked whether the FY 21 budget reflected an
increase or decrease if the ALMR transfer was backed out.
Ms. Richard answered there would be a decrease in the
budget if it did not include the transfer of ALMR and SATS.
Co-Chair Foster asked for the amount.
Ms. Richard answered that the reduction included $400,000
UGF in the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency
Management, approximately $123,000 related to janitorial
services, $10,000 in the Office of the Commissioner for the
Alaska State Defense Force stipend, and approximately
$3,000 for the administrative assistant position that was
primarily funded with federal funds.
Co-Chair Foster stated his understanding that the budget
was down UGF when ALMR was backed out. He thanked
Commissioner Saxe for traveling to Nome and talking about
getting some people out into the hubs. He remarked that the
effort would not require state money; it looked like
federal funds would be coming in that would allow the
department to increase its presence.
Vice-Chair Ortiz looked at slides 5 and 6 related to the
ALMR and SATS transfer into DMVA. He asked about the
impetus of the transfer.
1:55:32 PM
Commissioner Saxe answered the department had the
connection to the military and close association with its
active duty counterparts including the Alaska Command led
by Commander General Busseire and homeland security. He
elaborated that in the event of a largescale disaster, if
necessary, they would establish a dual status commander to
be in charge of state and federal forces. He explained that
in an ultimate emergency it would fall on DMVA. For that
reason, it made sense to have ALMR and SATS in the
department.
Representative LeBon asked for an update on the 168th air
refueling wing at the Eielson Air Force Base. He asked how
the mission was going and what the future looked like.
Commissioner Saxe replied that he was a former wing
commander at Eielson. He detailed that KC-135 airplanes
continued to shine. He elaborated that the newest airplane
was a 1963 model. He shared an analogy of what it would be
like to drive a 1963 car. The department was working with
active duty. He relayed that if Pacific Air Forces decided
to put the new KC-46 at Eielson, DMVA was very open to an
association on its current airplanes and the KC-46. He unit
was hovering around the high 80s, the best it had been for
a long time, and the retention rate was about 97 percent.
Clear Air Force Station was also underneath the wing.
Commissioner Saxe reported that the United States Space
Force would be coming to Alaska. He detailed that Alaska
was one of eight states with a space mission at Clear. The
mission would likely be going to the Space National Guard,
which would be connected directly into Fort Greely - a
spotter/sniper relationship. He informed the committee that
for a relatively small wing, it was healthy and moving
forward. He reported that because there were so many things
happening within the Interior on the military side, it was
an exciting time to be part of the wing.
1:57:36 PM
Representative LeBon asked if the arrival of the F-35s
helped with the air refueling mission. He mentioned the
possibility of getting the KC-46. He asked if there was a
connection between the two.
Commissioner Saxe believed there was a connection, but it
was the Pacific Air Force's call. He relayed that there was
currently a need for refueling. He expressed excitement
that Alaska would have more "5th-gen" fighters than any
other location worldwide. It was necessary to ask the
question and be able to address how to refuel to do
aircraft coming in.
Representative Carpenter asked if the new Space Force
impacted the Army National Guard current mission at Fort
Greely.
Commissioner Saxe answered that about six months back the
plan had been to transfer to the Space Force, but that was
no longer the case. However, there had been an
unanticipated change announced earlier in the day, that
entailed the transfer of about 100 Army guardsmen to the
Space Force. He relayed that there would be more
information to follow. He reported that he was watching the
situation carefully.
Representative Wool asked if the Space Force was its own
separate branch.
Commissioner Saxe replied that the Space Force was its own
separate branch, but it was still evolving. He referenced
the analogy of the Air Force evolving out of the Army. He
elaborated that it would be a small force, but he believed
it would expand in numbers as it expanded in mission.
Co-Chair Foster thanked the department for its
presentation.
^FY 21 BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
1:59:32 PM
CATHY MUNOZ, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (DLWD), thanked the committee for the
opportunity to present. She relayed Commissioner Tamika
Ledbetter was currently in Washington D.C. attending
meetings of the National Association of Workforce Agencies.
She shared that the commissioner had recently been
appointed national chair of the Workforce Development
Committee, which had been a great opportunity for the
department to interact with other states on workforce
development best practices.
Ms. Munoz introduced other staff from the department
present at the meeting. The department intended to give an
overview of its divisions and programs and a summary of the
FY 21 budget proposals from the adjusted base. She provided
a PowerPoint presentation titled "Alaska Department of
Labor and Workforce Development Department Overview: House
Finance Committee," dated February 12, 2020 (copy on file).
She reviewed the department's mission to provide safe and
legal working conditions and to advance opportunities for
employment (slide 2). The department's mission was carried
out through its core services, which included protecting
Alaskan workers through the Alaska Occupational Safety and
Health organization, workforce development, and income
replacement.
Ms. Munoz highlighted that the department's proposed FY 21
budget totaled $150.5 million. She detailed that 62 percent
of the total was dedicated to workforce development. The
agency received a great deal of federal pass-through
funding that was shared with training providers around the
state. The funds were also provided to job centers and
money went out to individual Alaskans who were able to
access the services for training.
2:02:36 PM
Ms. Munoz highlighted four components of the DLWD
organization on slide 3. The first component, titled
"Protect Workers," included the Alaska Labor Relations
Agency, the Workers' Compensation Division, and the Labor
Standards and Safety Division. The second component, titled
"Workforce Development," included the Alaska Workforce
Investment Board, Division of Employment Training and
Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Alaska
Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC) in Seward. She
elaborated that the Alaska Workforce Investment Board was
the only board of its kind in Alaska (many states had
multiple workforce development boards) that coordinated and
worked with training providers. The board had
representatives from K-12 public education, the University
of Alaska, public and private training programs, industry,
and the State of Alaska. She reported that AVTEC had
recently been named in the top 10 percent for colleges,
universities, and training programs around the country, for
return on investment. The department was very proud of the
designation. She expounded that the designation had been
awarded by Georgetown University's Center on Education and
the Workforce. She elaborated that AVTEC had been ranked 41
out of 4,500 schools and universities nationwide.
Ms. Munoz addressed the third category, "Income
Replacement," that included Unemployment Insurance, and
Disability Determinations (slide 3). The fourth category,
titled "Leadership and Support," included the
Commissioner's Office, Management Services, Data
Processing, Labor Market Information, and Leasing. She
detailed that Labor Market Information was the research and
analysis division, the publisher of the Trends magazine,
and the producer of up to date job data. She encouraged the
committee to look at the department's website to find a
wealth of economic data.
2:05:03 PM
Ms. Munoz moved to slide 4 and discussed department
priorities. The department's top priority was promoting a
culture of excellence in customer service. The department
prided itself on being very responsive to the public - the
open for business philosophy permeated throughout the
department's work. The department had 732 employees, of
which, 662 were full-time, 48 were part-time (mostly
seasonal unemployment insurance employees), and 22 were
temporary. She explained that most of the temporary
positions were student interns; the commissioner had placed
a priority on bringing in high school and college interns,
which had been very successful.
Ms. Munoz highlighted that the department was proud of
promoting a culture of business friendly service. She
detailed that in 2019, DLWD had increased its efforts in
the Alaska Occupational Safety and Hazard Division through
a more cooperative strategy with the regulative community.
Additionally, the department had completed 392 Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforcement
inspections of worksites to ensure safe working conditions.
The efforts resulted in the lowest workplace lost-time
injury since 2012. The department also placed a high
priority on preparing Alaskans for jobs in their
communities. One of the commissioner's priorities was
ensuring that Alaskans knew about the many opportunities
and services throughout DLWD, including training, job
preparation, counseling, adaptive technology for the
employment of the disabled, and more. The department
focused on the efficient and effective delivery of
services. She elaborated that DLWD was working to build
collaboration between the divisions. Work was currently
underway to merge the Workers' Compensation Division with
the Labor, Standards, and Safety Division.
Ms. Munoz expounded that DLWD was also working with other
departments to collaborate and coordinate ways to better
serve Alaskans. For example, the department was
collaborating with the Department of Health and Social
Services on the At Risk Youth Initiative to provide
employment, housing, and training opportunities for youth
transitioning out of foster care and high school. The
department was also incredibly proud of the Youth
Homelessness Demonstration Project. The project was a
successful cooperative effort with the Alaska Housing
Finance Corporation (AHFC) to receive a perpetual grant of
$1.65 million to combat youth homelessness in Alaska.
Additionally, the department was working with other states
where it could. She cited the commissioner's work with the
National Association of State Workforce Agencies and recent
appointment to the Employment and Training Committee as
examples.
2:08:36 PM
Ms. Munoz reported that the department was excited to work
with the legislature to promote opportunities for Alaskans
to get trained and connected to the opportunities in the
economy. She relayed that DLWD looked forward to continuing
to develop a locally grown workforce.
HANNAH LAGER, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT
AND BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, reviewed a chart
showing a three-year lookback of the department's budget on
slide 5. She remarked that the three bars looked similar
because a significant portion of the DLWD budget was
federal funding. Federal funds accounting for the largest
portion of the budget at 50 percent as shown in yellow.
Designated general funds (DGF) shown in orange, accounted
for 25 percent, other funds shown in gray accounted for 12
percent, and unrestricted general funds (UGF) accounted for
about 13 percent. She reported that in 2019 there had been
a small uptick in UGF funding in the amount of $250,000 in
the Labor Market Information component for one-time 2020
census outreach. The department's request for FY 21 was
$18.6 million, which was a drop of $2.1 million or 10
percent from FY 19.
Ms. Lager provided a breakdown of the $2.1 million
decrease. She detailed that $1.4 million was a net zero
fund change between UGF and DGF related to the correction
of the categorization of certified payroll fees. She
explained that the change was an accounting cleanup. She
elaborated that $250,000 was the difference in the one-time
census item in FY 19.
2:11:00 PM
Ms. Lager turned to slide 6 showing the FY 21 fund source
breakdown by fund category. She pointed to the table at the
top of the slide and noted that the department had no
formula programs. She added that TVEP funding was kind of
like a formula program, but it was not technically
categorized as such. The total operating budget of $150
million was reflected on the nonformula line. She
highlighted duplicate funding shown on the third line of
the table. She detailed that the money reflected one
section of the state paying another section of the state
for services provided. Duplicate funding accounted for
approximately 10 percent of the budget, including
interagency receipts and capital improvement project (CIP)
receipts (money spent from previously appropriated capital
projects). For example, the administration of the
department was paid for by other sections of the
department; therefore, the money was counted twice. She
noted that without the duplicate funding line, the budget
was approximately $135 million.
Ms. Lager pointed to the bottom of slide 6 showing a
variety of funding sources. Many of the fund sources were
in the DGF category and were funds specified for specific
payments or programs.
Ms. Lager moved to slide 7 and reviewed changes from the
adjusted base. Item 1 showed a reduction of funds for the
commissioner's office. She explained that in previous years
the funds had been used for legal expenses for a specific
litigation that was no longer underway. Item 2 reflected
the elimination of a position in the Anchorage procurement
office as a result of streamlining. She detailed that the
department was eliminating reception in the specific
office. Item 3 showed the reduction of general funds in the
Data Processing Section, which would increase reliance on
federal funds - making people pay for their own projects
through federal awards or other funding sources. Item 4
showed a small increment for research and analysis to
benefit the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA)
and its beneficiaries.
Ms. Lager continued to review items on slide 7. Item 5
reflected the elimination of the online training
clearinghouse from the Labor Market Information Section.
She explained that the tool had likely been very useful to
the public 10 years back, but now most of the information
could be found via an online search. She added that the
tool was not statutorily required. Item 6 pertained to the
consolidation of two administrative positions into one in
the Juneau Labor Market Information Office in order to
increase efficiencies.
Ms. Lager moved to item 7 on slide 7. She explained that
the previous year, HB 79 had passed, which phased out the
Second Injury Fund for the department. The department had
put forward a fiscal note that would have gradually reduced
its authority from the fund over a period of years until it
was reduced to a zero balance. The department had taken
another look and recognized that most of the payments
coming out of the fund were lifetime payments for total
disability; therefore, DLWD would need to continue its
authority to make the payments until the fund was out of
money. Item 7 reflected half of the transaction and the
other half was -$400,000, which resided before adjusted
base (it was not included on the slide but was included in
the budget book). She explained that the two sums netted
out to zero. The slide reflected what the department would
have done if the fiscal note had been adopted.
Ms. Lager concluded with item 8 on slide 7. The item
reflected a correction to the categorization of certified
payroll fees. She elaborated that for years the department
had collected the fees and put them into the General Fund,
and it had spent from the General Fund. She elaborated that
they had reviewed the statute and the fees met the
definition of program receipts under the program receipts
statute; therefore, they were switching the categorization
in order to reflect the budget more accurately.
2:15:20 PM
Ms. Lager moved to slide 8 and continued to review changes
from the adjusted base. Item 9 reflected the adjustment of
administrative and investigative positions in its Fairbanks
office for wage and hour administration. She elaborated
that an office assistant position in the office had been
vacant for more than a year; therefore, the department
planned to delete the position and to use other staff in
the area to help support the administrative needs of the
section. Additionally, an investigator position was also
being reclassified to a wage and hour technician, which
would result in some changes in legal fees in the office.
Ms. Lager addressed item 10 on slide 8. The component only
had $3,000 UGF remaining. Anecdotally, it likely cost the
department more than $3,000 to administer the structures
and to track and budget for them annually; therefore, the
amount would be cleared out. Item 11 pertained to the
unemployment insurance component and would delete two
positions and associated federal authority. She expounded
that the positions had been vacant for close to two years
and the department wanted to ensure it was accurately
reflecting its needs in the budget. Item 12 fell under the
vocational rehabilitation component. The department had
closed its Kodiak office on December 31, 2019; the item
would delete the two positions and budget authority.
Ms. Lager moved to items 13 and 14 on slide 8 related to
AVTEC. She explained that AVTEC was focused on making sure
that student fees charged support themselves for student
consumables such as gas supplies for welding shops.
Additionally, AVTEC was putting forward a regulatory
package that would include a 4 percent tuition increase.
The department was working to ensure that AVTEC would
continue to be affordable and competitive, but also making
sure students covered a bit more of their costs. Item 14
also pertained to AVTEC. She detailed that AVTEC was
focused on leveraging contractual training opportunities to
help support some of its program operations.
Ms. Lager reviewed item 15 on slide 8. She explained that
the increment pertained to AVTEC continuing to evaluate its
programs. She expounded that as one of its instructors was
retiring, AVTEC had realized that with a slight calendar
shift it could have one instructor teach two programs.
2:17:25 PM
Co-Chair Johnston asked for the current formula for the
STEP [State Employment and Training Program].
Ms. Munoz replied that STEP funding was financed through
the portion of the employment security tax. She elaborated
that 0.5 percent of wages was taken from employees' pay.
She detailed that STEP was 0.10 percent of the 0.5 percent
or approximately $8 million per year.
Co-Chair Johnston asked when the STEP percentage had last
been adjusted.
Ms. Lager replied that the department would follow up with
the information.
Co-Chair Johnston noted she had heard some interest in
making an adjustment to the percentage.
Ms. Lager highlighted the department's proposed FY 21
capital budget on slide 9. The proposal was limited to an
increment for the Vocational Rehabilitation Business
Enterprise Program facility development and equipment
replacement. She briefly referenced slide 10 showing
information on significant budget changes in FY 20. Slide
11 showed TVEP funding history from FY 17 to FY 21. She
pointed out that FY 21 was the same as FY 20 for the time
being. The department knew that reauthorization of the
program was needed, and that legislation was currently in
progress to do so. She informed the committee that the
program was currently scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2020.
Representative Knopp noted there was a line item in the
subcommittee budget that was not currently before the
committee. He asked for an explanation of the function of
the business partnership program.
Ms. Munoz replied that the business partnership was through
the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. She elaborated
that the function was to ensure priority for disabled
vendors in the bidding of contracts for food service in
state facilities.
2:20:48 PM
Representative Knopp noted that in FY 16 the employment
security and business partnership program had been combined
and moved into the Division of Employment and Training
Services. He thought the move likely made sense. He noted
that the department was moving $10 million to the
commissioner and administrative services from employment
and training services. He was concerned about getting away
from the intent of the program.
Ms. Munoz deferred the question to a colleague.
BILL ENDICOTT, OPERATIONS MANAGER, MANAGEMENT SERVICES,
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, replied that
the Business Enterprise Program was administered under
Director Duane Mayes in the Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation. He referenced a merger that had occurred in
FY 16. He detailed that there had been a separate Division
of Business Partnerships. The division had been
consolidated into the Employment Security Division and it
had been renamed the Division of Employment and Training
Services. Part of the consolidation related to finding
efficiencies. He believed the merging of the divisions had
saved $600,000 through the consolidation of some of the
leadership positions and other. He stated that about 23
positions had been moved into a division with closer to 400
positions. The change had also enabled streamlining and
efficiencies. The business partnership's primary purpose
was to confer with the Alaska Workforce Investment Board
and provide for priority programs for federal dollars
received. He elaborated that business partnership would
receive the federal funding and employment security, now
Division of Employment and Training Services, would use the
funds to do the training.
2:23:26 PM
Representative Knopp remarked that employment and training
services was being moved into the commissioner and
administrative services budget at about $10 million. He
asked if the department was downsizing the business
partnership programs or no longer used them. He wondered if
the department was getting away from the original intent of
the program.
Mr. Endicott responded that it was his understanding that
the leadership's approach was to provide for streamlined
services. He elaborated that the Alaska Workforce
Investment Board fell under the commissioner's office. The
board provided for identification of priority training
services. Part of the workforce development component in
employment and training services was called the grants unit
and was specifically moved under the board to streamline
decision making with the grant delivery process. The
structure was designed to reduce the overall coordination
and collaboration of activities within the same department.
2:25:07 PM
Vice-Chair Ortiz commended and thanked Ms. Munoz for help
she had provided a couple of his constituents over the
summer.
Co-Chair Foster noted that Ms. Munoz had previously served
on the House Finance Committee.
Co-Chair Foster thanked the department for its
presentation.
^FY 21 BUDGET OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
2:26:15 PM
CORRI FEIGE, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
(via teleconference), provided opening comments. She
thanked the committee for its time. She introduced a
PowerPoint presentation titled "FY2021 Operating Budget
Overview, Department of Natural Resources: Presentation to
House Finance," dated February 12, 2020 (copy on file). She
reviewed the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) mission
to develop, conserve, and maximize the use of Alaska's
natural resources, consistent with the public interest. She
stated that with its mission in mind, DNR had worked hard
to develop an operating budget focusing on its statutorily
mandated programs. The department was working to remove the
roadblocks to the fulfillment of the state's land
entitlement, growing the state's economy and revenue
streams, and providing high quality level of service to
Alaskans.
Commissioner Feige reported that over the past year, DNR
had strategically deployed resources within the department
to better manage areas of growing economic development like
aquatic farming. The department had placed a heavy emphasis
on doing more with what it had. She stated that DNR was
placing a sharp focus on recruitment and retention to save
the state money. She explained that turnover cost the state
money. The department wanted to improve the quality of its
workforce as well as its outputs.
RAQUEL SOLOMON-GROSS, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR,
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND
BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, noted that her colleagues
would review their own divisions. She highlighted that DNR
had prepared a program guide for the past four years. She
detailed that the document provided a deeper dive into each
of the department's programs and their budgets. The
document would be provided to the committee.
Ms. Solomon-Gross began on with the FY 21 operating budget
comparison on slide 2. She read from prepared remarks:
Our department's mission: develop, conserve, and
maximize the use of Alaska's natural resources
consistent with the public interest. The Department of
Natural Resources generates a large portion of the
state's revenue from multiple funding sources,
including oil and gas royalties, material sales,
mining leases, seismic data sales, park fees, and
recording fees, just to name a few.
On a ten-year average, the department brings in $28
for every general fund dollar we are appropriated.
This is a direct indication of activity happening
across the state. I want to point out that all dollars
in this presentation will be represented in thousands.
The chart in front of you compares the department's FY
19 and FY 20 management plan budgets to the FY 21
governor budget by each of the four funding
categories, with the corresponding dollar amounts
shown at the bottom. Those categories are unrestricted
general funds, designated general funds, other, and
federal. Comparing the FY 19 management plan and the
FY 21 governor budget there is an overall increase of
less than 1 percent.
2:31:21 PM
Ms. Solomon-Gross turned to slide 3 and reviewed the
department's FY 21 fund source breakdown by fund category
with prepared remarks:
Our total FY 21 general fund budget of just over $101
million, which includes both unrestricted and
designated general funds, is 62 percent of our total
budget. This number is important because every
reduction we have equates to people and our capacity
to do work. DNR's operating budget is funded with 20
different fund sources.
In the DGF or designated general fund category,
general fund program receipts make up the largest
portion of this category. Some examples are park fees,
material sales, mining leases, recording fees, and
seismic data sales. With a few exceptions, all
designated general fund revenue collected above what
we are appropriated and spend, goes back into the
general fund. The exceptions to that would be
divisions that have carryforward language in the
budget bill. For example, with that additional
language in the bill, the Division of Parks is able to
carryforward what's been collected in previous years
above what they are appropriated to spend in order to
fill that general fund program receipt bucket in
future years to get them through those slower
generating revenue years. An example of when this is
needed is in a high fire season certain park areas may
need to be closed to the public; therefore, bringing
in less revenue.
We also have the State Land Disposal Income Fund,
which is revenue from state land sales. We have
vehicle rental tax, which is a 10 percent fee on
passenger vehicle rentals used for tourism, marketing,
and development. We also have timber receipts, which
is the sale of timber on state lands.
Moving down to the "other" category. A large portion
of this category is statutory designated program
receipts (SDPR). This revenue comes from memorandum of
agreements we have with nongovernmental agencies. For
example, our Office of Project Management and
Permitting is largely funded with SDPR and has
agreements to coordinate permitting activities across
the state.
2:33:39 PM
Ms. Solomon-Gross advanced to slide 4 and discussed the FY
21 operating budget by core services with prepared remarks:
Here we have, listed in priority order, DNR's four
core services for each of the four fund categories.
Those four areas are: fostering responsible commercial
development, mitigate threat to the public from
natural hazards, provide access to state lands for
public and private use, and ensure sufficient data
acquisition and assessment.
Ms. Solomon-Gross highlighted that under the mitigate
natural hazard threat category, of the $50.2 million, $46.8
million was dedicated to fire. The second column from the
right showed the percentage of general funds allocated to
each core service, including unrestricted and designated
general funds.
2:34:32 PM
Ms. Solomon-Gross moved to a comparison of the FY 20
management plan and the governor's FY 21 proposed budget on
slide 5. She read from prepared remarks:
The biggest change you'll notice here is the net
decrease in unrestricted general funds of $4,226,000.
The FY 21 amount is reduced by the balance of a
multiyear operating appropriation DNR received in FY
17 for Arctic Strategic Transportation and Resources
(ASTAR). This operating appropriation terminates at
the end of FY 20.
Also included in the FY 21 governor budget are
increment requests for each division to offset the
increased cost related to union salary increases and
health insurance costs. The total increment for the
department is $415,000. Those increments are allocated
by fund source based on how positions are currently
funded. For example, if a position is 100 percent
federally funded, the department is allocated only
federal funds for those increased costs associated
with that position.
As we go through each division, we'll speak to the
other changes included in the FY 21 governor budget.
2:35:50 PM
Ms. Solomon-Gross reviewed a comparison of positions on
slide 5:
Over to the right of the slide we have the comparison
of positions between FY 20 management plan and the FY
21 governor budget. Since FY 16, DNR has reduced our
workforce by 104 permanent full-time positions.
Between FY 20 and FY 21 there is a net increase of
three positions. You'll notice that there is a
negative 14 non-perm positions and a positive 14
permanent part-time positions. This is due to a couple
of requests in the FY 21 governor budget to replace
non-perm positions with permanent seasonal positions
in order to support a more sustainable workforce.
Ms. Solomon-Gross moved to slide 6 showing additional
detail on positions broken out by division. She noted that
more of the information would be addressed in the division
specific slides.
2:36:48 PM
Ms. Solomon-Gross moved to the Support Services Division
budget on slide 7 and read from prepared remarks:
The first division slide we have is the Division of
Support Services. Our mission: provide client focused
efficient and cost-effective financial, budget,
procurement, human resource, information technology,
and recording services to the Department of Natural
Resources and the public. The Information Resource
Management Section used to include IT staff for the
department before IT was centralized statewide and
those positions were transferred to the Department of
Administration to the Office of Information
Technology. This section is now made up of our
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Unit.
The division is what would normally be referred to as
the Division of Administrative Services in other state
agencies, but DNR is also responsible for the
statewide Recorder's Office, which no other agency
has, which is why in years past the name was changed
to Support Services.
Much of the change you see here between FY 20 and FY
21 is for those salary and health insurance increase
costs that I referred to earlier. For this division
specifically, it was about $20,000 in total. That net
decrease in the other fund category is in part due to
a transfer or a repurposing of excess interagency
receipt authority that was transferred to the Public
Information Center (PIC). The PIC is in part funded by
other DNR divisions, so as their need for additional
staff is increased, this transfer will provide them
the mechanism to collect and spend those from other
DNR divisions.
2:38:26 PM
Commissioner Feige provided an overview of the
commissioner's office budget on slide 8. The biggest change
was the closeout of the ASTAR project. She explained that
within the commissioner's office there were three central
areas of focus. She described the first as one of the more
important areas of focus, which included ensuring due
process to Alaskans and the assurance that DNR was carrying
out its statutorily mandated programs. The focus on due
process included ensuring the department was processing
administrative appeals associated with the leases, permits,
or other transactions taken on by the department. She
explained that beginning in January of 2019, DNR inherited
a backlog of 155 administrative appeals and in the past
year it had adjudicated 52 of the 155. At present, there
was a log of about 115 active appeals. She noted the work
took a significant amount of staff time.
Commissioner Feige continued to address the commissioner's
office budget on slide 8. The office also focused on
actively promoting Alaska's resources and resource
development to domestic and international investors. She
explained that the focus carried the message that Alaska
was open for business. Additionally, it shared with
industries interested in resource development exactly what
Alaska's resource development was, Alaska's unique
characteristics, and to dispel myths about working and
operating in Alaska. She noted that the work took a
significant amount of staff time.
Commissioner Feige reported that DNR continued to focus a
substantial amount of the commissioner's office staff and
time on working federal land planning and management issues
that impact Alaska at the ground level. The office worked
closely with its Washington D.C. delegation. Currently they
were working to align revisions to the state's Geothermal
Development Program with new proposed federal legislation
being advanced by Senator Lisa Murkowski. The office placed
a great deal of emphasis on issues of navigability and
taking title to state submerged lands and lifting long-
lived PLOs in order for the state to have access to lands
and resources due through the statehood entitlement.
2:41:41 PM
SARA LONGAN, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES (via teleconference), provided an overview of the
Office of Project Management and Permitting (OPMP) on slide
9. She read from prepared remarks:
The mission of the office is to coordinate multiagency
regulatory reviews and authorizations, while
collaboratively engaging federal agencies on land use
planning and policy initiatives. The biggest change
from prior fiscal year is less than a 10 percent
increase in UGF funding. This consists of a request to
add $595,000 to compensate or to provide support for a
federal plan review and coordination. As mentioned,
this office dedicates important time and effort,
closely working with the federal government, advancing
and protecting state's interests during federal land
planning and initiative reviews. You'll see that the
number of positions from prior year remains unchanged.
2:42:50 PM
Ms. Longan turned to slide 10 and gave an overview of the
Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys budget with
prepared remarks:
The mission of this division is to determine the
potential of Alaska land for the production of metals,
minerals, fuels, and geothermal resources. Helping to
locate and supply groundwater and construction
material and the potential geologic hazards to
buildings, roads, bridges, and other installations.
There is a very minor change in the budget from prior
years, but there are differences in the number of
positions. For example, there is a proposal to replace
six non-permanent positions to permanent seasonal, in
support of critical projects. This is to help achieve
sustainability and retention of our workforce.
Changing a part-time position to a seasonal full-time
position to meet increased workload and adding two
natural resource technicians for the multispectral
scanning project. This project is critical to help
leverage the geological materials center energy and
mineral core and rock collection. Scanning of this
collection will electronically archive the materials
and will preserve the value before those materials
degrade.
2:44:12 PM
Ms. Longan moved to slide 11 and reviewed the Division of
Oil and Gas budget with prepared remarks:
The Division of Oil and Gas's mission is to manage
lands for oil and gas and geothermal exploration and
development in a fair and transparent manner to
maximize prudent use of resources for the greatest
benefit of all Alaskans. In addition, facilitating the
safe and environmentally conscious operations and
maintenance of common carrier pipelines.
There is a negative percent change in the overall
budget from prior fiscal years of less than one
percent. This was accomplished in part by
consolidating the state pipeline section into the
Atwood Building at a savings of $218,000. Through this
division's gain in operational efficiencies, they were
able to transfer two natural resource specialist
positions to the Division of Mining, Land and Water
for aquatic farm application and processing.
There was also the opportunity to delete one position
that is a non-permanent position that was vacant for
longer than 12 months. For all personnel costs for
personnel members, the total change here is a
reduction of three positions.
Representative Josephson asked about the aquatic farm
application processing positions formerly under the
management plan natural resource specialist. He wondered if
the farmers would have to absorb the costs of the
positions. Alternatively, he wondered if the state was
using UGF for the expenses.
Ms. Longan answered that the farmers would not have a cost
impact. The department gained efficiencies in the Division
of Oil and Gas and transferred the resources to the
Division of Mining, Land and Water in order to transfer the
two natural resource specialist positions.
2:46:24 PM
Vice-Chair Ortiz referenced mariculture farms [application
processing]. He asked if the change was a result of an
increase or expected increase of applications. He supported
the change.
Ms. Longan answered there had been an increase in the
number of applications. In order for the Division of
Mining, Land and Water to support the increase there was a
need to accept a transfer of the two positions from the
Division of Oil and Gas to the Division of Mining, Land and
Water.
2:47:17 PM
Ms. Longan addressed the Mental Health Trust Land Office on
slide 12 with prepared remarks:
The mission of this office is to protect and enhance
the value of Alaska Mental Health Trust lands
including minerals, coal, oil and gas, timber, and
real estate, while maximizing revenues from those
lands over time for mental health services.
As a reminder, the trust land office budget is zero-
based, meaning it is backed out every year and starts
from scratch. It is approved by the Alaska Mental
Health Trust Authority Board. In FY 19 this office
generated $10.6 million in revenues from rents, land
sales, and royalties.
There is really not much to report here other than a
cost savings of $78,900 achieved by gaining internal
efficiencies. The number of proposed positions in the
current proposed plan remains the same from prior
years.
2:48:24 PM
BRENT GOODRUM, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL
RESOURCES, reviewed the Division of Agriculture's mission
to promote and encourage development of the agricultural
industry in Alaska (slide 13). He relayed there had been
considerable discussion about the division's budget the
previous year. The proposed budget changes for FY 21 were
primarily due to union salary and health insurance cost
increases.
Mr. Goodrum reviewed the Division of Forestry's mission to
serve Alaskans through sustainable forest management and
wildland fire protection (slide 14). He highlighted that
the 2019 fire season had been historic at 742 fires on 2.6
million acres that burned throughout the state. He thanked
the firefighters for their work in combatting the fires. He
detailed that the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program
would benefit from the conversion of eight positions from
temporary hires to permanent seasonal staff. The cost would
be covered entirely with federal funds. Additionally, an
increase in DGF for timber sale preparation would help
deliver more wood to the forest product sector, to
communities, and to the public.
2:49:55 PM
Mr. Goodrum addressed the Division of Mining, Land and
Water on slide 15. The division's mission was to provide
for the appropriate use and management of Alaska's state
owned land and water aiming towards maximum use consistent
with the public interest. He detailed that the governor's
budget provided additional staffing for two growing
sections within the division. One additional staff had been
identified to increase the capability of the Land Sales
Section in Fairbanks. The governor's budget supported the
growing mariculture industry by requesting funding for the
two previously identified positions from the Division of
Oil and Gas to help process the number of increased
applications. He elaborated that as of the current week the
division was working on 34 applications and was still
receiving applications through April 30. The appropriation
would be greatly appreciated and helpful to the program.
Additionally, the governor's budget added language for the
potential carryforward of general fund program receipts.
Mr. Goodrum advanced to slide 16 and discussed the Division
of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. The division's mission was
to provide outdoor recreation opportunities and conserves
and interprets natural, cultural, and historic resources
for the use, enjoyment, and welfare of the people. He
shared that it was the 50th anniversary of the Alaska State
Parks. He relayed that there would be a number of
activities throughout the state celebrating the milestone.
The budget included an increase in interagency authority to
support transparent budgeting of reimbursable service
agreements in the division and its Office of History and
Archeology. He expounded that in 2019, the Office of
History and Archeology reviewed over 930 projects statewide
and had signed five major agreements. He noted that the
division was seeking to eliminate eight non-permanent
positions.
2:52:14 PM
Representative Josephson asked Commissioner Feige about her
feelings on ASTAR's work in terms of what had been
accomplished and whether it was worthwhile.
Commissioner Feige believed the ASTAR project had been very
successful. She reported that ongoing work would be done in
the next two to three years, but the increments would be
transferred to a capital project. She detailed that ASTAR
had been focused on ensuring there were corridors for
fiberoptics for communication and for developing and
enhancing community security and connectedness. The program
had also been focused on transportation corridors and
availability of gravel, materials, and water for supporting
the work.
Commissioner Feige noted that the North Slope Borough and
communities in the borough, specifically in the Natural
Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA) had constructed an all
winter snow road in the past two winters. She elaborated
that the road allowed for travel between Barrow and Nuiqsut
and possibly Atqasuk to get out to the Dalton Highway and
Fairbanks. She shared that she and Ms. Longan had met with
North Slope Borough leadership in May in Utquigvik and had
discussed the impact of the snow road. The borough had a
full transportation plan defined and would like to see
ASTAR develop into a program to help define strategic road
corridors. The hope was to eventually have an all-season
gravel road to connect the communities and help drive their
cost of living down and increase community security and
connectedness. She believed the ASTAR program had been and
would continue to be incredibly important, especially for
North Slope communities.
Commissioner Feige thanked the committee for its
flexibility on the presentation format.
HB 205 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
HB 206 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
Co-Chair Foster reviewed the schedule for the following
day.
ADJOURNMENT
2:55:52 PM
The meeting was adjourned at 2:55 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HFC FY21 DMVA Operating Budget Overview 2.12.2020 FINAL.pdf |
HFIN 2/12/2020 1:30:00 PM |
|
| HFC-DLWD Budget Overview 02.12.2020.pdf |
HFIN 2/12/2020 1:30:00 PM |
|
| DNR FY21 Gov HFin Budget Overview.pdf |
HFIN 2/12/2020 1:30:00 PM |
|
| DOLWD Response to Q HFC Budget Overview 03.2.2020.pdf |
HFIN 2/12/2020 1:30:00 PM |