03/06/2007 01:30 PM House TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB8 | |
| HB168 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 168 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 8 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 6, 2007
1:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Kyle Johansen, Chair
Representative Anna Fairclough
Representative Craig Johnson
Representative Mike Doogan
Representative Woodie Salmon
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Mark Neuman, Vice Chair
Representative Vic Kohring
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 8
"An Act naming the law enforcement training facility in
Fairbanks the J. Kevin Lamm Law Enforcement Training Facility."
- MOVED HB 8 OUT OF COMMITTEE
HOUSE BILL NO. 168
"An Act authorizing two exchanges of land between the Alaska
Railroad Corporation and the Department of Transportation and
Public Facilities; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED HB 168 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 8
SHORT TITLE: J. KEVIN LAMM TRAINING FACILITY
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) RAMRAS
01/16/07 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/5/07
01/16/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/16/07 (H) TRA
02/15/07 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
02/15/07 (H) Heard & Held
02/15/07 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/06/07 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
BILL: HB 168
SHORT TITLE: LAND TRANSFERS ALASKA RR & DOTPF
SPONSOR(s): TRANSPORTATION
02/28/07 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/28/07 (H) TRA, L&C, FIN
03/01/07 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
03/01/07 (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --
03/06/07 (H) TRA AT 1:30 PM CAPITOL 17
WITNESS REGISTER
DANIEL HOFFMAN, Chief
Fairbanks Police Department
City of Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions and provided information
during hearing on HB 8.
RODNEY DIAL, Lieutenant, Deputy Commander
A Attachment
Division of Alaska State Troopers
Alaska Department of Public Safety
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during hearing on HB 8.
DAVID SCOTT, Staff
to Representative Kyle Johansen
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 168 on behalf of
Representative Johansen, chair of the House Transportation
Standing Committee, sponsor of HB 168.
WENDY LINDSKOOG, Assistant Vice President
Corporate Affairs
Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC)
Department of Commerce, Community, & Economic Development
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 168.
MARY SIROKY, Legislative Liaison
Office of the Commissioner
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 168.
FRANCES ZIMMERMAN, Right of Way Agent III
Central Region
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 168.
JOHN BENNETT, Right-of-Way Chief
Northern Region
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF)
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 168.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR KYLE JOHANSEN called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:31:51 PM. Representatives
Johansen, Doogan, Johnson, and Fairclough were present at the
call to order. Representative Salmon arrived as the meeting was
in progress.
HB 8-J. KEVIN LAMM TRAINING FACILITY
1:32:03 PM
CHAIR JOHANSEN announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 8, "An Act naming the law enforcement training
facility in Fairbanks the J. Kevin Lamm Law Enforcement Training
Facility."
1:32:22 PM
CHAIR JOHANSEN requested a description of the [proposed]
facility in Fairbanks.
DANIEL HOFFMAN, Chief, Fairbanks Police Department, City of
Fairbanks, stated that [the proposed facility] is fairly
rudimentary and would replace the current shooting range that is
slated for destruction due to airport expansion. It would
consist of a 100-yard shooting range surrounded by a raised dirt
berm. A rain shack would be built to provide cover while
weapons and gear are cleaned.
CHIEF HOFFMAN, in response to further questions from Chair
Johansen, explained that the facility would be owned by the
state and would be located on airport land that is owned by the
state. He said that no personnel would be necessary to staff
the facility. Each of the 30 federal, state, and local agencies
that would be using the facility would schedule their time at
the facility through the airport and that each individual agency
would be responsible for providing monitoring or training staff
when activities are conducted.
1:35:11 PM
CHAIR JOHANSEN inquired as to the Department of Public Safety's
(DPS) plans for its academy in Sitka.
RODNEY DIAL, Lieutenant, Deputy Commander, A Attachment,
Division of Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Department of Public
Safety, related that the commissioner is looking to establish
regional training centers to compliment, not replace, the Sitka
training academy. These regional training centers will allow
significantly reduced travel times, and thereby increase the
productivity of troopers. For example, if the regional training
centers save two days of travel for half of the troopers
annually, it has the effect of adding another trooper position
to serve Alaska. He also noted that a significant amount of
travel time is on overtime pay. The commissioner's goal in
having regional training centers is to make the division more
efficient.
1:36:26 PM
LIEUTENANT DIAL, in response to Representative Johnson, pointed
out that there are no long-term housing proposals for the
regional training centers. They would compliment, not replace,
the training conducted at the academy in Sitka and make the
department more efficient. He surmised that if there was a
regional training center in Fairbanks, it would be utilized for
personnel in Western Alaska and Interior posts. Troopers based
in Southeast would still be sent to Sitka, he said.
1:37:47 PM
CHIEF HOFFMAN informed the committee that this proposal was
initiated and brought forth by the local peace officers
association in Fairbanks, which represents the 30 agencies that
utilize the existing shooting range. Regarding the impact of
this facility to the statewide operation of Alaska State
Troopers, he pointed out that participation and use of the
existing range by troopers is an extremely small part of what is
being discussed. He stated that members of the Fairbanks Police
Department do not travel to Sitka when qualifications are
required. Chief Hoffman relayed:
This is a local range facility that's desperately
needed to be maintained here in Fairbanks to service
our local needs. If it ends up helping the troopers
additionally, that's great and I'm all for that but
I'm hoping that people don't lose sight of the fact
that we're losing the only range that we have here,
that services all of our law enforcement agencies. We
need to have another facility to replace it.
1:39:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DOOGAN related his understanding that the purpose
of HB 8 is simply to name a facility if and when one is built
and that the question of whether or not to build a facility is
contained in a separate bill.
LIEUTENANT DIAL stated that this is correct.
1:40:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON moved to report HB 8 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, it was so ordered.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:40 p.m. to 1:43 p.m.
HB 168-LAND TRANSFERS ALASKA RR & DOTPF
1:43:23 PM
CHAIR JOHANSEN announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 168, "An Act authorizing two exchanges of land
between the Alaska Railroad Corporation and the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities; and providing for an
effective date."
DAVID SCOTT, Staff to Representative Kyle Johansen, Alaska State
Legislature, presented HB 168 on behalf of Representative
Johansen, chair of the House Transportation Standing Committee,
sponsor of HB 168. He explained that the bill authorizes two
exchanges of land, totaling approximately 10 acres, between the
Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) and the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) in order to
accommodate two DOT&PF projects. The projects are the widening
and lane improvement of the Parks Highway in Wasilla and the
construction of a heavy aircraft cargo apron at the Fairbanks
International Airport. Both of the projects require an
adjustment of the railroad track and right-of-way lands. Mr.
Scott said the bill ensures that all appropriate titles to
property can be in place for both of these two DOT&PF projects;
Section 1 pertains to the Parks Highway project and Section 2
pertains to the cargo apron project. He explained that AS
42.40.285 requires legislative approval for the ARRC to
"exchange, donate, sell or otherwise convey its entire interest
in land".
1:45:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DOOGAN inquired whether there is any opposition
to either of the exchanges from other agencies or from the
public.
WENDY LINDSKOOG, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Affairs,
Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC), Department of Commerce,
Community, & Economic Development, responded that ARRC has not
heard of any opposition. It is a small issue in terms of only
being an agency-to-agency land exchange to accommodate the
DOT&PF projects.
MARY SIROKY, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Commissioner,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF),
answered that DOT&PF is not aware of any opposition. It was
property that did not have a constituency that would be opposed
to the transfers.
1:47:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE DOOGAN asked whether these sorts of exchanges are
publicly noticed.
FRANCES ZIMMERMAN, Right-of-Way Agent III, Central Region,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF),
replied that her involvement is with the Parks Highway project
and that she did not believe that there is normally a public
notice process involved in this type of a transfer.
JOHN BENNETT, Right-of-Way Chief, Northern Region, Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF), stated that there
has been public notice and public involvement in [the aircraft
cargo apron] project through the normal environmental public
involvement process. However, public notice for a disposal of
land is generally only required when the state is divesting
itself of its interest in the land. In this case, he said, the
end result is that all of the real property will still be held
by the State of Alaska.
1:48:34 PM
MR. BENNETT, in response to a question from Representative
Johnson, explained that the Fairbanks project involved moving an
existing spur line of railroad tracks a short distance to make
room for the heavy cargo apron.
MS. ZIMMERMAN, in response to the same question from
Representative Johnson, said that the same situation existed
with regard to the Parks Highway. The railroad tracks were
relocated approximately 100 feet south of their prior location
during the improvement project.
1:48:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON inquired whether the [track relocation]
has already been done.
MS. ZIMMERMAN responded yes, that the construction of the [Parks
Highway] project and the relocation of the tracks have already
taken place, but that the transfer of title is not yet been done
because it is dependent upon [HB 168].
MR. BENNETT answered that this is also correct for the airport
project. The project was advertised and construction was
commenced based on a right-of-entry document between DOT&PF and
ARRC. They are now in the process of wrapping up the title
details so that deeds for the property can be exchanged.
1:49:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON asked who paid for the cost of moving the
track since there is no fiscal note on the bill.
MS. ZIMMERMAN replied that it was a part of the project costs
and that the Parks Highway project was primarily federally
funded.
MR. BENNETT stated that this is the same situation with the
Fairbanks International Airport. The project is funded by the
Federal Aviation Administration and this is a participating
cost.
1:49:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SALMON inquired whether the access road around
the [airport] runway will still be available to the public.
MR. BENNETT answered yes; there will still be an access road.
1:50:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON moved to report HB 168 out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, it was so ordered.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:50
p.m.
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