Legislature(2015 - 2016)BILL RAY CENTER 208

05/16/2016 04:00 PM House LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL


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04:00:09 PM Start
05:08:19 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Anchorage Office Space TELECONFERENCED
Bill Ray Center Lease
                  ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                    
                    LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL                                                                                       
                        MAY 16, 2016                                                                                          
                          3:57 PM                                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
  MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
  Senator Gary Stevens, Chair                                                                                                   
  Representative Bob Herron, Vice Chair                                                                                         
  Senator John Coghill                                                                                                          
  Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                         
  Senator Anna MacKinnon                                                                                                        
  Senator Kevin Meyer                                                                                                           
  Senator Peter Micciche                                                                                                        
  Senator Cathy Giessel, alternate                                                                                              
  Representative Mike Chenault                                                                                                  
  Representative Craig Johnson                                                                                                  
  Representative Sam Kito                                                                                                       
  Representative Charisse Millett                                                                                               
  Representative Mark Neuman                                                                                                    
  Representative Steve Thompson, alternate                                                                                      
  Representative Harriet Drummond, alternate                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
  MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
  Senator Charlie Huggins                                                                                                       
  Senator Lesil McGuire, alternate                                                                                              
  Representative Mike Hawker                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
  OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
  Representatives Reinbold and Spohnholz                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
  AGENDA                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
  OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
  SPEAKER REGISTER                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     4:00:09 PM                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
 I. CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Legislative Council meeting                                                                 
     to order at 4:00 p.m. in Room 208 of the Bill Ray Center.                                                                  
     Present at the call were Senators Stevens, Meyer, Coghill,                                                                 
     Hoffman,  MacKinnon,  Micciche,  and  Giessel,  alternate                                                                  
     member;  Representatives Herron, Chenault, Johnson, Kito,                                                                  
     Millett,  Neuman,  and Thompson  and  Drummond, alternate                                                                  
     members. Senators Huggins, and McGuire, alternate member,                                                                  
     and Representative Hawker were absent.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Other  Legislators present:  Representatives Reinbold and                                                                  
     Spohnholz.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
II. COMMITTEE BUSINES - EXECUTIVE SESSION                                                                                     
     a. Anchorage Office Space                                                                                                
     b. Bill Ray Center Lease                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     a. Anchorage Office Space                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     CHAIR STEVENS noted for members that Council would be going                                                                
     into  Executive Session to follow-up on the  May 2, 2016,                                                                  
     Anchorage office space proposal.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     4:01:53 PM                                                                                                               
     VICE  CHAIR HERRON moved that Legislative Council go into                                                                  
     Executive Session under Uniform Rule  22(B)(1), discussion                                                                 
     of  matters,  the  immediate  knowledge  of  which  would                                                                  
     adversely affect  the finances of  a  government unit and                                                                  
     22(B)(3), discussion  of a  matter that  may, by  law, be                                                                  
     required  to be  confidential. I  ask that  the following                                                                  
     individuals  remain in  the  room: Doug  Gardner, Katrina                                                                  
     Matheny, Linda  Hay, Curtis Clothier, and any  legislative                                                                 
     staff working for Council members. In addition, we ask that                                                                
     Kevin Cuddy with Stoel Rives remain on teleconference, and                                                                 
     we also welcome any Legislators who are not on Legislative                                                                 
     Council to remain in the room or on teleconference.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     There being no objection, the Legislative Council went into                                                                
     Executive Session.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     5:01:54 PM                                                                                                               
     Legislative Council came out of Executive Session.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     VICE CHAIR HERRON moved that Legislative Council authorize                                                                 
     the  chair to  enter into  and sign  a purchase  and sale                                                                  
     agreement, subject  to legislative appropriation, for the                                                                  
     purchase of the land and office building known as 1500 West                                                                
  Benson Boulevard in Anchorage, for an amount not to exceed                                                                    
  $12.5 million.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
  There being no discussion, a roll call vote was taken.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
  A roll call vote was taken.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
  YEAS:   Meyer,  Coghill,  Hoffman,   MacKinnon,  Micciche,                                                                    
          Giessel,  Chenault,   Johnson,  Millett,   Neuman,                                                                    
          Thompson, Herron, Stevens                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
  NAYS: Kito                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
  The  motion authorizing the Chair to pursue purchasing the                                                                    
  land  and  office  building  known  as  1500  West Benson                                                                     
  Boulevard in  Anchorage for an amount not to exceed $12.5                                                                     
  million passed 13-1.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
  b. Bill Ray Center Lease                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
  5:03:17 PM                                                                                                                  
  VICE CHAIR HERRON moved that Legislative Council authorize                                                                    
  the  chair  to  spend up  to  $25,000 per  month,  through                                                                    
  midsummer  2016,  to  maintain the  Bill  Ray  Center for                                                                     
  legislative office and meeting space as necessary until the                                                                   
  Legislature's need  for the space  during the 29th Alaska                                                                     
  State Legislature has concluded.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
  CHAIR STEVENS objected for purpose of discussion, and said                                                                    
  that  the issue  here was  that there has  been a  lot of                                                                     
  effort, money, and time into preparing this Bill Ray Center                                                                   
  for    legislative   use.   All    the   materials,   the                                                                     
  telecommunications,  etc.,  have  been  put   in  at  the                                                                     
  Legislature's expense and we don't want to move out until                                                                     
  we  know that we are done for this year. As soon as we are                                                                    
  done  with   this  special session,  the  lease  will  be                                                                     
  terminated for this building. The lease cost is $25,000 per                                                                   
  month; the building is available through the end of August;                                                                   
  and the lease may be exited at any time.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
  Discussion  followed  regarding the  cost  of  the lease;                                                                     
  confirming that the lease is month-to-month through the end                                                                   
  of  August and can be canceled at  any time; and that the                                                                     
  rate may be pro-rated. There was also a call to contact the                                                                   
  Juneau  Foundation to appeal to their  desire to keep the                                                                     
  Legislature in the Capital City and to help reduce the cost                                                                   
  of  the special session  by contributing toward the lease                                                                     
  costs.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     A roll call vote was taken.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     YEAS: Meyer, Coghill, Hoffman, MacKinnon, Micciche,                                                                        
             Giessel, Chenault, Johnson, Kito, Millett, Neuman,                                                                 
             Thompson, Herron, Stevens                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     NAYS: None                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     The motion to maintain the Bill Ray Center for legislative                                                                 
     office and meeting space until the end of the special                                                                      
     session was approved 14-0.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     There being no further business before the committee, the                                                                  
   Legislative Council meeting was adjourned at 5:08 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     5:08:19 PM                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
5.16.16 Leg. Council Packet.pdf JLEC 5/16/2016 4:00:00 PM
5.16.16 Leg. Council Packet