03/22/2016 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB230 | |
| HB319 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 230 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 319 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 22, 2016
1:14 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Neal Foster, Co-Chair
Representative Shelley Hughes, Co-Chair
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Matt Claman
Representative Dan Ortiz
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Charisse Millett
Representative Benjamin Nageak
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 230
"An Act designating Pipeline Road 34-ALP-3 as Arctic Man Way."
- HEARD & HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 319
"An Act relating to registration fees for snowmobiles and off-
highway vehicles."
- MOVED HB 319 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 230
SHORT TITLE: NAMING ARCTIC MAN WAY
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) COLVER
01/19/16 (H) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/16
01/19/16 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/16 (H) TRA, FIN
03/22/16 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
BILL: HB 319
SHORT TITLE: SNOWMOBILE REGISTRATION FEES
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) TILTON
02/19/16 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/19/16 (H) TRA, FIN
03/08/16 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
03/08/16 (H) Heard & Held
03/08/16 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
03/22/16 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17
WITNESS REGISTER
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 230, as prime sponsor.
HOWARD THIES, President
Arctic Man Ski and Snow Classic
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of HB 230.
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 319, as prime sponsor.
AMY ERICKSON, Director
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
Department of Administration (DOA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions, during the hearing
on HB 319.
LIEUTENANT STEVEN ADAMS, Coordinator
Search and Rescue (SAR)
Alaska State Troopers (AST)
Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Responded to questions, during the hearing
on HB 319.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:14:14 PM
CO-CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:14 p.m. Representatives Ortiz,
Foster, Stutes and Hughes were present at the call to order.
Representative Claman arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 230-NAMING ARCTIC MAN WAY
1:14:45 PM
CO-CHAIR HUGHES announced that the first order of business would
be House Bill No. 230, "An Act designating Pipeline Road 34-ALP-
3 as Arctic Man Way."
1:15:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented HB 230, regarding the Arctic Man Ski and Snow
classic ("Arctic Man"). He paraphrased from the sponsor
statement, which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
This Act designates Trans-Alaska Pipeline Access Road
34-ALP-3 at mile 197.5 of the Richardson Highway as
Arctic Man Way in honor of the historic Arctic Man
Race held in the HooDoo Mountains every April for the
past 30 years.
The Arctic Man is one of the World's Toughest Downhill
Ski races, and an exciting snowmobile race, all in
one. The skier begins at a summit elevation of 5,800
feet and drops 1700 feet in less than two mile to the
bottom of a narrow canyon where he meets up with his
snowmobiling partner.
The snowmobiler meets the skier, on the go, with a tow
rope and pulls the skier 2 1/4 miles uphill at top
speeds of up to 86 mph. The skier and the snowmobile
then separate and the skier goes over the side of the
second mountain and drops another 1200 feet to the
finish line.
This race brings together thousands of spectators and
participants from all over the world. Legend has it
that the race began as a result of a bet wagered
between skiers and snow machine riders, and was later
developed into an annual race by Howard Thies.
The Arctic Man Race has also adopted other family
events, creating a festive atmosphere for both
spectators and participants.
Pipeline Road 34-ALP-3 leads to the area where the
race is held annually, and therefore will be aptly
renamed as Arctic Man Way.
1:18:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER directed attention to the committee packet
to highlight a photo of then gubernatorial candidate, Bill
Walker, participating in the 2014 race, and the fiscal note for
$200 from the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
(DOTPF). A land use permit issued by the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) for the area used for parking during the
festival, he explained, and the Arctic Man organization has
agreed to purchase the road sign and contribute to the
installation cost.
CO-CHAIR FOSTER noted the discrepancy between the cost of the
fiscal note and the cost quoted in the letter from the
organizations President, Howard Thies. He offered his
assumption that the difference might be attributable to the
labor costs.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER clarified that the initial, DOTPF estimate
was $800-$1,000, which the Arctic Man organization pledged to
fund, as indicated in the letter from Howard Thies, President,
dated 2/8/16 [available in the committee packet]. He explained
that, given an existing post for mounting the sign, the cost was
able to be reduced. Representative Colver said signage would
conform to highway standards and DOTPF specifications.
1:20:50 PM
CO-CHAIR HUGHES questioned why the fiscal note covers materials
and doesn't include installation costs, and asked for the
sponsor's assurance, guaranteeing the amount represented.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER responded that there would be no
expectations for the state to cover the cost of the sign or
installation.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES questioned whether the Arctic Man organization
would still be willing to cover costs exceeding the $200 fiscal
note. Additionally, she asked if the legislature is allowed to
name a road without installing associated signage.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER offered his assumption that the
legislature could nominate naming/renaming for any facility, but
whether or not a sign is required presents a separate issue. He
stated his understanding that under HB 230 the legislature is
simply recognizing a name, and that the official name would
remain [Pipeline Road 34-ALp-3].
CO-CHAIR HUGHES questioned whether public safety is a concern.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER answered yes. He explained that the area
is through a mountain pass and the road can easily be missed,
especially in times of inclement weather, which frequently
occurs between Delta Junction and Glennallen. He said a sign
could help prevent people unfamiliar to the area from getting
lost as well as help direct emergency responders. He said that
the Alaska State Trooper presence has been scaled back to the
current fiscal situation faced by the state.
1:25:38 PM
CO-CHAIR HUGHES pondered how the sign would be positioned and
its visibility to drivers traveling at high speed on the
Richardson Highway.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER explained that the plan is to install a
standard road marker sign and not an early indicator sign. He
said the road north of Paxson was built to the original
standards and, thus, is very narrow; DOTPF is working to
complete incremental upgrades. The area represents a very
difficult stretch of highway which is closed at times for
various reasons. He pointed out that double tanker trucks
frequently traverse the Richardson Highway between Valdez and
the North Pole refinery and there have been a number of
accidents, as well as oil spills. Upgrading the corridor to
meet public safety standards is an anticipated priority.
1:28:41 PM
HOWARD THIES, President, Arctic Man Ski and Snow Classic, said
the 2016 marks the event's thirty-first anniversary, and that it
is the primary fundraiser for the organization.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES asked whether Arctic Man would cover the cost
for signage, should it exceed the current $200 fiscal note.
1:30:04 PM
MR. THIES explained that the board met and approved the expense.
He expressed concern that the sign may be stolen, as it
represents a piece of memorabilia.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES asked if Arctic Man is willing to help maintain
the sign and assure that there are no costs to DOTPF.
MR. THIES stated that as long as the sign doesn't go missing
once a week, the organization is happy to help with any
associated maintenance costs.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES announced that HB 230 would be held over.
HB 319-SNOWMOBILE REGISTRATION FEES
1:31:49 PM
CO-CHAIR HUGES announced that the final order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 319, "An Act relating to registration fees for
snowmobiles and off-highway vehicles."
1:32:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON, Alaska State Legislature, explained that
the impetus for HB 319 was brought to her attention by a
snowmobile and off-highway vehicle user group. She said the
bill increases the registration fee, at the group's behest, from
$10 to $20. She informed the committee that the legislature has
supported a fund for several years that takes snow machine
registration fees and puts them back into trail maintenance and
safety.
1:33:24 PM
CO-CHAIR FOSTER offered acknowledged the efforts of the Division
of Parks and Outdoor Recreation staff ensure that rural locales
are being addressed.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES stated her understanding that the Division of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) would be improving its records system to
provide more effective registration renewal distributions, and
revenue collections. She asked for an update regarding the
timeframe of the upgrades and expected results; specifically the
actual number of snow machines versus the number for which
registration fees are collected.
1:34:38 PM
AMY ERICKSON, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV),
Department of Administration, said DMV is undergoing a
modernization project, which she surmised is the reference being
made by Representative Hughes.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES said that the committee heard testimony
regarding a disparity between the amount of registration fees
being collected and the actual number of snow machines that are
operating across the state. She stated her understanding that
the improvements being made at DMV would rectify this situation.
MS. ERICKSON reported that there are currently 39,000 off-
highway vehicles registered with DMV. The majority are
registered for a two-year period, a few for six years, and some
under a four year category which is being eliminated.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES asked the sponsor to explain the DMV upgrade, as
it relates an increase in fee collection. She recalled
testimony from the previous hearing that the DMV currently
collects $200 thousand annually in snow machine registration
fees, and witnesses stating that they lacked awareness of the
requirement to register, nor had they received renewal notices.
1:36:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON answered that it was her understanding
that the DMV was upgrading its systems functionality, which
might help with notifications.
MS. ERICKSON explained that without entering registered owners
into the database, the DMV has no basis to issue renewal
notices. She pointed out that dealerships, in some rural areas,
were not collecting registration fees. She pointed out that the
DMV is not an enforcement agency, but could review the
responsibility for dealerships to register.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES voiced concern about noncompliance for
registering/registration renewal if snow machines, and asked
whether the DMV has plans to address the issue.
MS. ERICKSON answered no it does not.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES opined that the concern for search and rescue
(SAR) is statewide, and ties into the registration fees. She
opined that the state is obligated to respond on behalf of the
public's welfare and bear the associated costs.
1:38:52 PM
LIEUTENANT STEVEN ADAMS, Coordinator, Search and Rescue (SAR),
Alaska State Troopers (AST), Department of Public Safety (DPS),
said the annual estimate for SAR is $690 thousand, and 30
percent of the "call outs" are snow machine related incidents;
representing about $207 thousand. Every response is unique
depending on the geographical locale and the resources required.
He stated that $1,600 dollars is the average amount spent per
mission.
CO-CHAIR HUGHES suggested that the department could potentially
lower costs if it used drones for SAR reconnaissance versus
manned aircraft.
CO-CHAIR FOSTER asked if the trooper's pay was included in the
cost $1,600 estimate.
1:41:20 PM
LIEUTENANT ADAMS answered that the estimate did not include the
extra cost for personnel, including the payroll for any DPS
employee.
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON acknowledged the importance of SAR and
said costs were split between user groups: hiking, fishing, and
snow machining. She expressed her concern over how the state
could help to fund SAR overall.
1:42:50 PM
CO-CHAIR HUGHES closed public testimony after ascertaining no
one wished to testify.
1:43:08 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FOSTER moved to report HB 319, out of committee
with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal
notes. There being no objection, HB 319 was reported from the
House Transportation Standing Committee.
1:43:46 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:43
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HB230 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HTRA 3/22/2016 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |
| HB0230 ver A.pdf |
HTRA 3/22/2016 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |
| HB230-Fiscal Note-DOT-DES-1-30-16.pdf |
HTRA 3/22/2016 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |
| HB230 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HTRA 3/22/2016 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |
| HB230 Supporting Documents-Letter Howard Theis 2-8-2016.pdf |
HTRA 3/22/2016 1:00:00 PM |
HB 230 |