Legislature(2001 - 2002)
05/07/2002 01:09 PM House TRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
May 7, 2002
1:09 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Vic Kohring, Chair
Representative Beverly Masek, Vice Chair
Representative Scott Ogan
Representative Drew Scalzi
Representative Peggy Wilson
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Mary Kapsner
Representative Albert Kookesh
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 41
Relating to reconstruction and paving of the Alaska Highway.
- MOVED SJR 41 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 502
"An Act relating to the designation of and funding for rustic
roads and highways; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED CSHB 502(TRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: SJR 41
SHORT TITLE:ALASKA HIGHWAY RECONSTRUCTION
SPONSOR(S): TRANSPORTATION
Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action
02/20/02 2259 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
02/20/02 2259 (S) TRA
03/05/02 (S) TRA AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/05/02 (S) Moved Out of Committee
03/05/02 (S) MINUTE(TRA)
03/06/02 2387 (S) TRA RPT 5DP
03/06/02 2387 (S) DP: COWDERY, WILKEN, TAYLOR,
ELTON,
03/06/02 2387 (S) WARD
03/06/02 2387 (S) FN1: ZERO(S.TRA)
03/14/02 (S) RLS AT 11:00 AM FAHRENKAMP
203
03/14/02 (S) MINUTE(RLS)
03/22/02 2501 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
03/22/02 2501 (S) VERSION: SJR 41
03/22/02 2497 (S) RULES TO CALENDAR 3/22/02
03/22/02 2497 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME
03/22/02 2498 (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
UNAN CONSENT
03/22/02 2498 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SJR 41
03/22/02 2498 (S) PASSED Y19 N- A1
03/25/02 2664 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
03/25/02 2664 (H) TRA
05/07/02 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
BILL: HB 502
SHORT TITLE:RUSTIC ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
SPONSOR(S): TRANSPORTATION
Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action
02/27/02 2408 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
02/27/02 2408 (H) TRA, FIN
03/05/02 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
03/05/02 (H) Heard & Held
03/05/02 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/05/02 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/19/02 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
03/19/02 (H) Heard & Held
03/19/02 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/26/02 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
03/26/02 (H) Heard & Held -Time Change-
03/26/02 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
04/18/02 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
04/18/02 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
04/23/02 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
04/23/02 (H) Heard & Held
04/23/02 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
05/07/02 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
WITNESS REGISTER
PHELAN STRAUBE, Staff
to Senator Randy Phillips
Alaska State Legislature
Capitol Building, Room 103
Juneau, Alaska 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SJR 41 on behalf of the Senate
Transportation Standing Committee, sponsor.
SCOTT KENT, Minister
Energy, Mines, and Resources
Government of Yukon
400-211 Main Street
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
Canada Y1A 2C6
POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing on SJR 41, offered some
history of the Alaska Highway and the Shakwak Project and talked
about cooperation between his government and that of Alaska.
MIKE KRIEBER, Staff
to Representative Vic Kohring
Alaska State Legislature
Capitol Building, Room 24
Juneau, Alaska 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: As committee aide, explained Version T of
HB 502 and answered questions.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 02-13, SIDE A
Number 0001
CHAIR VIC KOHRING called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:09 p.m. Members present at the
call to order were Representatives Scalzi, Wilson, Masek, and
Kohring. Representative Ogan joined the meeting as it was in
progress.
SJR 41-ALASKA HIGHWAY RECONSTRUCTION
CHAIR KOHRING announced that the first matter before the
committee was SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 41, Relating to
reconstruction and paving of the Alaska Highway.
Number 0075
PHELAN STRAUBE, Staff to Senator Randy Phillips, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SJR 41 on behalf of the Senate
Transportation Standing Committee, sponsor. He told members the
resolution urges Congress to appropriate the final $45 million
to finish the so-called Shakwak Project, which is the repaving
of the Alaska Highway from the Canadian border [near Tok] to the
Canadian border near Haines. The project has been ongoing for
some time, and the $45 million would go toward paving the final
18 miles of road and fixing up four bridges.
Number 0152
REPRESENTATIVE MASEK asked Mr. Straube when [the federal
government] was supposed to appropriate the money.
MR. STRAUBE answered that it was based on an agreement between
the U.S. and Canadian governments made in 1973.
REPRESENTATIVE MASEK asked if the last appropriation had been
make in the last two or three years.
MR. STRAUBE said he believed so, but would double-check.
Number 0248
CHAIR KOHRING asked if it would be Canadian contractors or
American contractors doing the roadwork if funds were secured.
Number 0287
REPRESENTATIVE SCALZI asked if [SJR 41] was addressing a
separate allocation from the ISTEA [Intermodal Surface
Transportation Efficiency Act] funds or was part of the state's
annual package. He asked if the request is for an additional
appropriation.
MR. STRAUBE reiterated that [the request] is based on a separate
agreement made in 1973, and [the $45 million] represents the
funds to finish the project. He said not all of the money was
appropriated at once.
Number 0384
SCOTT KENT, Minister; Energy, Mines, and Resources; Government
of Yukon, testified via teleconference. He gave some background
on the history of the Alaska Highway and the Haines Road. He
told the committee the Shakwak Project was originally proposed
by the U.S. and Canadian governments. The U.S. government funds
the construction through the Federal Highway Administration
(FHA), and the Canadian government is responsible for providing
right-of-way access to granular materials for construction and
maintaining the highway.
MR. KENT said in 1998 Congress approved an additional $94
million for the project; next year's construction would exhaust
that money. He said the $45 million [being requested in SJR 41]
would be used to extend the road 18 miles at a cost of $19.6
million, and for four major bridge projects at a cost of $25.4
million. If it is funded, the anticipated completion date is
2006. He also expressed enthusiasm about an Alaska natural gas
pipeline, saying that should such a project require an expedited
timeframe for reconstruction of the Alaska Highway, [the Yukon
government] would oblige.
Number 0718
MR. KENT explained that either Alaskan or Canadian construction
firms could place bids for the projects. He noted that for the
current year, for example, one project had gone to a Yukon firm,
one to a British Columbia firm, and the third was yet to be
decided.
CHAIR KOHRING asked if the bidding process was open to any
American firms.
MR. KENT said that it was open, and that the remoteness of the
project favors Alaskan and Yukon firms. However, the recent
highway funding cuts in British Columbia and Alberta have forced
many of the firms from those areas into the market for contracts
on the Shakwak Project.
CHAIR KOHRING mentioned how the Alaska Highway is beneficial to
both Alaska and Canada.
MR. KENT concluded by talking about the status of the proposed
natural gas pipeline and commenting on the cooperative nature of
the Yukon and Alaska.
Number 1093
REPRESENTATIVE OGAN moved to report SJR 41 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal
notes. There being no objection, SJR 41 was moved out of the
House Transportation Standing Committee.
HB 502-RUSTIC ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
[Contains discussion of HB 8]
CHAIR KOHRING announced that the final matter before the
committee was HOUSE BILL NO. 502, "An Act relating to the
designation of and funding for rustic roads and highways; and
providing for an effective date." [HB 502 was sponsored by the
House Transportation Standing Committee.]
Number 1128
MIKE KRIEBER, Staff to Representative Vic Kohring, Alaska State
Legislature, speaking as the committee aide, noted that before
the committee was Version T, 22-LS0822\T, Utermohle, 4/15/02
[adopted as a work draft on 4/23/02]. Version T would use what
[the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)]
already currently has as regulations, placing those funding
categories and "very similar percentages of the funding" into
statute. It creates a fifth category called "rustic roads" that
includes rustic trails and highways, with a basic definition of
a rustic road being "one that would not be paved." He said the
intent was to spur economic development and create access into
areas that have none, for both recreation and economic
development purposes.
MR. KRIEBER explained that Version T picks up where the previous
year's HB 8, which didn't pass the Senate, left off. [Section 4
of Version T] directs DOT&PF to study [economic development]
roads; it doesn't define the roads as "rustic roads" at this
point. The report will define the funding category the roads
should go into, define the project scope, identify any issues
such as environmental issues, and develop a funding schedule for
the roads, rather than using the current DOT&PF practice of
saying the department doesn't believe it is worthwhile to look
into these roads. He said these are roads that the legislature
has deemed as important economic development roads. The bill
therefore provides legislative policy direction to DOT&PF for
looking into economic development associated with its road
construction projects.
Number 1262
REPRESENTATIVE SCALZI asked: If funding in any single fiscal
year is not utilized, would the money roll over into DOT&PF's
general account or go to the same category for the next year?
MR. KRIEBER answered by pointing to an implementation schedule
in the bill that would allow DOT&PF to identify the category the
funding would go towards.
Number 1313
REPRESENTATIVE OGAN remarked that [Chair Kohring] had made clear
that the Alaska Highway System also includes the ferry system.
Number 1333
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked why the percentages of the funding
categories did not include the ferry system.
MR. KRIEBER explained that Representative Ogan's comment was
about the definitions in current DOT&PF regulations for ferry
systems outside of the Alaska Marine Highway System such as the
inter-island ferry system [serving Prince of Wales Island]. He
referred to Version T, page 4, paragraph 1, beginning at line
[23], which read in part: "'Alaska highway system' includes
marine vessels and facilities of the Alaska marine highway
system that are not included in the national highway system,
vessels and facilities owned [and operated] by political
subdivisions of the state...." Mr. Krieber said the National
Highway System provides funding for the [Alaska Marine Highway
System]; the Alaska Highway System is in addition to that. He
said the Alaska Marine Highway System is a separate funding
category in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan
(STIP).
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON surmised that Mr. Krieber was saying all
of these monies are federal monies, and that the federal
government funds separately for the marine highway system.
MR. KRIEBER concurred.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON remarked, "We have no control how much
money it gets from the feds."
MR. KRIEBER said the state has no control of the total pot of
money for the rest of the road categories, either, other than
through congressional appropriations.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked if the state contributes funds for
roads and the marine highway.
MR. KRIEBER explained that the department receives a heavy
percentage of federal funding, with state matching money
[required]. There is no separate state fund associated [with
roads].
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked if the percentages in the bill are
for federal money or also for state money.
MR. KRIEBER answered that it is 90 percent federal money and 10
percent [state] matching money.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked what the percentages were before the
bill.
MR. KRIEBER said the department's new percentages are based on
new regulations; there was no set percentage previously. He
said there was no shifting of funds to any of the new categories
from the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Number 1527
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON asked what percentages [DOT&PF] has called
for, and what percentages [the bill] is calling for.
MR. KRIEBER said the National Highway System would remain the
same, at 48 percent [of federal highway funds], with 1 percent
going to coordinated public transportation systems; the Alaska
Highway System would go from 8 percent to 7 percent; the 33
percent for the community transportation system would be the
same as the department's current proposals; the 4 percent to
TRAAK [Trails and Recreational Access for Alaska] would be down
from the original 8 percent.
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON said she didn't like the bill.
CHAIR KOHRING assured her that the bill would not go through in
the present session because there was not enough time. He said
it would send a message to DOT&PF, however.
Number 1640
REPRESENTATIVE OGAN moved to report CSHB 502, version 22-
LS0822\T, Utermohle, 4/15/02, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being
no objection, CSHB 502(TRA) was moved out of the House
Transportation Standing Committee.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:40
p.m.
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