Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/04/2003 01:15 PM House TRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 4, 2003
1:15 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jim Holm, Co-Chair
Representative Beverly Masek, Co-Chair
Representative Hugh Fate
Representative Cheryll Heinze
Representative Vic Kohring
Representative Mary Kapsner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Albert Kookesh
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES
TAPES
03-1, SIDE(S) A & B
CO-CHAIR JAMES HOLM convened the meeting of the House
Transportation Standing Committee at 1:15 p.m. Present at the
call to order were Representatives Holm, Masek, Fate, and
Kohring. Representatives Kapsner and Heinze arrived as the
meeting was in progress.
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION
MICHAEL BARTON, Acting Commissioner, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) presented a
factual overview of the department. Acting Commissioner
Barton's PowerPoint presentation contained a departmental
general overview and information on operations and capital
programs. He began his presentation by introducing the
following DOT&PF staff, who were available to respond to
questions from the committee: George Capacci, Ralph Swarthout,
Frank Richards, Jeff Ottesen, Nancy Slagle, Mike Downing, and
Dennis Poshard.
ACTING COMMISSIONER BARTON outlined DOT&PF's regional
boundaries, maintenance stations, airports, ports and harbors,
the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) route map, the National
Highway System, Alaska's highway system, and DOT&PF's
organizational chart. Acting Commissioner Barton mentioned that
the department would implement organizational changes while not
losing current efficiencies that have been built into the
system.
ACTING COMMISSIONER BARTON addressed operations issues such as
budget, maintenance, facilities, disasters, airports, aviation
security, AMHS, ports and harbors, measurement standards and
commercial vehicle enforcement. Acting Commissioner Barton
pointed out that the Alaska International Airport System (AIAS)
includes Anchorage and Fairbanks international airports, with
DOT&PF taking pride in the Anchorage airport being the largest
cargo airport in the U.S., and the busiest floatplane base in
the world. He mentioned that AMHS recently celebrated its 40th
birthday on January 23, 2003, with the M/V Malaspina, the first
boat bought by the state, still in operation. He reported that
there are two new fast vehicle ferries under construction to
serve Southeast Alaska and Prince William Sound, and that over
time, four or five fast ferries may replace the larger ships,
which will help to shrink the labor cost average so it will be
less than the current rate of 68 percent of AMHS's annual
operating budget.
CO-CHAIR HOLM asked if analysis had been done on connecting any
of the substandard airports by roads, and indicated that the
committee would be interested in helping with such an approach
to correcting the existing problems in 116 substandard airports.
ACTING COMMISSIONER BARTON confirmed that such an analysis was
being done, and continued the overview with an explanation of
the Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP), which
involves a federal requirement that forms the basis for the
federal aid program and includes a lengthy sorting process with
a fair amount of public input.
REPRESENTATIVE FATE asked if safeguards, changes, or
streamlining could be made to the STIP's current management
regarding prioritization of projects.
ACTING COMMISSIONER BARTON explained that the STIP is only
relevant to federal aid projects. He acknowledged DOT&PF's
awareness of difficulties with the STIP process and said that
DOT&PF is looking to improve upon the STIP process. In response
to a question from Co-Chair Masek, Acting Commissioner Barton
said he felt strongly about maintaining existing roads as well
as building new roads; he said there are no easy answers and
that a balance needs to be struck.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
There were no announcements.
COMMITTEE ACTION
The committee took no action.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation meeting was adjourned at 2:50 p.m.
NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were
taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by
contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3,
Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and
after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Third
Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.
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