Legislature(2013 - 2014)SENATE FINANCE 532
04/01/2013 06:00 PM Senate FINANCE
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB18 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 18 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
April 1, 2013
6:14 p.m.
6:14:04 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Meyer called the Senate Finance Committee meeting
to order at 6:14 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Pete Kelly, Co-Chair
Senator Kevin Meyer, Co-Chair
Senator Anna Fairclough, Vice-Chair
Senator Click Bishop
Senator Mike Dunleavy
Senator Lyman Hoffman
Senator Donny Olson
MEMBERS ABSENT
None
ALSO PRESENT
Mary Ann Pease, Owner, Mach Consulting, Anchorage;
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
Janet Kennedy, President, Board of Directors, Valley
Performing Arts, Mat-Su; Mark Lackey, Executive Director,
CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su; Delena Johnson, Mayor, City of
Palmer, Mat-Su; Dan Kennedy, Valley Performing Arts, Mat-
Su; Donna Johnson, CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su; Anthony
Waters, CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su; Kim Brown, CCS Early
Learning, Mat-Su; Larry Devilbiss, Mayor, Mat-Su Borough,
Mat-Su; Tim Veenstra, Airborne Technology, Mat-Su; Tammy
Brehm, CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su; Gary Forrester,
Executive Director, Valley Performing Arts, Mat-Su; Laura
Wheeler, CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su; Luke Fulp, Chief
Business Official, Mat-Su Borough School District, Mat-Su;
John Moosey, Borough Manager, Mat-Su Borough; Susan Hale,
CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su; Melanie Shaw, CCS Early
Learning, Mat-Su; Joshua Miller, Alaska Center for Energy
and Power, Fairbanks; Ron Inouye, President, Tanana Yukon
Historical Society, Fairbanks; Shellie Severa, Community of
Kaltag, Fairbanks; Clarke Milne, Self, Fairbanks; Luke
Hopkins, Mayor, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Fairbanks;
Scott Bucher, Bucher Glass, Fairbanks; Reed Morisky, Self,
Fairbanks; Terrence Cole, Self, Fairbanks; Dr. Lee O'Hare,
Friends of UAF Museum of the North, Fairbanks; Taber
Rehbaum, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska, Fairbanks;
Haley McIntyre, Self, Fairbanks; Najmus Saqib, Student,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks; Caleb Smith,
University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks; Ryan Cudo,
Student, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks; Andy
Chamberlain, Student, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Fairbanks; Anne Hanley, Self, Fairbanks; Chandler Kemp,
Self, Fairbanks; Larry Bennett, Engineer, Fairbanks; Lisa
Stowell, Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student, UAF,
Fairbanks; Joy Huntington, Tanana Chiefs Conference,
Fairbanks; Jacob Monagle, UAF, Fairbanks; Roger Burggraf,
Self, Fairbanks; Dominique Pride, Former Student Employee,
ACEP, Fairbanks; Eric Johnson, Graduate Student, UA,
Fairbanks; Bart LeBon, Board Member, Arctic Winter Games,
Fairbanks; Joni Scharfenberg, Employee, Fairbanks Soil and
Water Conservation District, Fairbanks; Gary Lewis,
Midnight Sun Council, Boy Scouts, Fairbanks; Richard Green,
Self, Fairbanks; Chris Miller, Vice President, Design
Alaska, Fairbanks; Kirk Brown, CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su;
Karl Lund, CCS Early Learning, Mat-Su; Elizabeth Ripley,
Executive Director, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Mat-Su;
Therese Tomasoski, CCS, Mat-Su; Cindy Bettine, Business
Owner, Mat-Su; Janene Lovelace, Self, Mat-Su; Grant Baker,
Self, Anchorage; Zachary Mannix, Self, Anchorage; Carmen
Gutierrez, Prisoner Reentry Task Force, Anchorage; Mary
Fisher, Executive Director, Alaska Prevention Against
Litter, Anchorage; Chris Pallister, President, Gulf of
Alaska Keeper, Anchorage; Jon Zasapa, Executive Director,
Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center, Anchorage; Heather
Arnett, Statewide Administrator, Association of Alaska
Housing Authority, Anchorage; Orson Smith, Engineer,
Seward; Rob Jordan, Executive Director, Alaska Craftsman
Home Program (ACHP), Anchorage; Audrey Aanes, Executive
Director, Arctic Access, Anchorage; Joe Perkins, Member,
Anchorage Library Foundation, Anchorage; Christine Klein,
Calista Southwest Alaska, Anchorage; Gail Schubert, Member,
Alaska Retirement Management (ARM) Board, Anchorage; Bob
Moore, Vice Chairman, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Anchorage;
Sheri Burette, Chairman of the Board, Russian Orthodox
Sacred Sites in Alaska, Eagle River; Ellen Kazary,
Development Director, Rural Alaska Community Action Plan
(Rural CAP), Anchorage; Florian Borowski, Member, Alaska
Workforce Investment Board, Anchorage; Chris Turletes,
Self, Anchorage; John Crews, Chairman, Industrial Advisory
Board, Alaska Vocational Technical Center (AVTEC),
Anchorage; Kevin Waring, Vice President, Partners for
Progress, Anchorage; Jedidiah Smith, Member, Anchorage
Public Transit Advisory Board, Anchorage; Judy Caminer,
Chair, Chugach State Park Citizen Board, Anchorage; Jay
Dulany, Retired Public Employees of Alaska, Anchorage; Dale
Nelson, Civil Engineer, Anchorage; Wade Roach, Teacher,
Dimond High School, Anchorage; Peter Crimp, Self,
Anchorage; Brooks Chandler, President, Friends of the
Library, Anchorage; Bruce Parham, Board Member, Cook Inlet
Historical Society, Anchorage; Charlene Nollner, Self,
Gakona Village; Bruce Cain, Special Projects Manager, Ahtna
Inc., Glennallen; Joe Bovee, Land and Resource Manager,
Ahtna Inc., Glennallen; Ron Long, Assistant City Manager,
Seward; Louie Bencardino, Self, Seward; Willard Dunham,
Self, Seward; Patrick Chandler, International Coastal
Cleanup Coordinator, State of Alaska, Homer; Randall Wiest,
President, Kachemak Ski Club, Homer; Doug Malone, Board
Member, Kachemak Ski Club, Homer; Katie Koester, Community
and Economic Development Coordinator, City of Homer; Donna
Stephens, Executive Director, Hospice of Anchorage,
Anchorage; Mary Matthias, Mayor, Nightmute; Herman Morgan,
Aniak, Mid Yukon Kuskokwim Soil and Water Conservation
District, Aniak; Lester Lunceford, Mayor, Whittier; Layton
Lockett, City Manager, Adak; Mike Grace, Self, Nenana;
Michelle Nesbett, Board of Directors, Anchorage
Neighborhood Health Center, Anchorage; Jacque Longpre,
Mayor, Aniak; Chuck Kaucic, Self, Palmer; Charlene Arneson,
Chair, Whittier Watershed Council, Whittier; Venus Woods,
Alaska Native Justice Center, Anchorage; Julie Sandy, Board
Chair, Ketchikan Medical Center, Ketchikan; Stanley Hawley,
Self, Native Village of Kivalina; Dwayne Hopson, Sr.,
Mayor, Nuiqsut; Angie Gorn, President, Norton Sound Health
Group, Nome; Joyce Brown-Rivers, Mayor, Mountain Village;
SUMMARY
SB 18 BUDGET: CAPITAL
SB 18 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
SENATE BILL NO. 18
"An Act making appropriations, including capital
appropriations and other appropriations; making
appropriations to capitalize funds; and providing for
an effective date."
Mat-Su
6:14:41 PM
JANET KENNEDY, PRESIDENT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, VALLEY
PERFORMING ARTS, MAT-SU (via teleconference), spoke in
support of funding for Valley Performing Arts for the
purchase and renovation of a new facility. She discussed an
increasing need for additional space for Valley Performing
Arts' performances and shared that the organization had
over 14,000 patrons and over 500 volunteers the prior year.
She shared that Valley Performing Arts was experiencing an
increasing need for the community use of its facilities.
She pointed out that Valley Performing Arts had identified
a facility that could be purchased and converted into a
performing arts facility and community room. She stated
that Valley Performing Arts worked with the Mat-Su Borough
School District and facilitated events for private and
homeschooled children. She stated that Valley Performing
Arts had the support of the Mat-Su Borough, as well as the
Palmer and Wasilla city councils. She observed that Valley
Performing Arts was a sustainable, nonprofit agency that
would be contributing over $250,000 of its own funds to the
project. She concluded that the state would be providing
about half of the funds for the facility. She urged the
need to secure funding for the facility.
6:18:10 PM
MARK LACKEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU
(via teleconference), testified in support of funding for
the CCS Early Learning facility project in Palmer. He
related that CCS Early Learning needed to address issues
with its facilities. He stated that CCS Early Learning
wanted to combine the two leased facilities in Palmer into
one owned facility in order to save on operating costs. He
pointed out that CCS Early Learning had identified property
in Palmer, gone through the pre-development planning
process, and had formulated a project that was expected to
save the organization between $50,000 and $100,000 per
year. He concluded that the project was important to CCS
Early Learning and the services that it would provide in
the future.
6:20:01 PM
DELENA JOHNSON, MAYOR, CITY OF PALMER, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), expressed support of funding for the City
of Palmer's Bogard waterline extension project and Well #2
improvements, as well as a ladder truck for the fire
department. She related that there would be a 25 percent
cost savings in building the waterline during the Bogard
Road construction. She pointed out that there had been
several devastating fires in Palmer recently and that the
city was trying to upgrade its equipment.
6:21:50 PM
DAN KENNEDY, VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding for Valley
Performing Arts to purchase and renovate a new facility. He
shared that the Valley Performing Arts project would be an
economic engine for the valley. He related that Valley
Performing Arts had found a location for the new facility
and was asking for one-time funding request. He warned that
there was a degree of urgency and that if Valley Performing
Arts was unable to secure the funding for the location
within the next several months, it could lose the
opportunity.
6:23:12 PM
DONNA JOHNSON, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), urged funding for the CCS Early Learning
building project in Palmer and noted that her granddaughter
had gained a lot of benefit from the Head Start Program.
6:23:49 PM
ANTHONY WATERS, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding the CCS Early
Learning building project in Palmer and shared that his
three children had shown tremendous improvement in the Head
Start Program.
6:24:31 PM
KIM BROWN, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via teleconference),
urged funding for the CCS Early Learning building project
in Palmer. She related that CCS Early Learning and the Head
Start Program had a positive effect in the community. She
added that the Head Start Program offered a helping hand
for parents to make a positive difference in the lives of
their children.
6:25:11 PM
LARRY DEVILBISS, MAYOR, MAT-SU BOROUGH, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), spoke in support of the Mat-Su Borough's
funding requests for the rail extension, port protection,
and fisheries. In particular, he testified in support of
funding for the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority (KABATA)
and the Bogard Road Extension East. He shared that the Mat-
Su Borough had a great need for road infrastructure and
recalled a Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities' statistic that three of the five highway safety
corridors were in the Mat-Su Borough. He stated that the
Sterling Highway and the Seward Highway had 13 fatalities
or major injures per 100,000 miles; However the Knik-Goose
Bay (KGB) Road had 22.4 fatalities or major injures per
100,000 miles, the Parks Highway corridor had 17.3
fatalities or major injures per 100,000 miles, and the
Palmer-Wasilla Highway had 12.22 fatalities or major
injures per 100,000 miles. He stated that the KABATA
project would help with the problem on KGB and that the
Bogard Road extension would provide another corridor, both
east and west, in order to cross the borough.
Co-Chair Meyer expressed appreciation for the testimony and
noted that Senator Huggins and Senator Dunleavy had brought
to his attention the need for more roads in the valley.
6:27:46 PM
TIM VEENSTRA, AIRBORNE TECHNOLOGY, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding for the
Japanese tsunami debris cleanup efforts. He recalled that
the prior summer, the Department of Environmental
Conservation had contracted with Airborne Technology to fly
an aerial costal survey of the Gulf of Alaska in order to
establish a baseline for assessing the expected future
debris from the Japanese tsunami of 2011. He stated that
the survey had revealed that the debris had already heavily
impacted the Alaska coastline far ahead of the predicted
timeline. He stated that 8,000 high resolution images had
been processed for debris density and composition, and
discussed the damage that the tsunami would cause to
Alaska's oceans, beaches, and wildlife. He discussed the
different types of debris that the survey had identified
and related that the quantity of debris that was surveyed
was unprecedented. He offered that the current debris only
represented the "leading edge" of what was coming and urged
the need to address tsunami debris. He opined that the
tsunami debris would exceed the Exxon Valdez regarding its
long-lasting impact.
6:30:41 PM
TAMMY BREHM, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), testified in support of funding for the
CCS Early Learning building project in Palmer. She stated
that parents' testimony had shown that the Head Start
Program helped children advance and prepare for
kindergarten. She concluded that CCS Early Learning's staff
also assisted people in how become good parents.
6:31:17 PM
GARY FORRESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VALLEY PERFORMING ARTS,
MAT-SU (via teleconference), spoke in support of funding
for Valley Performing Arts for the purchase and renovation
of a new facility. He related that the request for $4.7
million would cover about half of Valley Performing Arts'
project needs. He shared that the site, which had been
arrived at after an exhaustive study, was an abandoned
theatre. He related that the project had been vetted and
was fiscally sound. He pointed out that the project was
supported by the Mat-Su Borough, with support from the City
of Wasilla and the City of Palmer. He pointed out that the
City of Wasilla had put funds in the project to show its
support and related that Valley Performing Arts had over
500 volunteers annually; there were also about 14,000
people that enjoyed Valley Performing Arts' services each
year. He stated that Valley Performing Arts generated about
$500,000 in revenue each year in the borough.
6:33:32 PM
LAURA WHEELER, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), testified in support of funding for the
CCS Early Learning building project in Palmer. She related
that the funding would be used to build a new school for
the Palmer Head Start Program combined with CC Early
Learning's administration office; she opined that this
would save the agency approximately $100,000. She stated
that she had two of her own children go through the Head
Start Program and related how the program had benefitted
her kids.
6:34:34 PM
LUKE FULP, CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICIAL, MAT-SU BOROUGH SCHOOL
DISTRICT, MAT-SU (via teleconference), testified in support
of the Mat-Su Borough's capital requests. He related that
the Mat-Su Borough School District was the second largest
school district in the state and that it believed in public
choice and innovation. He observed that Senator Dunleavy,
as well as the area's other legislators, had the borough's
capital requests and expressed appreciation for the work of
the committee regarding education.
6:35:42 PM
JOHN MOOSEY, BOROUGH MANAGER, MAT-SU BOROUGH (via
teleconference), expressed support of funding for
additional fish passage projects and studies in the Mat-Su
Borough. He also testified in support of funding for the
Hatcher Pass ski area, funding that would allow motorized
use of the back of Hatcher Pass, as well as funding for the
South Denali Visitors Center and the South Gateway Tourism
Center. He shared that the borough was having a difficult
time getting fish to return to the Matanuska, Susitna, and
Talkeetna Rivers. He pointed out that the lack of fish
returning had curtailed the growth and revenue to the
area's families. He concluded that the above projects were
important for small businesses and tourism in the Mat-Su
Valley.
6:37:39 PM
SUSAN HALE, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding for the CCS
Early Learning building project in Palmer.
6:38:06 PM
MELANIE SHAW, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), testified in support of the CCS Early
Learning building project in Palmer.
FAIRBANKS
6:38:58 PM
JOSHUA MILLER, ALASKA CENTER FOR ENERGY AND POWER,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in support of the
funding request by the University Alaska Board of Regents
for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power. He related that
the Alaska Center for Energy and Powers was an applied
energy research program that focused on several statewide
projects that benefited the residents of Alaska by
addressing energy related issues. He stated that the Alaska
Center for Energy and Power had given him opportunities
that he would not have had otherwise. He discussed the work
he had done as a geology student through the center, which
included a trip to Iceland. He pointed out that the
experience he had gained through the Alaska Center for
Energy and Power had made him a more marketable graduate
student and had resulted in an internship with BP Alaska.
6:40:57 PM
RON INOUYE, PRESIDENT, TANANA YUKON HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), urged for funding the
completion of the State Library, Archives, and Museum
Project (SLAM). He related that a new facility would save
the 140-year collection of Alaska's records and artifacts,
which were being put in danger by the current facility. He
offered that the state museum staff deserved a more
adequate facility in order to provide statewide service.
6:42:02 PM
SHELLIE SEVERA, COMMUNITY OF KALTAG, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding for Kaltag's
seafood processing plant upgrade and renovation project.
She pointed out that the past summer, the unemployment rate
in Kaltag had gone from 68 percent to 0 percent and added
that about 130 jobs had been created during the seasonal
employment. She stated the plant upgrades could be
completed in the current year and would allow year-long
employment for Kaltag residents. She shared that the
Kaltag's seafood processing plant had been in operation
since 2007 and had made significant progress every year in
production and employment; the renovation would increase
employment to 200 seasonal jobs and 25 permanent jobs in
the current year. She related that the time was right for
funding and that the creation and retention of jobs was
very important for Kaltag.
CLARKE MILNE, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for the Engineering
Expansion Initiative at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
(UAF) and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He
pointed out that both of the facilities were necessary for
modern engineering education. He shared his experience as
an engineering student at UAF and related that the current
labs and facility space in Fairbanks and Anchorage were
inadequate for modern work. He stated that the design for
the Fairbanks facilities had been thoroughly planned and
vetted and was ready for practical and efficient use. He
urged for the second half of the funding for UAF's and
UAA's engineering expansion.
6:46:02 PM
LUKE HOPKINS, MAYOR, FAIRBANKS NORTH STAR BOROUGH,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), expressed support for $25
million in one-time energy relief funding on behalf of the
Alaska Conference of Mayors. He also testified in support
of funding for the Arctic Winter Games, the borough's
facility energy efficiency projects, artificial turf
fields, new restrooms at Pioneer Park, the Engineering
Expansion Initiative at the University of Alaska Fairbanks,
and funding for the Fairbanks campus power plant.
6:48:32 PM
SCOTT BUCHER, BUCHER GLASS, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
spoke in support of final funding for the Juneau State
Library, Archives, and Museum (SLAM) Project and the
Engineering Expansion Initiative at the University of
Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the University of Alaska
Anchorage (UAA). He related that Bucher Glass had been
awarded contracts for the Juneau SLAM and the UAF
engineering project, which had allowed the business to
start a manufacturing facility in Fairbanks; the
manufacturing facility would add an additional 15 to 20
jobs to Fairbanks in the next year. He shared that the
Juneau SLAM Project and the UAF engineering project would
provide work that would allow Bucher Glass to keep the 15
to 20 jobs going for an additional 6 months. He stated that
a strong engineering program would allow his business to
hire local engineers in the future.
6:50:15 PM
REED MORISKY, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of full funding for completing the
Engineering Expansion Initiative at the University of
Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and The University of Alaska
Anchorage (UAA). He stated that the completion of the two
buildings would greatly increase the number of engineering
graduates.
6:50:47 PM
TERRENCE COLE, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke
in support of funding for the Juneau State Library Archives
and Museum Project (SLAM), as well as funding for
completing the Engineering Expansion Initiative at the
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the University of
Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He urged the state to invest in its
past and its future.
6:51:23 PM
DR. LEE O'HARE, FRIENDS OF UAF MUSEUM OF THE NORTH,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified in support of
full funding for the Juneau State Library Archives and
Museum Project (SLAM). She related that the museum in
Juneau was a statewide museum and urged for full funding of
the facility.
6:52:12 PM
TABER REHBAUM, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF ALASKA,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in support of the
one-time capital request for the Mentoring for Educational
Success Initiative. She related that she had seen thousands
of children turn their lives around, improve their
scholastic performance, and become productive citizens
through Big Brother Big Sisters and, discussed the
effectiveness of the program. She stated that the Mentoring
for Educational Success Initiative was a partnership with
school districts across the state to provide mentoring for
children who were struggling academically; she offered that
these children were the most at risk for academic failure,
dropping out of school, and involvement in the justice
system. She shared that the initiative would use students'
scores to target which students needed help. She stated
that statistics showed that high school graduates earned 75
percent more money in their lifetime than non-graduates
did, which meant more resources in Alaska. She shared the
high cost of incarcerating juveniles in Alaska and stated
that the Mentoring for Educational Success Initiative was
an investment in the state's future that would lead to a 90
percent graduation rate by the year 2020. She urged the
investment in Alaska's children.
6:54:20 PM
HALEY MCINTYRE, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for the Alaska Center for
Energy and Power. She stated that the Alaska Center for
Energy and Power offered an environment for students to
learn from experts, brought together creative minds from
diverse fields, and helped students gain real world
experience that employers wanted on the resumes of college
graduates. She acknowledged the need to investment in
infrastructure, but stated that it was equally important to
invest in the human capital that was necessary for the
state's future.
6:55:12 PM
NAJMUS SAQIB, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in support of full
funding for completing the Engineering Expansion Initiative
at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the
University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He pointed out that
Alaska needed more engineers and that the state needed to
better its universities in order to get more engineers. He
pointed out that Alaskan employers liked to hire engineers
from the state and that the engineering facilities needed
to be expanded in order to produce more engineers.
6:56:03 PM
CALEB SMITH, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), testified in support of completing the
Engineering Expansion Initiative at the University of
Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the University of Alaska
Anchorage (UAA).
6:56:48 PM
RYAN CUDO, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified in support of
full funding for completing the Engineering Expansion
Initiative at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and
the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He stated that
engineering was important to the economy and the nation,
and offered that Alaskan employers wanted to hire Alaskan
graduates. He concluded that funding the other half of the
university's engineering facilities would improve the
quality of education of the students and would benefit the
state.
Co-Chair Meyer noted that there was a lot of interest in
the University of Alaska's engineering college.
6:57:27 PM
ANDY CHAMBERLAIN, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), urged funding for
completing the Engineering Expansion Initiative at the
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the University of
Alaska Anchorage (UAA). He shared that he was due to
graduate in the fall from UAF and was planning to attend
graduate studies at UAA. He related that his decision to
attend UAA for graduate studies was based, in part, by the
expectation of the construction of new engineering
facilities.
6:58:14 PM
ANNE HANLEY, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), spoke in
support of funding for the Winter Bear Project. She stated
that the Winter Bear Project was intended to help change
the climate of fear and hopelessness that bred suicide,
especially among Alaskan Native men in rural areas. The
project offered a play and community discussions following
the play, as well as behavioral health support and
outreach. She related that the communities had donated
housing, venues, and meals to the project. She concluded
that the Winter Bear Project sought to change statistics
that were a blight on the state.
6:59:23 PM
CHANDLER KEMP, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for the Alaska Center for
Energy and Power. He stated that the Alaska Center for
Energy and Power provided opportunities for students and
young people to get involved in projects that were valuable
to the state. He pointed out that he was attracted to come
back to Alaska after graduating college, in large part,
because of the opportunities that the Alaska Center for
Energy and Power offered.
7:00:35 PM
LARRY BENNETT, ENGINEER, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of the university regent's building
priorities: the completion of the two engineering buildings
at UAA and UAF. He stated that there were a number of new
and replacement jobs for engineers in the state. He pointed
out the dramatic increases in engineering enrollments and
degrees over the several years prior. He also voiced
support of the request from the Midnight Sun Council of the
Boy Scouts. He pointed out that the Boy Scouts request was
less than half of the request for UAA and UAF engineering,
but the funds would support continuing development of the
Boy Scout Camp at Lost Lake. He stated that the camp
continued to be the only developed camp in the Interior,
and served the Boy Scouts and many other groups. He pointed
out the camp was the only accredited American Camping
Association camp in the Interior. He stated that the funds
would be leveraged by money from private individuals and
foundations.
7:02:14 PM
LISA STOWELL, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENT, UAF,
FAIRBANKS (via teleconference), testified in support of
funding for the Alaska Center for Energy and Power (ACEP).
She stated that she was grateful for the ability to work in
the engineering field to gain experience and knowledge that
makes it more probable that she get a job and remain in
Alaska. She added that she was able to participate on
projects that had the potential to currently enhance
Alaska's future energy needs. She pointed out that she had
always been interested in alternative energy for the state.
She remarked that ACEP had increased her interest by
finding alternative energy, and improving energy costs for
Alaskans. She felt that the goal could be achieved by
learning about Alaska's unique challenges, land, economics,
and available resources. She remarked that geo thermal
energy was site-specific, so a complete assessment of the
geo thermal area was necessary to determine the type of
resource that was available. She stated that her experience
with ACEP had helped with many job interviews; because many
employers were impressed that she had experience on a drill
rig, logging wells, and long days in the field. She also
voiced support of funding for the engineering buildings at
UAA and UAF.
7:04:37 PM
JOY HUNTINGTON, TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), voiced support of funding the requests put
forth by the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC). She pointed
out that TCC worked hard to leverage federal dollars with
state dollars. She shared that TCC had leveraged over $15
million non-state dollars with $2 million in state dollars.
She remarked that TCC was continually creative in how funds
were utilized, in order to burden the State of Alaska. She
also voiced support of the requests from the Council of
Athabascan Tribal Governments in Fort Yukon, which was a
health care providing organization. She specifically urged
support of the $150,000 for provider housing for medical
providers. She thanked the committee for taking the time to
hear all of the small communities throughout the state.
7:07:07 PM
JACOB MONAGLE, UAF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of the new UAA engineering building.
He stated that engineering companies were looking for
employees from Alaska. He stated that the companies were
seeking people who understood the unique challenges that
Alaska presented. He stated that the engineering companies
were eager to hire Alaskans who wanted to improve the
state. He stressed that the engineering programs at UA
provided quality and affordable education to Alaskans; and
the construction of the new engineering buildings would
provide the education that the companies were seeking. He
stated that the current building was lacking size and
ventilation; which often hindered lab work that was
required. He stressed that the new engineering buildings
would greatly enhance the potential and prospects of
Alaskan engineers; and would greatly enhance the
competitiveness and would be appealing to both instate and
out of state students.
7:08:15 PM
ROGER BURGGRAF, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of Department of Education and Early
Development funding and the UA engineering buildings in
Fairbanks and Anchorage. He felt that education and
training was the key to the future success of the state. He
remarked that the funding for the proposed engineering
buildings were beneficial to the entire state. He stressed
that it was necessary for the state to take a proactive
stance in developing its resources by training for the jobs
needed to build the economy. He remarked that education and
training were keys to the future of Alaska's producers. He
shared that China produces 400,000 engineers per year, and
the United States produces 1,000 to 2,000 engineers per
year.
7:10:32 PM
DOMINIQUE PRIDE, FORMER STUDENT EMPLOYEE, ACEP, FAIRBANKS
(via teleconference), testified in support of the UA
funding for ACEP. She shared that her time at ACEP gave her
the opportunity to apply what she had learned in the
classroom to real world projects. She shared that she had
worked on carbon sequestration; hydro kinetics; ground
source heat pumps; and other various energy technologies.
She stressed the importance of funding applied energy
research, in order to determine what works best for Alaska.
She remarked that many renewable energy technologies were
not currently economically competitive; so if the research
does not get funding, those technologies will never become
competitive. She shared that ACEP had many students that
would be working on energy issues well into the future
after graduation.
7:12:02 PM
ERIC JOHNSON, GRADUATE STUDENT, UA, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), testified in support of funding for ACEP.
He shared that ACEP provided the opportunity for students
to apply classroom knowledge to a real world environment.
He stated that he had personally worked on many field
projects. He announced that ACEP had given him the
opportunity to work on the Alaska Energy Wiki, which was a
website that ACEP had created to spread the knowledge of
energy projects that were occurring across Alaska. He
stated that ACEP provided the chance to work and make
connections with the energy industry. He pointed out that
many former ACEP students had advanced to energy-related
jobs in Alaska. He remarked that ACEP involves students
with energy issues; and builds interest towards working in
energy-related fields.
7:13:52 PM
BART LEBON, BOARD MEMBER, ARCTIC WINTER GAMES, FAIRBANKS
(via teleconference), testified in support of $1 million
for the Arctic Winter Games. He felt that the 2014 Arctic
Winter Games would be an economic benefit to the State of
Alaska. He stated that the last time that Alaska hosted the
Arctic Winter Games was 2006. He explained that Alaska
would not have the opportunity to host the Arctic Winter
Games for another ten years after the 2014 games. He
explained that the Arctic Winter Games would result in an
economic impact of over $10 million in direct visitor
spending and event operations. He shared that he was
anticipating approximately 2,000 coaches and participants.
He stated that eh Arctic Winter Games supports the State's
mission to promote economic activity and provide for strong
community involvement. He also urged support for the
engineering buildings at UAF and UAA.
7:15:15 PM
JONI SCHARFENBERG, EMPLOYEE, FAIRBANKS SOIL AND WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
spoke in support of funding for the Fairbanks Soil and
Water Conservation District. She stated that the Fairbanks
Soil and Water Conservation District was part of the Alaska
Association of Conservation Districts, and was locally lead
by an elected board of supervisors. She stated that the
district strived to meet the natural resource technical and
educational request of private land owners and community
partners. She shared that work was done in waterways,
soils, agriculture, forestry, trails, mining reclamation,
affordable energy, and natural resource education. She
stated that the conservation districts were mandated by
state statute to approve the Division of Agriculture State
Agriculture land sales conservation plans. She stressed
that the buyer could not be approved to work land without
the district's approval. She remarked that the Fairbanks
district and other districts searched to obtain private and
federal dollars, but the funding request was necessary to
match private and federal funds; and cover basic operations
like payroll and rent.
7:17:02 PM
GARY LEWIS, MIDNIGHT SUN COUNCIL, BOY SCOUTS, FAIRBANKS
(via teleconference), testified in support of funding for
the Midnight Sun Council Boy Scout camp budget request. He
remarked that the camp was used by the Boy Scouts, Girl
Scouts, churches, and many state agencies. He pointed out
that the Midnight Sun Council Boy Scouts did not frequently
request money, and pointed out that the Boy Scouts in
Anchorage often received money for their camps. He pointed
out that there were some funds that were already raised,
but it was difficult to raise money for nonprofit entities.
He explained that the Midnight Sun Council had
approximately 700 volunteers, and approximately 9,500 youth
in the Midnight Sun Council Boy Scout program in the
Interior.
7:18:56 PM
RICHARD GREEN, SELF, FAIRBANKS (via teleconference),
testified in support of the Weatherization, Cold Climate
Housing Research, and the Alaska Craftsman Home programs.
He remarked that the Cold Climate Housing Research Center
was working to validate and move forward with its current
weatherization program, related to rebate and income based
program.
7:21:07 PM
CHRIS MILLER, VICE PRESIDENT, DESIGN ALASKA, FAIRBANKS (via
teleconference), testified in support of funding the
engineering program request for UAA and UAF. He shared that
he hired the students that testified for ACEP earlier in
the meeting. He pointed out that he loved to hire Alaskan
engineers, because they understood the difference between
"cold" and Fairbanks; and the difference between the
largest temperature spread in the world. He stressed that
Alaska was a unique place, and needed unique engineers that
come from unique facilities to train them.
7:22:07 PM
KIRK BROWN, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via
teleconference), testified in support of the CCS Early
Learning program that would allow the building of a new
school in Palmer for its Head Start program. He felt that
the CCS Early Learning Heat Start program made a positive
difference on the community. He felt that CCS provided a
beginning journey for the future engineers and Alaska
workforce. He remarked that CCS gave students a well-
rounded beginning for school, and teaches and supports
parents for their children's futures. He also urged support
of the Boy Scout camp at Lost Lake budget request.
7:23:11 PM
KARL LUND, CCS EARLY LEARNING, MAT-SU (via teleconference),
spoke in support of CCS Early Learning programs. He shared
that the church that houses the Head Start program in his
community was expanding in order to accommodate the growing
and successful school. He urged support of a one-time grant
from the State of Alaska, to construct a new site.
7:24:52 PM
ELIZABETH RIPLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MAT-SU HEALTH
FOUNDATION, MAT-SU (via teleconference), testified in
support of She stated that the Mat-Su Health Foundation
invested revenues from the local hospital into grants to
make measurable improvements to the health status of Mat-Su
residents. She stated that private and public funders
wanted to ensure that the dollars were used prudently, to
maximize administrative efficiency, and the dollars produce
the desired health outcome of return. She remarked that the
Mat-Su Health Foundation was a partner in the pre-
development program with Rasmussen, the trust, and Denali
Commission to ensure that capital projects were well-
planned, right-sized, and sustainable.
7:27:21 PM
THERESE TOMASOSKI, CCS, MAT-SU (via teleconference),
encouraged funding for the new CCS Early Learning building
in Palmer. She felt that CCS improved the development,
education, and health of young children. She stated that
the project would yield high returns in State dollars,
because the education of the young children could result in
future leaders.
7:28:04 PM
CINDY BETTINE, BUSINESS OWNER, MAT-SU (via teleconference),
testified in support of community revenue sharing. She
announced that she had recently served on the Mat-Su
Assembly, at a time when there was zero revenue sharing.
She remarked that it was important for the overall economic
climate for the Mat-Su to receive the full funding of the
revenue sharing. She stated that revenue sharing allowed
for small businesses to invest in their own business. She
stated that the borough could reduce and stabilize property
taxes through the revenue sharing. She urged the addition
of the $25 million, matching past levels of $85 million.
She thanked the committee for allowing the public to
complete their testimony.
7:29:46 PM
JANENE LOVELACE, SELF, MAT-SU (via teleconference), spoke
in support of funding for a new CCS Early Learning building
in Palmer. She remarked that she had observed hundreds of
families grow and strengthen due to the efforts of CCS and
Head Start. She remarked that the investment in the new
building would be an investment in children's futures by
building a foundation of education in Alaska.
ANCHORAGE
7:31:00 PM
MARY ANN PEASE, OWNER, MACH CONSULTING, ANCHORAGE, spoke in
support of the Alaska Children Services request for the
Statewide Behavioral Health Distance Training and Delivery
System. She shared that the program would be self-
sustaining, and would reduce the cost of long-term
children's mental health care. She pointed out that Alaska
Children Services had been the state's premiere provider of
mental health services for disabled and behaviorally
impaired children. She stated that the services included
community based and full institutionalization in the most
severe cases. She shared that the children in Alaska
Children Services, ages 6 to 16, came from all area of the
state. The children were challenged by a range of
conditions including genetic defects, fetal alcohol
syndrome, suicide risk, substance abuse, and an array of
psychological disorders. She stressed that there needed to
be an optimization of expertise already available in the
state for the betterment of the children. She pointed out
that one of the critical components of the request was the
training module that would recognize potentially violent
mentally ill children; and focus on the training,
remediation, and intervention before the violence occurs or
escalates. She explained that Alaska Children Services
would provide all maintenance and operational costs of the
facility; and also contribute the land for the expansion.
7:33:38 PM
GRANT BAKER, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
testified in support of the engineering building at UAA and
UAF. He also voiced support for the Alaska Engineering
Academies at the middle and high schools across the state.
He shared that he was an engineering professor for 24
years, and he helped to create and build the UAA
engineering programs. He stressed that there was a severe
shortage of building space, and students were leaving
Alaska to participate in engineering programs elsewhere. He
shared that for 8 years he had worked with the middle and
high schools to develop engineering academies throughout
Alaska. He stressed that engineering academies were cost
effective programs that attract students to take
engineering and technology courses, and would prepare them
for college.
7:34:47 PM
ZACHARY MANNIX, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
voiced support of the Alaska Engineering Academy's
initiative of $4.9 million to develop and enhance
engineering and science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) academies throughout Alaska. He stressed
that Alaska was currently facing a massive shortage of
qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
professionals. He stated that Alaska would face a STEM
workforce shortage of approximately 8100 people by 2018. He
stated that the Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium
(APICC), worked with the University of Alaska system and
reached an agreement to collaborate with Department of
Education and Early Development and the Department of Labor
and Workforce Development to develop and support access to
engineering academies for all of Alaska's public secondary
education students. He remarked that the academies offered
students career pathways in STEM related industries. The
academies were backed by a thorough implementation plan; an
industry and education backed advisory board; and were held
accountable by national standard tests. He shared that
State
7:36:45 PM
CARMEN GUTIERREZ, PRISONER REENTRY TASK FORCE, ANCHORAGE
(via teleconference), testified in support of the Partners
for Progress Joint Recidivism Reduction Plan funding. She
shared that Alaskans had the opportunity to spend limited
State resources in a more proactive fashion, when the rate
of criminal recidivism was reduced. She stated that
Alaska's prison population was growing at 3 percent per
year. She announced that if that growth was not a halted,
the prisons would be at full capacity. She felt that the
Partners for Progress Joint Recidivism Reduction Plan for
FY 14 had demonstrated radical reduction in recidivism. She
shared that the project would fund transitional rental
housing and related reentry assistance to probationers who
were referred by Department of Corrections (DOC). She
announced that Anchorage received the vast majority of
newly released prisoners. She shared that the number of
convicted felons released to the Anchorage area was over
1700 individuals in the year 2009. She stated that the
recidivism rate for those individuals was high, and it was
estimated that 25 percent of those individuals had no
resources. She explained that those individuals were
supervised by probation officers in Anchorage that had case
loads of 100 probationers per each probation officer. She
explained that the project would allow the Partners for
Progress would work with the Alaska Native Justice Resource
Center and Nine Star Educational and Employment Services to
provide limited housing assistance and case management
services that provide stable housing and employment
training skills. She felt that the project would give
individuals a better chance of succeeding upon release into
the community. She remarked that the Alaska Native Justice
Center no longer received federal funding, so they would
have no funding available to provide services in FY 14.
7:40:25 PM
MARY FISHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA PREVENTION AGAINST
LITTER, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in
support of $5 million for cleanup of Alaska's coastline and
beaches impacted by debris from the Japan Tsunami. She
shared that studies by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) confirmed that Alaska was significantly
more impacted by the debris than other west coast states
and Hawaii. She announced that the cost of cleaning the
remote and high energy beaches was much more expensive than
it would be in the other west coast states and Hawaii. She
stated that the Alaska Prevention Against Litter had
provided funding and assisted in litter cleanup for
Alaska's communities since the year 1982. She announced
that the Alaska Prevention Against Litter had never faced a
litter and debris pollution issue of this magnitude, so the
State needed to act quickly to mitigate the negative
impacts of fish and wildlife.
Co-Chair Meyer handed the gavel to Vice-Chair Fairclough.
7:42:03 PM
CHRIS PALLISTER, PRESIDENT, GULF OF ALASKA KEEPER,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in support of $5
million for cleanup of Alaska's coastline and beaches
impacted by debris from the Japan Tsunami. He remarked that
the tsunami greatly exacerbated preexisting marine debris
problem in the Gulf of Alaska, and more than double the
amount of plastic debris on the beaches. He stated that
Washington Sea Grant predicted that between 30 million and
375 million pounds of tsunami debris would wash up onto
Alaska's shore. He explained that most of the debris was
plastic items and drums of chemicals. He stated that the
tsunami debris was lodged on state-owned tide lands, so the
fish and wildlife resources were impacted. He remarked that
the tsunami debris was much worse than normal plastic
marine debris; because much of the debris was comprised of
Styrofoam and urethane foam insulation from crushed
buildings. He explained that the foam deteriorates, gets
broken down into small pieces, and is eventually eaten by
fish and wildlife. He shared that plastic bottles full of
various substances like condiments and cleaning agents were
flooding the coast. He explained that most of the bottles
quickly deteriorate, because of the battering water on the
shores, which results in animals ingesting the substances
and get passed up the food chain.
7:44:36 PM
JON ZASAPA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ANCHORAGE NEIGHBORHOOD
HEALTH CENTER, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), urged
support of $90,000 for a shuttle to the Anchorage
Neighborhood Health Center, which would connect the new
health center on C Street with the downtown shuttle center
in Anchorage. He stated that the shuttle was a partnership
between the municipality of Anchorage and the Health
Center. He explained that the shuttle provided access to
some of most vulnerable patients like the homeless,
elderly, and children. He shared that the shuttle was
growing by approximately 10 percent per month. He remarked
that the shuttle served almost 33 patients per day. He
shared that the total cost of the shuttle service from
September 2013 to December 2014 was $226,000. He felt that
the additional funding could support the shuttle's
continued operation. He pointed out that the request was an
interim step while work with the municipality continued to
identify funding for a permanent route to the Health
Center.
7:47:16 PM
HEATHER ARNETT, STATEWIDE ADMINISTRATOR, ASSOCIATION OF
ALASKA HOUSING AUTHORITY, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
testified in support of an increase of funding to the
Weatherization and Energy Rebate Programs. She felt that
those programs were extremely effective in reducing home
energy costs for Alaskans. She shared that families who
participated in the programs experienced a 30 to 40 percent
reduction in energy costs. She alleged that if the program
was funded at $31.5 million, funding for the program would
be cut in half in the next grant cycle. She urged support
of full operational funding of the programs in the amount
of $101.5 million.
7:49:46 PM
ORSON SMITH, ENGINEER, SEWARD (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for Alaska Vocational
Technical Center (AVTEC), and the engineering building
funding requests at UAA and UAF. He shared that the new
buildings would provide expanded laboratories and
classrooms based on team-based learning. He stated that the
current building had no classrooms, because all of the
classrooms needed to be converted to labs in order to be
consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
requirements. He felt that UA's engineering accreditation
would be threatened without the promise of a new building.
He also specifically spoke to the funding request for the
ship simulator at AVTEC. He explained that the ship
simulator AVTEC was a world class and unique facility for
training Alaska mariners in Alaska conditions.
Vice-Chair Fairclough handed the gavel to Co-Chair Meyer.
7:51:44 PM
ROB JORDAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALASKA CRAFTSMAN HOME
PROGRAM (ACHP), ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), reiterated
Mr. Green's testimony related to funding for the Statewide
Energy Efficiency Education program. He remarked that
energy costs were prohibitive in many parts of the state;
and many homes were not built with efficiency or safety as
a priority. He explained that the program would address the
need for education and awareness; provide tools for
Alaskans that were struggling with high energy costs; and
would deliver solutions to communities throughout the state
based on the need in the community. He felt that energy
efficiency education was an immediate solution to a
statewide problem. The program would provide 200 how-to
workshops for homeowners; 50 workshops for commercial
building owners and commercial building users; training
seminars on valuing energy efficiency improvements; and a
comprehensive statewide awareness and outreach campaign. He
emphasized that energy efficiency education would reduce
heating costs; reduce health risks in homes; and increased
value of Alaska's housing stock.
7:53:22 PM
AUDREY AANES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARCTIC ACCESS, ANCHORAGE
(via teleconference), urged support of funding the request
for adaptive equipment for elders and people with
disabilities in Northwest Alaska. She stressed that the
need for assisted devices was substantial in the Arctic
Access service area of Nome and Northwest Arctic regions
including Point Hope. She shared that the 2000 census
indicated a total population of over 3500 who experience a
disability in the Northwest Alaska service region. She
pointed out that, in a recent survey, the communities
indicated their need for grab bars; showering and toileting
equipment; and many other adaptive devices for those that
do not have other resources. She shared that Arctic Access
received regular requests for step stools, walkers, canes,
reading devices, hearing devices, and durable medical
equipment. She stressed that the items were necessary to
basic health and safety; and were critical during hospital
to home transitions.
7:56:16 PM
JOE PERKINS, MEMBER, ANCHORAGE LIBRARY FOUNDATION,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of
funding for $8 million for the funds to renovate the
entrance to Loussac Library. He explained that the funding
would cover phase 1 of the Loussac Library renovation. He
felt that the $8 million would allow for future renovations
to occur in a non-wasteful manner. He remarked that the
funding was an investment that would pay dividends into the
future. He remarked that the request would solve two public
safety issues: the current entrance to the library was
deteriorating; and the exterior book drop would be replaced
with a book drop that allows books to go directly into the
library, in order to avoid the possibility of an employee
injuring themselves on ice outdoors.
7:58:57 PM
CHRISTINE KLEIN, CALISTA SOUTHWEST ALASKA, ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), testified in support of funding $8 million
for Martional Barge Stocking facility and access road. This
project would mobilize quality rocks; and would assist with
public projects funded by state and federal governments.
She also voiced support of funding the New Vista Co-op
project for a feasibility assessment to continue the Denali
Commission's work on distributing Alaska's power. She
pointed out that there would be an examination of the
inter-tie feasibility between villages. She also urged
support funding for the Yukon Kuskoquim Freight and Energy
Corridor. She felt that the project would help reduce
transportation costs; provide alternative energy access;
and enable a road in the road-less region.
8:01:28 PM
GAIL SCHUBERT, MEMBER, ALASKA RETIREMENT MANAGEMENT (ARM)
BOARD, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), urged support of a
special appropriation of $150 million for the unfunded
liability, and $500 million for the retirement unfunded
liability of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
and Teachers Retirement System (TRS). She also voiced
support for a special annual appropriation of $500 million
for FY 15, FY 16, and FY 17 toward retirement of the
unfunded liabilities. She explained that the PERS and TRS
liabilities grew from approximately $6.9 million in 2005 to
approximately $11.9 million by June 2012. She stated that
it was anticipated that the States' annual appropriation to
pay down the combined unfunded liabilities of the two
retirement systems would soon exceed $1 billion. She
stressed that it was not sustainable, and would create a
financial hardship for the State and local government
employers. She announced that the ARM Board's actuaries had
estimated that contributing and additional $500 million
each year, for four years, would result in state and local
government employers would realize a total savings of $2.5
billion. The estimated savings would be approximately $1.5
billion for PERS and approximately $1.133 billion for TRS.
She explained that the savings was possible because full
funding of the retirement systems would be reached almost
two years earlier than projected, because of the special
annual appropriation. She felt that local government
employers would realize $1 billion in reduced employer
contributions; and the State would realize $1.5 billion in
reduced State assistance.
8:04:53 PM
BOB MOORE, VICE CHAIRMAN, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of
funding for the Mentoring for Educational Success
Initiative. He shared that there were thousands of cases at
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska of youth that improved
school performance and became productive citizens. He
stressed that the initiative was a partnership with school
districts to provide mentoring for students who were
struggling academically based on their scores of the third
grade standards based assessment test. He stressed that the
children in the program were the most at risk of academic
failure. He explained that census figures reflected that
high school graduates received 75 percent more in their
lifetime than non-graduates; translating into more economic
resources for the state. He remarked that the cost to
incarcerate a juvenile in Alaska was $140,000 a year; and
furthered that Big Brothers and Big Sisters could provide
and at-risk child with support that could reduce the
child's delinquency and ensure that the child graduates on
time for only $2,000 a year.
8:07:07 PM
SHERI BURETTE, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
SACRED SITES IN ALASKA, EAGLE RIVER (via teleconference),
urged support of funding for maintaining the historic
Russian Orthodox churches. She stressed that the churches
were an important part of Alaska's history. She stated that
many of the churches were in dire need of historic
maintenance and renovation. She shared that Alaska had a
vibrant Russian Orthodox history, and Alaskans needed to
experience the Russian Orthodox churches in their original,
historic architecture. Maintenance of the churches was an
important part of Alaska's mission and constitution.
8:09:24 PM
ELLEN KAZARY, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, RURAL ALASKA COMMUNITY
ACTION PLAN (RURAL CAP), ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
spoke in support of the funding for the Rural CAP request
for the Energy Wise program. She appreciated Senator
Olson's letter of support for the request. She explained
that Energy Wise hired and trained local workers to provide
energy efficiency upgrades in homes and energy efficiency
education in rural Alaska. She shared that independent
evaluators had determined that the program worked, and had
a three year return on investment due to sustained
reduction of energy use including reduced kilowatt hours
resulting in lower energy bills for residents. She stated
that the program had been successfully implemented into 22
villages with over 240 local workers serving over 2000
households.
8:10:52 PM
FLORIAN BOROWSKI, MEMBER, ALASKA WORKFORCE INVESTMENT
BOARD, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), voiced support of
AVTEC capital budget requests. He specifically urged
support of funding for the Heavy Equipment Diesel Shop; the
Maritime Simulator Ice Navigation; and deferred
maintenance. He stated that he was part of an organization
that employed over 120 heavy duty mechanics he was
especially directing his support toward AVTEC's need for a
heavy equipment shop. He remarked that it was continually
difficult to find the proper number of qualified Alaskans
to fill the need for qualified mechanics; and he felt that
funding these items in AVTEC's budget would ease that
pressure.
8:12:01 PM
CHRIS TURLETES, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for the engineering
facilities at UAA and UAF. He shared that he had a daughter
who had recently graduated from the engineering program at
UAA, and currently worked at an Anchorage engineering firm.
He stated that the funding for the facilities was already
at half of what was needed to complete the project. He
stressed that Alaska was facing a shortage of qualified
engineers. He stated that Alaska employers preferred to
hire UA graduates, because of their understanding of cold
regions and their likelihood of remaining in Alaska. He
recognized that it was a substantial investment, but
investing in engineers for Alaska was vital to Alaska's
future.
8:14:49 PM
JOHN CREWS, CHAIRMAN, INDUSTRIAL ADVISORY BOARD, ALASKA
VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL CENTER (AVTEC), ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), testified in support of funding for AVTEC.
He stressed that the training programs at AVTEC were the
foundational building blocks of the state. He specifically
highlighted the $6 million for phase 1 of the Heavy
Equipment Diesel Pipe Welding Facility Relocation. He
shared that the current facility had numerous structural
and safety issues. He also voiced support of $968,000 for
deferred maintenance. He stated that the maintenance
supported by the funding included some life safety
improvements to the Student Center, which was used by both
the residents of Seward and the students of AVTEC. He
additionally spoke in support of funding the energy
efficiency upgrades, and improvements to the building trade
shop environment. He stressed the importance of a training
shop that mirrored shops of private employers. He supported
funding for installing digital controls to increase heating
system efficiency. He also voiced support of an engineering
study of the fire alarm system on campus, to determine
needed upgrades and costs to the out-of-date system. He
voice support of the $375,000 for phase 1 of the Ice
Navigation Upgrade of the Marine Simulator. He explained
that the simulator was very advanced; and was utilized by
both state and private pilots.
8:18:25 PM
KEVIN WARING, VICE PRESIDENT, PARTNERS FOR PROGRESS,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of
$600,000 for Partners for Progress's partnership to reduce
criminal recidivism. He specifically echoed Ms. Gutierrez's
comments. He shared that, for three years, Partners for
Progress, the Alaska Native Justice Center, and Nine Star
Employment Services had collaborated with (DOC) to provide
temporary housing, case management, and employment services
to a limited number of newly released offenders. He
remarked that 80 percent of participating offenders had
succeeding in the program by staying out of prison;
compared to 34 percent of non-participants. He shared that
this recidivism reduction program cost approximately $2,000
per participant. Each participant who does not reoffend,
immediately saves the state $85,000, which was the cost of
six months incarceration.
8:20:29 PM
JEDIDIAH SMITH, MEMBER, ANCHORAGE PUBLIC TRANSIT ADVISORY
BOARD, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support
of the Alaska Mobility Coalition's request for community
transit system funding. He felt that the funding was
fundamental to addressing the transportation needs of urban
and rural communities throughout the state. He stated that
a $3 million investment in public and community
transportation would leverage up to $15 million in federal,
state, and local funding. He remarked that public and
community transportation provided reliable access to jobs
and services; improves mobility; reduces congestion and
energy consumption; and improves safety in the community.
He shared that People Mover delivered over 4 million rides
to Anchorage residents and visitors in 2012. He explained
that state funding had previously helped People Mover
implement a new fare box system that made fare correction
and tracking ridership more accurate.
Co-Chair Meyer handed the gavel to Vice-Chair Fairclough.
8:22:39 PM
JUDY CAMINER, CHAIR, CHUGACH STATE PARK CITIZEN BOARD,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of the
Chugach State Park Access and Trail Rehabilitation funding
initiative. She shared that the Chugach State Park was a
great resource for Alaskans and visitors. She explained
that the project was a compilation of access improvements;
interpretative finds; and trail rehabilitation needs. She
stated that the request was created using public input that
was received during the development of the management plan,
trail plan, and access plan. She felt that the improvements
would promote public health, safety, and enjoyment; it
would reduce trail erosion and maintenance costs; it would
provide for enhanced public education; and it would help
stem conflicts private property owners near the park access
points. She shared that an estimated 1.3 million people
visited the park in 2012.
8:24:53 PM
JAY DULANY, RETIRED PUBLIC EMPLOYEES OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE
(via teleconference), mirrored Ms. Schubert's testimony
related to the PERS and TRS unfunded liability. He
understood that the crisis was not imminent, but if
investment was made momentarily, it would save billions of
future dollars.
8:25:47 PM
DALE NELSON, CIVIL ENGINEER, ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), testified in support of Alaska
Professional Design Council project requests. He shared
that his organization represented 5,000 registered
professionals. He specifically urged support of funding for
UAF and UAA engineering buildings funding. He stressed the
importance of an engineering building in Alaska, in order
to create strong Alaskan workforce for future construction
projects.
Vice-Chair Fairclough reminded the testifiers to keep their
remarks to two minutes.
8:28:42 PM
WADE ROACH, TEACHER, DIMOND HIGH SCHOOL, ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), testified in support of the Alaska Process
Industry Careers Consortium Alaska Engineering Initiative.
He announced that Dimond High School was one of two
engineering academies that were initiated in 2008, as a
response to a call to action from Siemens Building
Technologies and other engineering firms in Alaska. He
disclosed that he had been involved in designing the
curriculum and academy. He stated that he had taught high
school in Alaska for fifteen years, and was at the front
line of STEM education. He shared that he was a science
teacher, robotics coach, and a department leader in career
and technical education. He felt that Alaska Engineering
Academies utilize Project Lead the Way, which was a
nonprofit curriculum and professional development provider,
to understand the current educational environment.
8:30:46 PM
PETER CRIMP, SELF, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), spoke in
support of funding for the Alaska Center for Energy and
Power at UA. He stated that he had worked in an energy-
related field for twenty years, and understood that there
were no absolute solutions for the energy crisis in Alaska.
He stressed the importance of a strong university to test
technologies that hold promise for Alaska like converting
river flow to power; wind turbine systems suited to
Alaska's cold climate; and fuel additives that may deliver
more efficient electrical power and reduce air emissions.
He urged support of funding the replacement of the UAF
heating system. He stated that by generating both heat and
power, the system could extract the maximum amount of
energy from a given amount of fuel.
8:32:05 PM
BROOKS CHANDLER, PRESIDENT, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of
funding for the renovation of the Loussac Public Library.
He aligned his testimony Mr. Perkins' comments.
8:33:10 PM
BRUCE PARHAM, BOARD MEMBER, COOK INLET HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), strongly urged support of
SLAM funding, and urged additional $30 million to fully
fund construction of the building. He felt that a total of
$50 million was needed in the current year to avoid
possible cost increases over the upcoming two years of
final construction. He felt that the addition of the $30
million would save money on rising costs of materials and
labor; added rent and utilities; and recurring operation
and maintenance budget for SLAM. He stressed that the
purpose of the project was to preserve and protect Alaska's
historical records.
GLENALLEN, SEWARD, HOMER
8:35:32 PM
CHARLENE NOLLNER, SELF, GAKONA VILLAGE (via
teleconference), urged support of funding the Gakona
Gathering Place. She stated that the funding would be used
to expand the facility. She shared that the foundation and
radiant floor tubing was complete, so the funding would be
used towards complete the building. She stated that the
boiler system was built to support the expansion.
8:36:27 PM
BRUCE CAIN, SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER, AHTNA INC.,
GLENNALLEN (via teleconference), testified in support of
funding for the Mentasta Village Council Clinic Replacement
Matching funds in the amount of $300,000. He explained that
the clinic was over 20 years old, and had outgrown its
capacity. The funding could also be used to match a
Community Development Block Grant. He voiced support
$250,000 for a cost estimate of the Tazlina River
pedestrian bridge. He explained that the bridge was
currently a high speed highway bridge, but did not have a
designated pedestrian zone. He also aligned his comments
with Ms. Nollner's testimony.
8:38:38 PM
JOE BOVEE, LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGER, AHTNA INC.,
GLENNALLEN (via teleconference), urged support of funding
the Gokana and State of Alaska land trade. He explained
that the trade would trade Ahtna Inc. land for State of
Alaska. He furthered that the State of Alaska land was the
former site of the historic native village of Gokana.
8:40:07 PM
RON LONG, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, SEWARD (via
teleconference), testified in support of funding for the
city's marine industrial center expansion. The project had
been the city's top priority project for the past three
years. He shared the history of the project concept. He
discussed that the legislature had provided $400,000 to
conduct a feasibility study in the past; the study had
identified 132 different business types that would be
spread across the state. The city was working with the
Department of Labor and Workforce Development, regional
economic development organizations, and other on a project
development agreement. The project had $10 million in
transportation bond funding that would complete the
engineering and permitting work for the project and would
fund the beginning construction phase. He supported a
request for funding that would go towards the completion of
a breakwater expansion. The expansion would allow the city
to moor vessels and begin generating revenue.
8:43:57 PM
LOUIE BENCARDINO, SELF, SEWARD (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for the Alaska Vocational
Technical Center (AVTEC). He supported funding for a
building that would enable continued heavy equipment and
welding training. He spoke to a need for workers in the
welding boating industries. He stressed that maintenance
needs were becoming critical. He asked for legislative
support.
8:46:56 PM
WILLARD DUNHAM, SELF, SEWARD (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding projects for AVTEC. He
shared that the marine program was expanding; student
growth had been phenomenal. He spoke to the importance of
AVTEC's role in providing Alaskan workers to compete for
jobs in the oil industry and other. He complemented Senator
Bishop on a recent interview about the need to be
competitive in the job market. He stressed that the state
engineer building was in disrepair. He relayed that there
were 16 state-owned buildings on the Seward campus that
were in need of maintenance. He emphasized the importance
of the funds.
8:49:57 PM
PATRICK CHANDLER, INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP
COORDINATOR, STATE OF ALASKA, HOMER (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for the cleanup of debris
resulting from the 2011 Japanese tsunami. He communicated
that Alaskan beaches collected thousands of pounds of
plastic annually from numerous sources. He stressed that
the issue should be of great concern to those who valued
Alaska's fisheries and critical habitats. He spoke to the
negative impacts the debris had on the coastal zones. He
shared that dangerous levels of chemicals from plastics had
been found in juvenile salmon from Elizabeth Island Lake.
He emphasized that debris from the tsunami had compounded
the problem. He urged the committee to fund the cleanup
effort.
8:52:00 PM
RANDALL WIEST, PRESIDENT, KACHEMAK SKI CLUB, HOMER (via
teleconference), testified in support of the purchase of
needed equipment to improve safety and accessibility for
skiers and snowboarders. He provided information about the
ski area. The club currently had no designated vehicle or
sled to assist in transport to meet emergency services on
the road. He emphasized the importance of timely transport
of injured patients. The funds would allow the club to
purchase a snow machine and a towable sled to meet the
safety need.
8:54:25 PM
DOUG MALONE, BOARD MEMBER, KACHEMAK SKI CLUB, HOMER (via
teleconference), encouraged funding for road safety
improvements to the Kachemak Ski Club. He shared
information about the history of the rope-tow ski area. He
stressed the importance of being prepared for accidents. He
detailed that a wide track snow machine would greatly
increase public safety and would provide a safer venue for
recreationists. The machine would also enable the club to
groom the tow path and ski hill and to transport equipment
throughout the site.
8:56:14 PM
KATIE KOESTER, COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
COORDINATOR, CITY OF HOMER (via teleconference), spoke in
support of Homer's $4.2 million portion of the harbor
facility grant program funds. She shared that the state had
transferred the responsibility of harbors to municipalities
years back; municipalities had inherited major maintenance
and replacement needs. The legislature had responded with a
harbor facility grant program. She provided detail related
to the program. The increment would enable the community to
replace 4,000 feet of float, a ramp, and would provide
power and water to the transient vessel float. She shared
that the city council had increased user rates in order to
raise the required matching funds for the grant. She added
that there was no opposition to the request. She encouraged
the committee to fund the request.
OFFNET
8:58:53 PM
DONNA STEPHENS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HOSPICE OF ANCHORAGE,
ANCHORAGE (via teleconference), testified in support of a
$600,000 Hospice of Anchorage request for the Talking About
It project. She shared that project focused on the
difficult topic of dying. She pointed to countless families
that did not learn about choices they would be faced with
during serious illness. She stressed that making a person's
wishes known protected their freedom, autonomy, dignity,
and comfort; it also saved money. The increment was a one-
time request for a three-year project; the project would
bring together consumers, volunteers, and professionals to
improve the ability to learn, plan, and talk about care in
the event of life threatening illness.
9:01:28 PM
MARY MATTHIAS, MAYOR, NIGHTMUTE (via teleconference),
remarked that she had testified earlier in the day, but had
additional comments to share. She asked for support of
public health and safety. She spoke in favor of fuel
efficiency and relayed that the community was $80,000
behind on fuel sales, which made fuel run shorter every
year. She pointed to tax penalties. She shared that
children in the community had limited positive influences,
which meant they were dropping out of school and turning to
drug and alcohol use. She mentioned landfill problems.
Co-Chair Meyer asked Ms. Matthias to provide her additional
testimony to her state senator. Ms. Matthias asked the
committee to support funds for the community. She thanked
the committee for hearing her testimony.
9:05:49 PM
HERMAN MORGAN, ANIAK, MID YUKON KUSKOKWIM SOIL AND WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT, ANIAK (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for the Mid-Yukon/Kuskokwim
Soil and Water Conservation District. He provided
information on the benefits provided by the entity. He
discussed different agricultural crops grown. He pointed to
an invasive species eradication program. He spoke to
surveys conducted by the conservation district.
9:09:32 PM
LESTER LUNCEFORD, MAYOR, WHITTIER (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for Whittier's public works
building and roof repair. He detailed that the building
held the city's public safety and works equipment and was
the emergency center for Prince William Sound. He asked for
continued funding for road construction.
9:10:47 PM
LAYTON LOCKETT, CITY MANAGER, ADAK (via teleconference),
urged support of supplemental revenue sharing. He shared
that power constituted one-third of Adak's total municipal
budget. He stressed that there was a limit to the cuts the
city could make to public safety and welfare. He noted that
the city was conducting a hydropower study. He spoke in
support of capital funds for the study. He pointed to other
funding sources. He asked for support of a $15 million
request for the harbor; construction was underway and had
been paused. He relayed that the city was heavily reliant
on state and other funds.
9:13:06 PM
MIKE GRACE, SELF, NENANA (via teleconference), testified
against the Nenana bridge and road project funding. He
stated that the city had requested approximately $6.5
million for the project that was estimated to cost an
additional $10.5 million in the future. He believed the
project was a premature expenditure and possibly a waste of
taxpayers' money. He furthered that there had been no
proven gas or oil resource in the area to date, which was
the most recent justification for the bridge project. He
did not believe the state would recover the expense of the
project. He opined that if the project continued it should
be managed by the state and not the City of Nenana; the
city had trouble plowing its own roads during the winter.
He expounded that timber had been cited as a reason for the
project; however, a forest fire had wiped out much of the
local timber acreage.
9:16:12 PM
MICHELLE NESBETT, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ANCHORAGE
NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, ANCHORAGE (via teleconference),
spoke in support of the $90,000 Anchorage Neighborhood
Health Center request that would finance a shuttle to
transport patients from the downtown transit center to the
facility. She outlined that the center provided primary
care to more than 13,000 patients; it was growing by 500
new patients per month. She detailed that 72 percent of the
patients were at or below the poverty line and were some of
the community's most vulnerable citizens. The shuttle would
enable citizens to maintain better health and would provide
access to preventative care, which would reduce emergency
room visits.
9:17:41 PM
JACQUE LONGPRE, MAYOR, ANIAK (via teleconference), urged
support for supplemental revenue sharing. He shared that
Aniak had a new sewer system that had been plagued by
problems and represented a significant portion of the
community's budget. He stated that the sewer system did not
pay for itself and took funds away from road and dump
maintenance and other city functions. He stressed that
reducing funds to past revenue sharing amounts would be the
nail in the coffin to the community. He stated that the
community was in a slow downward spiral as costs increased
each year.
Co-Chair Meyer handed the gavel to Co-Chair Kelly.
9:19:32 PM
CHUCK KAUCIC, SELF, PALMER (via teleconference), spoke in
support of base operations for Soil and Water Conservation
Districts throughout the state. He detailed that the
conservation districts were foundational organizations in
communities; for example, the Wasilla organization had been
founded in 1948 to serve neighbors and residents. He
discussed services provided by the entities including soil
sampling services, private water-well testing services,
salmon stream bank restoration habitat enhancement
projects, invasive weeds, stream water quality testing,
public outreach to school students, and other. He shared
that the entities taught residents how to grow their own
food.
9:22:23 PM
CHARLENE ARNESON, CHAIR, WHITTIER WATERSHED COUNCIL,
WHITTIER (via teleconference), testified in support of a
one-time matching increment of $500,000 for the repair of
the Whittier Creek levy. She shared information about the
creek; a leak in the levy was worsening each year. She
pointed to numerous buildings located in the creek's flood
path. She discussed tourism in the town and disruptions
that would occur if the creek overflowed. She relayed that
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agreed that the council's
concerns were valid; subsequently the corps had proposed a
levy repair plan. The current damage equaled approximately
$1.2 million.
9:27:38 PM
VENUS WOODS, ALASKA NATIVE JUSTICE CENTER, ANCHORAGE (via
teleconference), spoke in support of funding for Progress
for Progress, Alaska Native Justice Center, and Nine Star.
She shared a personal story about how the justice center
had saved her life. She communicated that she had graduated
from the reentry program after being released from a
correctional facility; after graduation she had become a
peer mentor. The program had helped her reunite with her
children. She currently worked for the organization, which
taught ex-offenders how to turn their lives around. The
programs collaborated to provide guidance for successful
return to into the community. She stated that the justice
center received more than 300 applications annually. She
urged the committee to support the programs.
9:30:20 PM
JULIE SANDY, BOARD CHAIR, KETCHIKAN MEDICAL CENTER,
KETCHIKAN (via teleconference), testified in support of
full funding for the Ketchikan Medical Center. She stated
that the project had a direct impact on the economic
development of the region and was vital in the ability to
provide quality healthcare. She believed that strong
industry and families were the backbone of the state;
without good healthcare it was not possible to have either.
9:31:22 PM
STANLEY HAWLEY, SELF, NATIVE VILLAGE OF KIVALINA (via
teleconference), urged support for a $2.5 million request
to fund feasibility studies for the Kivalina evacuation
road. He expounded that the road's primary purpose was to
provide a safety route to higher ground for community
residents in the event of wind-driven storm surges. He
furthered that storm surges had become more frequent as a
result of climate change. He asked for support of a new
school at the evacuation terminal. The road would require
between $3 million and $6 million in planning funds; the
$2.5 million increment would contribute significantly to
the ultimate goal. He relayed that the road had high
regional support.
9:33:32 PM
DWAYNE HOPSON, SR., MAYOR, NUIQSUT (via teleconference),
testified in support of funding for a community center roof
renovation to address water damage. He stated that the
facility housed city hall and provided space for community
meetings. The community had more than 70 meetings per year
that were hosted by industry and government agencies. He
stressed that the ceiling was collapsing and the electrical
system was drenched. The project was estimated to cost
$500,000 or more.
9:35:49 PM
ANGIE GORN, PRESIDENT, NORTON SOUND HEALTH GROUP, NOME (via
teleconference), spoke in favor a $400,000 request for the
Norton Sound Health Group. She detailed that the group had
opened a new hospital and long-term care facility. She
furthered that the nursing home scored as one of the best
39 nursing homes in the nation. She discussed the need for
an assisted living facility for elders in the region. She
pointed to a long waiting list of elders in need of care.
She shared that the state would benefit from receiving 100
percent of the Medicaid dollars through the Indian Health
Service. She thanked Senator Olson for his strong support
and invited committee members to visit the facilities in
Nome.
9:38:17 PM
JOYCE BROWN-RIVERS, MAYOR, MOUNTAIN VILLAGE (via
teleconference), testified in support of the supplemental
revenue sharing funds. She emphasized that the funds were
needed in the city. She communicated that a cut in funds
meant that the city was overspending on city operations.
She pointed to the needs of a local water/sewer system;
half of the town had not had running water since
Christmastime. She stressed that funds would help with
health and other items in the region.
9:40:53 PM
Co-Chair Meyer CLOSED public testimony.
Vice-Chair Fairclough disclosed that she worked for Hospice
during the interim.
Co-Chair Meyer observed that there was a high interest in
funding engineering programs at the university; he hoped to
be able to fund multiple requests, but noted that $109
million was a substantial cost.
Senator Bishop pointed to the significant testimony on the
importance of revenue sharing.
SB 18 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further
consideration.
ADJOURNMENT
9:42:32 PM
The meeting was adjourned at 9:42 p.m.