Legislature(2013 - 2014)Anch Temporary LIO

11/12/2014 10:00 AM Senate LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

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Audio Topic
10:05:58 AM Start
11:34:25 AM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Location: 733 W 4th Ave, Large Conference Room TELECONFERENCED
+ Approval of Minutes TELECONFERENCED
a. July 9, 2014
b. August 7, 2014
Sanctioning of Charity Events
<Above Item Removed from Agenda>
Contract Approvals
Executive Session: RFP 605 - Child Care
Provider/Administrator for the Capitol Annex
+ Alaska State Capitol Seismic Retrofit and TELECONFERENCED
Exterior Renovation
Other Committee Business
<Above Item Removed from Agenda>
                         ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                             
                           LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL                                                                                
                            NOVEMBER 12, 2014                                                                                 
                                 10:05 AM                                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
      MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
      Representative Mike Hawker, Chair                                                                                         
      Representative Max Gruenberg                                                                                              
      Representative Craig Johnson                                                                                              
      Representative Peggy Wilson                                                                                               
      Senator John Coghill                                                                                                      
      Senator Dennis Egan                                                                                                       
      Senator Kevin Meyer                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
      MEMBERS ON TELECONFERENCE                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      Senator Peter Micciche, Vice Chair                                                                                        
      Representative Mike Chenault                                                                                              
      Senator Mike Dunleavy                                                                                                     
      Senator Gary Stevens                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
      MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
      Representative Lance Pruitt                                                                                               
      Representative Bill Stoltze                                                                                               
      Senator Charlie Huggins                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
      AGENDA                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
      APPROVAL OF MINUTES                                                                                                       
      RATIFICATION OF CHARITY EVENTS                                                                                            
      CONTRACT APPROVALS                                                                                                        
      OTHER COMMITTEE BUSINESS                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
      SPEAKER REGISTER                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
      Wayne Jensen, Jensen Yorba Lott, Inc. and Project Architect on                                                            
       the Capitol Building Restoration                                                                                         
      Pam Varni, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs Agency                                                                 
       10:05:58 AM                                                                                                            
  I. CHAIR MIKE HAWKER called the Legislative Council meeting to order                                                        
       at 10:05 a.m.  in room 105  of the Anchorage  Legislative Office                                                         
                                 th                                                                                             
       Building located at 733  W 4   Avenue. Present at the  call were                                                         
       Representatives Hawker, Gruenberg, Johnson,  and P.  Wilson, and                                                         
       Senators Coghill, Egan, and Meyer;  available via teleconference                                                         
       were Representatives  Gruenberg  and  P.  Wilson,  and  Senators                                                         
       Micciche, Coghill,  Dunleavy,  Egan  and  Stevens.  Absent  were                                                         
       Representatives  Pruitt   and  Stoltze   and  Senator   Huggins.                                                         
       Representative Chenault joined the meeting via teleconference for                                                        
       RFP 605.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
 II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES                                                                                                      
       a. July 9, 2014                                                                                                        
       b. August 7, 2014                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
       10:07:49 AM                                                                                                            
       SENATOR MEYER moved that the minutes from the Legislative Council                                                        
       meetings on  July 9,  2014 and  August  7, 2014  be approved  as                                                         
       presented.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
       The motion was approved with no objections.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
III. EXECUTIVE SESSION: RFP 605 - CHILDCARE PROVIDER / ADMINISTRATOR                                                          
       FOR THE CAPITOL ANNEX                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
       10:08:20 AM                                                                                                            
       SENATOR MEYER moved that  Legislative Council go  into executive                                                         
       session under Uniform Rule 22 (b) for the discussion of a matter                                                         
       that is, by law, required to be confidential.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
       10:08:44 AM                                                                                                            
       Legislative Council went into executive session                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
       10:48:15 AM                                                                                                            
       Legislative Council came out of executive session                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
       CHAIR HAWKER stated that,  as required by law,  Council had been                                                         
       discussing  in  executive  session  the  award  of  an  RFP  for                                                         
       administration of a childcare  facility at the Capitol  Annex in                                                         
       Juneau. Chair Hawker re-established  that there was a  quorum to                                                         
       conduct business by noting that present in the room, in addition                                                         
       to  the   Chair,  were   Senators  Egan,   Coghill  and   Meyer;                                                         
       Representatives   P.   Wilson,   Johnson   and   Gruenberg.   On                                                         
       teleconference were Senators Micciche, Dunleavy  and Stevens, as                                                         
       well as Speaker Chenault.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      10:49:54 AM                                                                                                             
      SENATOR MEYER moved that Legislative Council award RFP 605: Child                                                         
      Care  Provider/Administrator  for  the  Capitol   Annex  to  The                                                          
      Discovery Preschool, LLC, for  a three-year contract  with three                                                          
      optional one-year renewals.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      A roll call vote was taken.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      YEAS:  Chenault,  Gruenberg, Johnson, P. Wilson,  Coghill, Egan,                                                          
             Meyer, Stevens, Micciche, Hawker                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
      NAYS: Dunleavy                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
      The motion passed 10-1.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
IV. Alaska State Capitol Seismic Retrofit and Exterior Renovation                                                             
                                                                                                                                
      CHAIR HAWKER turned  the floor  over to  Wayne Jensen  of Jensen                                                          
      Yorba Lott who has been the project architect. He noted that also                                                         
      available were Pam Varni, Executive Director  of the Legislative                                                          
    Affairs Agency, and Jeff Goodell, Capitol Building Manager.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
      WAYNE JENSEN used  a PowerPoint presentation to  provide Council                                                          
      members with an update on the progress of the project overalland                                                         
      a summary follows: demolition work on the west side (Main Street)                                                         
      as well as the infills facing the courtyard on the north side has                                                         
      been  completed. Due  to  the  progress  of  the  work,  limited                                                          
      demolition was  added in  the 2014  construction season  for the                                                          
      portion of the north  side which begins at  the northwest corner                                                          
      and ends at the  northeast corner of  the west wing for  a total                                                          
      cost of  $6,450,000 to date.  Currently, the  west side  and the                                                          
      small portion of the north side wall  are being protected by two                                                          
      layers of a waterproof covering that will remain until after the                                                          
      2015 session, ensuring that the  Capitol can be in  use as usual                                                          
      for the legislative session.  The project is due to be completed                                                          
      by the  end of  construction season  2016 with  a total  cost of                                                          
      $33,600,000. For  additional  detail,  please see  Mr.  Jensen's                                                          
      PowerPoint presentation, which was  posted to BASIS  for members                                                          
      and the public.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
      11:14:46 AM                                                                                                             
      REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG first thanked Mr. Jensen, Ms. Varni and                                                          
      Mr. Goodell for taking the time to  answer some of his questions                                                          
      last week; he  found it  very helpful.  Representative Gruenberg                                                          
      said his  questions related to  the construction  cost breakdown                                                          
      distributed on November  10, 2014.  He asked  what was  meant by                                                          
    "Contractor's Fee, Incentive and Warranty" for $1.9 million.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
       MR. JENSEN said that  part of Dawson  Construction's response to                                                         
       the RFP  for  the original  contract included  a  fee, which  is                                                         
       essentially their profit,  and some  overhead as  their proposed                                                         
       approach to the  project; so that's  included. There is  also an                                                         
       incentive that was part of the original RFP, that if they were on                                                        
       schedule and came in on or below  budget, they would be eligible                                                         
       for an incentive; whether that incentive is awarded is up to the                                                         
       State. There is also money included for warranty services so that                                                        
       if they have to return and fix anything, it is covered; it's like                                                        
       insurance for a specific period of time.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
       REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG followed up to ask about the incentive;                                                         
       specifically he asked how much was  the incentive, what triggers                                                         
       it and who decides, and whether Legislative Council weighs in on                                                         
       that.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
       CHAIR HAWKER interrupted to  inquire whether Mr. Jensen  was the                                                         
       appropriate person to respond to that  question. Mr. Jensen said                                                         
       he was able to answer the question.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
       MR.  JENSEN  responded  to  Representative  Gruenberg  that  the                                                         
       incentive was  included in  the original  RFP in  the amount  of                                                         
       $250,000, which was  for the  entire contract. When  the initial                                                         
       contract for 2014 was  awarded, $50,000 (of  the $250,000 total)                                                         
       was included.  He  said  he  would  have  to check  the  general                                                         
       conditions of the contract for the exact process of awarding the                                                         
       incentive but he does know there is a  procedure to evaluate the                                                         
       progress for the year and then award all, a  portion, or none of                                                         
       the incentive as  appropriate. There was  an incentive  that was                                                         
       specifically addressed  to the  2014 contract,  and that  amount                                                         
       would be available for the 2014 project. The rest of the project                                                         
       for the next  two years would  be eligible for  the rest  of the                                                         
       incentive, which  totals $200,000.  In response  to a  follow-up                                                         
       question, Mr. Jensen said he's not sure of the exact language for                                                        
       who determines the award of the incentive, but believes it to be                                                         
       the Procurement Officer  of the project,  which is the  Chair of                                                         
       Legislative Council.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
       11:19:38 AM                                                                                                            
       PAM VARNI, Executive Director of the Legislative Affairs Agency,                                                         
       further clarified that the process for awarding the incentive is                                                         
       the same as the process for all invoices related to this project                                                         
       - the  review group  consists  of the  Finance Manager  [Jessica                                                         
       Geary], the Project Manager Jeff  Goodell, the Project Architect                                                         
       Wayne Jensen, in  addition to  herself as well  as the  Chair of                                                         
       Legislative Council who serves as the Procurement Officer. There                                                         
       are weekly design meetings, in which Senator Egan participates as                                                        
       well as Representative  Hawker's office, and  it would  be those                                                         
      same participants  making  the  decision  on  the award  of  the                                                          
      incentive.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      CHAIR HAWKER  interrupted  to  note  that  his office  would  be                                                          
      participating only  while  he  was  still Chair  of  Legislative                                                          
      Council.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
      MR.  JENSEN, in  response  to  a  question  from  Representative                                                          
      Gruenberg, said that the  original contract for the  2014 season                                                          
      was $5.8 million which was primarily limited to the west side of                                                          
      the building and the structural work on  the infills. Since that                                                          
      work was progressing ahead of schedule, Council was approached to                                                         
      approve $650,000 of additional work on the north end of the west                                                          
      wing [see the PowerPoint presentation which shows the additional                                                          
      work in  orange on  the slide].   In  a follow-up  question, Mr.                                                          
      Jensen confirmed that  the  $650,000 wasn't in  addition  to the                                                          
      total cost, but simply moved up to occur earlier than scheduled.                                                          
      The amendment that was  approved for the additional  work in the                                                          
      2014 construction season  did not result  in an increase  in the                                                          
      total cost of the project.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      SENATOR MEYER said that his experience with big renovations like                                                          
      this, especially when one is dealing with asbestos, has shown the                                                         
      abatement tends to  be more  than anticipated.  He asked  if the                                                          
      elevators were included in  the renovation as  far as increasing                                                          
      the speed  as he  knows that  has been  a concern.  He said  the                                                          
      schedule looks pretty tight for the next two  years. He asked if                                                          
      there were to be  a special session,  what that would do  to the                                                          
      construction schedule.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
      MR. JENSEN said the answer to the  asbestos question is that the                                                          
      original plan for dealing  with the abatement was  not what OSHA                                                          
      thought it  should be,  so it  is costing  more  than originally                                                          
      anticipated. Money  was  saved  in  other  areas, so  the  costs                                                          
      projected for years two and three anticipate  that extra cost of                                                          
      asbestos abatement. It is difficult to get rid of it, there's no                                                          
      place in Juneau that deals with it, so it has to be shipped south                                                         
      in a  container for  disposal. He  said that  the  proposed work                                                          
      schedule is an aggressive one and the way they will deal with it                                                          
      is to add more crews. There will be  more people on staff, which                                                          
      means there will be more disruption to the Capitol as there will                                                          
      be work on the west side, the courtyard and the east side of the                                                          
      building at the same time. The sequencing will work well.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
      CHAIR  HAWKER  said  it  would  be  very  difficult  to  conduct                                                          
      legislative activity during the construction phase. He asked for                                                          
      confirmation on the record of his understanding that in the event                                                         
      of a special session, it would be extremely difficult to hold it                                                          
      in the Capitol.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
       MS. VARNI agreed,  especially in 2015  as both Chambers  will be                                                         
       affected; Centennial Hall  or another location  might work  if a                                                         
       special session is required. She said the offices in the front of                                                        
                                 th                                                                                             
       the building (south side on 4 Street) will not be affected.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
       SENATOR MEYER  asked when  the renovation  to the  Anchorage LIO                                                         
       would be  complete  as  it was  his  understanding that  it  was                                                         
       designed to accommodate a special session if necessary.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
       CHAIR HAWKER confirmed that was correct.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
       MR. JENSEN said the elevators  will not be improved  in terms of                                                         
       their operation. There is work scheduled on the elevator shaft as                                                        
       the shaft walls  are composed  of the  heavy masonry  and aren't                                                         
       well-reinforced; the plan is  to reinforce those shaft  walls as                                                         
       part of the  seismic retrofit. That  means the elevator  will be                                                         
       down for a period of time but he was unsure if both would have to                                                        
       be shut down at the same time.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
       MS. VARNI, in response to  a question by Chair  Hawker, said the                                                         
     last time the elevator controls were refurbished was 2006.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
       SENATOR COGHILL asked if  there was unanticipated damage  to the                                                         
       roof during the 2014 construction phase.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
       MR. JENSEN said the  roof was well-protected in  the areas where                                                         
       the demolition was going on,  so there wasn't any  damage to the                                                         
       existing roof. There is  no intent to  replace the roof  at this                                                         
       time, there will be patches needed where  the parapets are being                                                         
       replaced. The new infill areas in the courtyard  will need to be                                                         
       roofed; there is a temporary  roof on the infills  now until the                                                         
       demolition and other work immediately adjacent to those areas is                                                         
       complete. He reiterated that there were no roof leaks during the                                                         
       construction phase. One nice thing was that the scaffolding used                                                         
       provided an entire enclosure from  the roof over  to the outside                                                         
       wall so there really wasn't any new water getting on to the roof                                                         
       and the roof drains  were maintained. The roof  drain piping was                                                         
       part of the old 1929 plumbing and it  will be replaced. The west                                                         
       side drains were replaced and that process  will continue as the                                                         
       work progresses around the building.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
       CHAIR HAWKER noted that he may start losing members he needs for                                                         
       a quorum and  asked that questions  please be expedited  as best                                                         
       possible.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
       SENATOR EGAN said he  wanted to point  out the Juneau  does have                                                         
       space available  for a  special  session and  it  has been  done                                                         
       before. He went on to commend Ms. Varni, Mr. Goodell, Mr. Jensen                                                         
      and  especially  the  prime   contractor  Dawson  and   all  the                                                          
      subcontractors. The building was being used all summer and tours                                                          
      for visitors were still conducted. Dawson and the subcontractors                                                          
      were very accommodating and were just a great group to work with.                                                         
      He said he was surprised at how well it went as he thought it was                                                         
      going to be a lot more disruptive.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
      MR. JENSEN said there will be  even more subcontractors in 2015.                                                          
      The  main contractor,  Dawson  Construction,  is  based  out  of                                                          
      Bellingham, Washington, with  offices in  Ketchikan  and Juneau;                                                          
      there  were   subcontractors   from   all  over.   The   masonry                                                          
      subcontractor is  from Wasilla;  the terracotta  is coming  from                                                          
      Boston; it's a large project  and there will be a  lot of people                                                          
      onsite. It's going to be a big workforce  for the next two years                                                          
      as there is a significant amount of work to do.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
      There being no  questions from members on  teleconference, Chair                                                          
      Hawker asked for a motion.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      11:32:29 AM                                                                                                             
      SENATOR MEYER moved that Legislative Council authorize the Chair                                                          
      to enter into a  contract with Dawson Construction, Inc.  in the                                                          
      amount of  $27,150,000  to complete  the  Alaska State  Capitol,                                                          
      Seismic Retrofit & Exterior Renovation project.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
      A roll call vote was taken.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      YEAS:  Gruenberg,  Johnson, P. Wilson,  Coghill, Dunleavy, Egan,                                                          
             Meyer, Stevens, Micciche, Hawker                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
      NAYS: None                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      The motion passed 10-0.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
      There  being no  further  business  before  the  committee,  the                                                          
      Legislative Council meeting was adjourned at 11:34 a.m.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      11:34:25 AM                                                                                                             

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
2014.11.12 Agenda.pdf JLEC 11/12/2014 10:00:00 AM
IV. Alaska State Capitol - REVISED.pdf JLEC 11/12/2014 10:00:00 AM
Alaska State Capitol
IV. Alaska State Capitol Presentation.pdf JLEC 11/12/2014 10:00:00 AM
Capitol Renovation