Legislature(2005 - 2006)BELTZ 211
01/25/2006 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Local Boundary Commission Annual Report | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
January 25, 2006
1:34 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Bert Stedman, Chair
Senator Gary Stevens, Vice Chair
Senator Thomas Wagoner
Senator Johnny Ellis
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Albert Kookesh
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
Local Boundary Commission Annual Report
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record.
WITNESS REGISTER
Darroll Hargraves, Chair
Local Boundary Commission
Department of Community & Economic Development
550 West Seventh Avenue, Suite
Anchorage, Alaska 99501-3510
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented Local Boundary Commission Annual
Report
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:34:49 PM and
with little ceremony passed the gavel to the new chair, Senator
Bert Stedman. Present were Senators Ellis, Wagoner, Stedman and
Gary Stevens.
1:35:25 PM
^LOCAL BOUNDARY COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT
CHAIR BERT STEDMAN announced that the Local Boundary Commission
annual report was on the agenda. He asked Mr. Hargraves and Mr.
Bockhorst to come forward.
1:36:48 PM
DARROLL HARGRAVES, Chair, Local Boundary Commission, introduced
himself and directed attention to the commission's three chapter
annual report. He paraphrased as follows:
Annual Report
The commission's report addresses three principal
areas.
· Chapter 1 provides an overview of the
commission
· Chapter 2 summarizes the commission's
activities last year along with pending
proposals
· Chapter 3 discusses public policy issues of
interest to the commission.
Overview
Alaska's Constitution established the Local Boundary
Commission to ensure that proposals to create cities
and boroughs or alter their boundaries would be dealt
with objectively and with a statewide perspective.
The commission's responsibilities include judging
proposals for:
· Incorporation of cities and boroughs
· Annexation to cities and boroughs
· Detachment from cities and boroughs
· Reclassification of cities
· Dissolution of cities and boroughs
· Merger and consolidation of cities and
boroughs.
The commission has other powers and obligations
established in law, including a duty to make studies
of local government boundary issues.
The commission has five members. One member is
appointed from each of Alaska's four judicial
districts. The fifth member is appointed at-large and
serves as chair.
Four members of the commission were unable to be
present here today. They are:
ƒBob Hicks, Vice-Chair, from Seward (Third
Judicial District)
ƒBob Harcharek, from Barrow (Second Judicial
District)
ƒTony Nakazawa, from Fairbanks (Fourth
Judicial District)
ƒGeorgianna Zimmerle, from Ketchikan (First
Judicial District)
As Chair, I am appointed at large. I reside in
Wasilla.
The governor appoints members for overlapping five-
year terms. Members serve at the pleasure of the
governor.
Commission members donate their time as a public
service. We receive no compensation for the time we
contribute to commission activities.
The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic
Development provides staff support to the commission.
1:42:59 PM
Activities
Chapter 2 of the report outlines boundary activities,
including formal or prospective proposals for:
ƒAnnexation by 10 city governments -
(Among those was a formal proceeding in
which the commission affirmed the
annexation of approximately 4.5 square
miles to the City of Homer.)
ƒCity incorporation of 4 unincorporated
communities - (Among those was a formal
proceeding in which the commission
approved, with amendments, a proposal
for incorporation of a second class
city to serve the community of Naukati,
located on the northwest coast of
Prince of Wales Island.)
ƒReclassification of 4 existing cities -
(No formal petitions were considered or
are pending.)
ƒAnnexation by 3 borough governments -
(No formal petitions were considered or
are pending.)
ƒConsolidation of a borough and city
government - (One formal petition is
pending before the LBC for
consolidation of the City of Ketchikan
and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.)
ƒDetachment from 4 boroughs - (No formal
petitions are pending.)
ƒBorough incorporation in 11 unorganized
areas - (One petition for borough
incorporation - the Deltana Borough -
is pending before the LBC.)
Policy Issues.
Chapter 3 contains a discussion of public policy
issues of particular interest to the LBC. The issues
were raised in the LBC's annual report last year and
in previous years. In brief, the issues relate to:
ƒLack of adequate inducements for
incorporation of organized boroughs and
annexation to existing boroughs
ƒLack of standards providing for
establishment of unorganized boroughs
ƒFunding for borough feasibility studies
The commission is pleased that the Legislature is
considering various measures to address incentives for
the formation of organized boroughs. Among those are:
ƒHB 217, which would exclude the value of oil and gas
that is not taxed by a municipality in the
determination of the required local contribution for
schools
ƒSB 112, which would impose a tax on certain
residents and/or individuals employed in the
unorganized borough outside home rule and first
class cities
The LBC is aware of the work done by the Alaska
Advisory Commission on Local Government. Members of
the LBC and staff will respond to any questions or
concerns you wish to direct to the LBC as you consider
the work of the Advisory Commission.
The Local Boundary Commission continues to support
greater incentives for borough incorporation.
The Local Boundary Commission urges the Legislature to
make funding available for regions to explore borough
incorporation.
1:52:12 PM
MR. HARGRAVES offered to answer any questions and noted that Dan
Bockhorst with the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic
Development was also available to respond to technical
questions.
CHAIR STEDMAN thanked him for the presentation and commented he
particularly appreciated the update on specific issues related
to borough formation.
He asked Mr. Hargraves to provide his office with a copy of his
remarks and said he assumed that the LBC would insert its
viewpoint and provide information as the Legislature works
through the process of encouraging borough formation.
MR. HARGRAVES said the LBC steps forward when requested and when
issues of monumental concern arise.
There were no further questions or comments.
There being nothing further to come before the committee, Chair
Stedman adjourned the meeting at 1:54:40 PM.
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