Legislature(1997 - 1998)

03/05/1997 01:08 PM House TRA

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
txt
            HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE                            
                         March 5, 1997                                         
                           1:08 p.m.¶                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
 MEMBERS PRESENT                                                               
                                                                               
 Representative Bill Williams, Chairman                                        
 Representative Beverly Masek,  Vice Chairman                                  
 Representative John Cowdery                                                   
 Representative Bill Hudson                                                    
 Representative Jerry Sanders                                                  
 Representative Kim Elton                                                      
 Representative Al Kookesh                                                     
                                                                               
 MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                
                                                                               
 All members present                                                           
                                                                               
 COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                            
                                                                               
 SENATE BILL NO. 10                                                            
                                                                               
 "An Act naming Mountain View Road in Gustavus."                               
                                                                               
      - MOVED SB 10 OUT OF COMMITTEE                                           
                                                                               
 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 12 AM                                             
 Relating to reconstruction and paving of the Alaska Highway.                  
                                                                               
      - MOVED SJR 12 AM OUT OF COMMITTEE                                       
                                                                               
 (* First public hearing)                                                      
                                                                               
 PREVIOUS ACTION                                                               
                                                                               
 BILL:  SB 10                                                                
 SHORT TITLE: MOUNTAIN VIEW ROAD - GUSTAVUS                                    
 SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) MACKIE                                                 
                                                                               
 JRN-DATE      JRN-PG             ACTION                                       
 01/03/97        16    (S)   PREFILE RELEASED 1/3/97                           
 01/13/97        16    (S)   READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)                 
 01/13/97        16    (S)   CRA, TRA                                          
 01/22/97              (S)   CRA AT  1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205                
 01/22/97              (S)   MINUTE(CRA)                                       
 01/23/97       114    (S)   CRA RPT      3DP                                  
 01/23/97       114    (S)   DP:WILKEN, PHILLIP, MACKIE                        
 01/23/97       114    (S)   ZERO FISCAL NOTE (DOT)                            
 02/04/97              (S)   TRA AT  1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205                
 02/04/97              (S)   MINUTE(TRA)                                       
 02/05/97       234    (S)   TRA RPT  4DP                                      
 02/05/97       234    (S)   DP:  WARD, WILKEN, HALFORD, GREEN                 
 02/05/97       235    (S)   PREVIOUS ZERO FISCAL NOTE (DOT)                   
 02/11/97              (S)   RLS AT 10:45 AM FAHRENKAMP RM 203                 
 02/11/97              (S)   MINUTE(RLS)                                       
 02/12/97       307    (S)   RULES TO CALENDAR  2/12/97                        
 02/12/97       311    (S)   READ THE SECOND TIME                              
 02/12/97       311    (S)   ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT            
 02/12/97       311    (S)   READ THE THIRD TIME  SB 10                        
 02/12/97       311    (S)   PASSED Y19 N- E1                                  
 02/12/97       317    (S)   TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                
 02/13/97       330    (H)   READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)                 
 02/13/97       330    (H)   TRANSPORTATION                                    
 03/05/97              (H)   TRA AT  1:00 PM CAPITOL 17                        
                                                                               
 BILL:  SJR 12                                                               
 SHORT TITLE: CONSTRUCTION OF ALASKA HIGHWAY                                   
 SPONSOR(S): TRANSPORTATION BY REQUEST                                         
                                                                               
 JRN-DATE      JRN-PG             ACTION                                       
 02/03/97       208    (S)   READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)                 
 02/03/97       208    (S)   TRANSPORTATION                                    
 02/18/97              (S)   TRA AT  1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205                
 02/18/97              (S)   MINUTE(TRA)                                       
 02/20/97              (S)   TRA AT  1:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM 205                
 02/20/97              (S)   MINUTE(TRA)                                       
 02/21/97       446    (S)   TRA RPT  2DP 1NR                                  
 02/21/97       446    (S)   DP: WARD, WILKEN; NR: GREEN                       
 02/21/97       446    (S)   ZERO FISCAL NOTE (S.TRA)                          
 02/25/97              (S)   RLS AT 10:30 AM FAHRENKAMP RM 203                 
 02/25/97              (S)   MINUTE(RLS)                                       
 02/26/97       517    (S)   RULES TO CALENDAR  2/26/97                        
 02/26/97       520    (S)   READ THE SECOND TIME                              
 02/26/97       520    (S)   AM NO  1     OFFERED BY DUNCAN                    
 02/26/97       520    (S)   AM NO  1     ADOPTED UNAN CONSENT                 
 02/26/97       520    (S)   ADVANCED TO THIRD READING UNAN CONSENT            
 02/26/97       521    (S)   READ THE THIRD TIME  SJR 12 AM                    
 02/26/97       521    (S)   PASSED Y20 N-                                     
 02/26/97       525    (S)   TRANSMITTED TO (H)                                
 02/27/97       499    (H)   READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRAL(S)                 
 02/27/97       499    (H)   TRANSPORTATION                                    
 03/05/97              (H)   TRA AT  1:00 PM CAPITOL 17                        
 03/06/97       555    (H)   TRA RPT  6DP 1NR                                  
 03/05/97       556    (H)   DP: HUDSON, KOOKESH, SANDERS, COWDERY             
 03/05/97       556    (H)   MASEK, WILLIAMS                                   
 03/05/97       556    (H)   NR: ELTON                                         
 03/05/97       556    (H)   SENATE ZERO FISCAL NOTE (S.TRA) 2/21/97           
                                                                               
 WITNESS REGISTER                                                              
                                                                               
 SENATOR JERRY MACKIE                                                          
 Alaska State Legislature                                                      
 Capitol Building, Room 427                                                    
 Juneau, Alaska  99801                                                         
 Telephone:  (907) 465-4989                                                    
 POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented SB 10 and testified on SJR 12 AM.              
                                                                               
 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS                                                        
 Alaska State Legislature                                                      
 Capitol Building, 103                                                         
 Juneau, Alaska  99801                                                         
 Telephone:  (907) 465-4949                                                    
 POSITION STATEMENT:  Presented SJR 12 AM.                                     
                                                                               
 ACTION NARRATIVE                                                              
                                                                               
 TAPE 97-13, SIDE A                                                            
 Number 001                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN BILL WILLIAMS called the House Transportation Standing               
 Committee to order at 1:08 p.m.  Members present at the call to               
 order were Representatives Williams, Masek, Cowdery, Hudson,                  
 Sanders, Elton and Kookesh.                                                   
                                                                               
 SB 10 - MOUNTAIN VIEW ROAD - GUSTAVUS                                        
 Number 049                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS announced the first order of business is SB 10,             
 "An Act naming Mountain View Road in Gustavus."                               
                                                                               
 Number 113                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR JERRY MACKIE stated that the bill passed the house last               
 year and died when time ran out.  He stated that the bill is non-             
 controversial, all it does is name a road in Gustavus, Mountain               
 View Road.  It started as a school project and the kids in Gustavus           
 proposed this.  He stated that it has always been referred to as              
 Mountain View Road although it never has been officially named                
 that.  He stated that it is before the legislature because Alaska             
 Statute requires the legislature to name roads.  He stated that               
 there is a big mountain at the end of this road, and there is a               
 view of the mountain when driving down the road.  He stated there             
 is no fiscal note involved.  He stated that he knew of no one                 
 opposed to it.                                                                
                                                                               
 Number 202                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE BILL HUDSON made a motion to move SB 10, with zero             
 fiscal notes and asked unanimous consent.                                     
                                                                               
 Number 225                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS asked if there was an objection. Hearing none SB
 10 was moved out of the House Transportation Standing Committee.              
                                                                               
 SJR 12 AM - CONSTRUCTION OF ALASKA HIGHWAY                                  
 Number 258                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS stated the next order of business is SJR 12 AM,             
 "Relating to reconstruction and paving of the Alaska Highway."                
                                                                               
 Number 280                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS stated that the resolution requests congress           
 to appropriate $95 million to pave the Shakwak or the North Alaska            
 Highway, which is the link outside the Alaska-Canada border to just           
 outside the Haines Junction.  He stated that it is the last link              
 that has to be paved.  This is an agreement that the U.S.                     
 Government and the Canadian Federal Government had agreed on, in              
 1977.  He stated that there would be no tolls charged on either               
 side of the border and it does not affect Alaska's state allocation           
 as far as federal highway monies are concerned.                               
                                                                               
 Number 359                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE JOHN COWDERY asked if his understanding was correct            
 that no other projects will suffer as a result of SJR 12 AM.                  
                                                                               
 Number 373                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR PHILLIPS replied that is correct.  It is separate from our            
 allocation from the Federal Highway Administration.  He stated it             
 will not have any affect on the allocations internally in the                 
 state.                                                                        
                                                                               
 Number 395                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY asked if American firms are supposed to bid            
 on the contract.                                                              
                                                                               
 Number 420                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR PHILLIPS responded that the agreement is, we give Canada              
 the money to build the road and they take over the maintenance,               
 operations in perpetuity.  He stated that the reason is there are             
 350,000 visitors coming through the panhandle or through the mid-             
 section of Canada visiting Alaska.                                            
                                                                               
 Number 470                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR MACKIE stated that it would improve access to the capitol             
 city and to communities like Haines.  It would allow people to                
 drive into the interior and into Alaska.  He stated that the U.S.             
 State Department put out a travel advisory stating that this is one           
 of the most dangerous roads in the world because there aren't any             
 gas stations.  He stated that it has a tremendous affect on tourism           
 in Alaska for people traveling the highways if they get these                 
 travel advisories, that say this is a dangerous road because it is            
 not paved.  He stated that the ramifications of the one section of            
 the road has far reaching implications on tourism.  He stated that            
 he wanted to add his support to SJR 12 AM.                                    
                                                                               
 Number 548                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE BILL HUDSON asked what amendment was made from the             
 time it was put in.                                                           
                                                                               
 Number 562                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR PHILLIPS replied that it seems to him that the amendment,             
 would not tie the state to have any responsibilities as far as                
 administrating.  He stated that it was a concern brought up by                
 Commissioner Perkins, Department of Transportation and Public                 
 Facilities, and Senator Duncan had offered the amendment to clarify           
 who will do what with the road.  He stated that the road is                   
 basically a Canadian responsibility.                                          
                                                                               
 Number 607                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON stated that it would separate our                       
 responsibility from liability or maintenance of the highway.  He              
 stated that there is a study going on to build a road out of Juneau           
 and they have identified a source of funds and it is his                      
 understanding that none of the funds interact with the funds for              
 SJR 12 AM.  He stated that he is supportive of this resolution.               
                                                                               
 Number 648                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR PHILLIPS stated that there is a delegation going over to              
 Whitehorse on March 15, 1997 and he would like to have it passed to           
 show Alaska's mutual concerns and willingness to work together on             
 common problems.                                                              
                                                                               
 Number 693                                                                    
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON made a motion to move SJR 12 AM, with                   
 individual recommendations, zero fiscal notes and asked unanimous             
 consent.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 700                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS asked if there was an objection.  Hearing none              
 SJR 12 AM was moved out of the House Transportation Standing                  
 Committee.                                                                    
 ADJOURNMENT                                                                   
 Number 726                                                                    
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS adjourned the House Transportation Standing                 
 Committee at 1:17 p.m.                                                        
                                                                               

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