Legislature(2019 - 2020)FAHRENKAMP 203
03/17/2020 08:00 AM Senate TRANSPORTATION
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| Confirmation Hearing(s): | |
| Adjourn |
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
March 17, 2020
8:06 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator David Wilson, Vice Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Jesse Kiehl
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Mia Costello, Chair
Senator Shelley Hughes
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Board of Marine Pilots:
Richard Harris - Juneau
Lucas Hasenbank - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
LUCAS HASENBANK, Appointee
Board of Marine Pilots
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
President, Alaska Maritime Agencies
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Marine Pilots.
RICHARD HARRIS, Appointee
Board of Marine Pilots
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Marine Pilots.
ACTION NARRATIVE
8:06:05 AM
VICE CHAIR DAVID WILSON called the Senate Transportation
Standing Committee meeting to order at 08:06 a.m. Present at the
call to order were Senators Kiehl, Micciche, and Vice Chair
Wilson.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Board of Marine Pilots
8:06:38 AM
VICE CHAIR WILSON announced that the first order of business
would be confirmation hearings for the Board of Marine Pilots.
8:06:49 AM
VICE CHAIR WILSON said the Board of Marine Pilots is responsible
for licensing of marine pilots. Marine pilots provide on board
directing of the safe navigation of ships through Alaska's
waters. The board is authorized through AS 08.62 and consists of
seven members: six appointed by the governor - two licensed
pilots actively engaged in piloting vessels, two agents or
managers of vessels, and two public members; and the
commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community and
Economic Development or the commissioner's designee. The board
is supported by the marine pilot coordinator in the DCCED.
He stated that the board's administrative and board costs are
paid for by fees from marine pilots, agent license renewals, and
the foreign vessel pilotage exemption fees. The Board of Marine
Pilots recognizes three associations: the Alaska Marine Pilots
LLC, Unalaska; the Marine Pilots of Southeast Alaska, Ketchikan;
and the Southwest Alaska Pilots Association, Homer.
He said that the board responsibilities are rigorous but are
focused on efficient and competent pilotage services,
establishing qualifications and training for marine pilots,
ensuring that marine pilot licensees meet the board's criteria
for licensure, maintaining a register of pilot associations'
licensed pilots, deputy pilots, and agents. The board reviews
and approves the articles, bylaws, and rules of the pilot
associations. It also approves or disapproves rates for pilotage
services. The board may, by regulation, or other lawful means,
ensure proper and safe pilotage, including establishing
licensing criteria for marine pilots by region, mandatory drug
and alcohol testing, and taking other actions to ensure safe
navigation of vessels through Alaska's waters.
8:08:46 AM
LUCAS HASENBANK, Appointee, Board of Marine Pilots, Department
of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED),
Anchorage, Alaska, said he currently serves as president of the
Alaska Maritime Agencies, also known as Cruise Line Agencies of
Alaska. This agency oversees ship agents who dispatch marine
pilots to a variety of vessels, including tankers, cruise ships,
research, military, and general cargo ships in Alaskan waters.
After receiving a master's degree in business from the
University of South Dakota, he began his career at the Alaska
Maritime Agencies in Juneau in 2003.
He said he has a good working relationship with the Southwest
Alaska Pilots Association, which operates in Southcentral Alaska
and Prince William Sound, and the Alaska Marine Pilots, which
handles all of Western Alaska activities north to the Chukchi
Sea at Point Barrow. In addition, he represents the Alaska State
Chamber of Commerce on the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen
Awareness Council and serves on the Cook Inlet Harbor Safety
Committee. He said he has attended almost all of the Board of
Marine Pilots meetings in the past 10 years. He would like to
serve on the board because he brings experience as a ship agent
working with the marine pilots.
8:11:08 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said he serves as the president of the Cook
Inlet Harbor Safety Committee steering team. He offered his view
that Mr. Hasenbank seems well equipped for the position.
VICE CHAIR WILSON turned to the next appointee to the Board of
Marine Pilots, Mr. Richard Harris.
8:12:02 AM
RICHARD HARRIS, Appointee, Board of Marine Pilots, Department of
Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED), Juneau,
Alaska, said he has served one term on the Board of Marine
Pilots and is seeking reappointment. In 1978, after earning a
Bachelor of Science in Fisheries from the University of
Washington, he began working as program manager for the Southern
Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association in Ketchikan. In
1980, he was hired as the environmental coordination manager for
Sealaska Corporation and he retired as the executive vice
president in 2014.
MR. HARRIS said that he currently works as a consultant,
providing assistance to his former employers on issues related
to land and resource management issues, including federal
legislation, and promoting the Sealaska Heritage Institute
Northwest Coast Arts Initiative.
He stated that in 2017 he was appointed to the Board of Marine
Pilots. He related his interest in serving on the board stems
from his desire to give back to his community through public
service and by using his experience to assist the board. He has
spent his entire career working on issues related to marine
water, marine transportation, and environmental safeguards to
maintain safe and productive waters. His family members have all
worked in summer or permanent jobs in the cruise ship industry.
He said he is a good board member and has enjoyed working with
the marine pilot associations. He asked members for their
consideration for his reappointment to the board.
8:14:44 AM
VICE CHAIR WILSON solicited a motion.
SENATOR MICCICHE commented that marine pilots are unsung heroes,
responsible for navigating larger vessels to and from Alaskan
ports by substantially minimizing the risks, often in the worst
weather conditions.
He stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080, the Senate
Transportation Standing Committee reviewed the following and
recommends the appointments be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration:
Board of Marine Pilots:
Richard Harris - Juneau
Lucas Hasenbank - Anchorage
Signing the reports regarding appointments to boards and
commissions in no way reflects individual members' approval or
disapproval of the appointees; the nominations are merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection.
8:15:50 AM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Vice Chair Wilson adjourned the Senate Transportation Standing
Committee meeting at 8:15 a.m.
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