Legislature(2001 - 2002)

03/27/2001 08:43 AM Senate WTR

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                     ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                   
                           JOINT MEETING                                                                                        
     SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WORLD TRADE AND STATE/FEDERAL                                                                  
                           RELATIONS AND                                                                                        
         HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,                                                                       
                         TRADE AND TOURISM                                                                                      
                          March 27, 2001                                                                                        
                             8:43 a.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PRESENTATION BY THE NORTHWEST  TERRITORIES DELEGATION ON PARTNERSHIP                                                            
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 01-1, SIDES A & B                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LESIL MCGUIRE, Chair of the House  Special Committee                                                            
on Economic Development,  Trade and Tourism, called the meeting with                                                            
the Senate  World  Trade and  State/Federal Relations  Committee  to                                                            
order at 8:43 a.m.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
House  Committee  members  present  were  Representatives   McGuire,                                                            
Green,  Morgan and  Dyson.  Senate  committee  members present  were                                                            
Senators Cowdery, Lincoln, Olson and Leman.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
THE HONORABLE  ROGER T. ALLEN, Minister  of Municipal and  Community                                                            
Affairs, Government  of Northwest  Territories Housing Corporation,                                                             
told  legislators his  group  would like  to continue  to develop  a                                                            
relationship with its counterpart in Alaska.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. DENNIS MARCHIORI, Manager  or Policy and Planning, Municipal and                                                            
Community  Affairs,  Northwest   Territories,  gave  a  power  point                                                            
presentation  on the 33  communities in  the Northwest Territories.                                                             
He described  housing projects underway  and the drinking  water and                                                            
wastewater  systems  for  those projects.    He  answered  questions                                                            
related  to  prevention   of  water  pollution  from   oil  and  gas                                                            
development.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. TOM  BEAULIEU, President  of the Northwest  Territories  Housing                                                            
Corporation  and MR. ROSS BOWRING,  manager of Business Development                                                             
for  the  Northwest   Territories   Housing  Corporation,   answered                                                            
questions about  the design and cost of housing and  water and sewer                                                            
systems in the communities.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BOWRING  explained  that  the  Northwest  Territories   Housing                                                            
Corporation tries  to assist communities to build  homes by offering                                                            
mortgage  assistance and  training  and explained  how that  program                                                            
works.  A  similar  approach  was used  in  Stebbins;  that  project                                                            
received  the "Simply the  Best Award" from  the U.S. Department  of                                                            
Housing and Urban Development.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. CARL BRACKMAN, Senior  Resource Economist, Minerals, Oil and Gas                                                            
for the  Resources, Wildlife  and Economic  Development Department,                                                             
informed committee members  of oil and gas drilling efforts underway                                                            
in the  Northwest Territories  and how the  fiscal regime works  for                                                            
those fields.   He discussed how combining Alaska  and Northwest gas                                                            
production  efforts by using  one pipeline  would maximize  resource                                                            
development in both areas.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JAMES  felt the  two  governments could  benefit  by                                                            
sharing  information  on many issues.   She  then moved  to adopt  a                                                            
statement of intent, which reads:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Both governments  agree to establish a joint coordinating                                                                  
     committee  to participate in future timely and  meaningful                                                                 
     consultations  with the  goal of signing  a Memorandum  of                                                                 
     Understanding  within the  period ending  July 1, 2001  or                                                                 
     when  Speaker  Anthony  J. Whitford  and  Minister Joseph                                                                  
     Handley  are able  to come to  Alaska to  sign this  joint                                                                 
     document.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The  statement  of  intent  also  directs  Ronda  Thompson,  Special                                                            
Assistant on International  Trade Policy for the Alaska Legislature,                                                            
and  Doug  Schuarte,  Deputy  Clerk  of  the Northwest  Territories                                                             
Assembly,  to  present  draft  language   to  both  governments  for                                                            
discussion  and mutual agreement at  the next joint meeting  of both                                                            
governments.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE  announced that with  no opposition, the  statement                                                            
of intent  was adopted.   She then  adjourned  the meeting at  10:14                                                            
a.m.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                

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