SB 19-BOUNDARIES OF ROAD SERVICE AREAS  8:53:43 AM CHAIR TILTON announced that the final order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 19(CRA), "An Act relating to road service area boundary changes." 8:53:57 AM RYNNIEVA MOSS, Staff, Senator John Coghill, Alaska State Legislature, began by informing the committee that she has been a road service area chair and a road commissioner for 25 years. She related that the legislation is the result of problems with mapping areas in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, such that a parcel of land is situated in two separate road service areas. This legislation will address the aforementioned situation as well as a situation in which a parcel of land is partially but not wholly located in a service area. Ms. Moss pointed out that the legislation includes sideboards to ensure that people are treated fairly. To that end, the only access to the parcel of land has to be a road maintained by a road service area. Therefore, the borough could not include a parcel of land in a service area that had access by a road that wasn't in a service area. Ms. Moss specified that CSSB 19(CRA) allows a borough assembly without an [election] to hold a vote at a public noticed meeting to annex property in order to combine: a [single tax lot] parcel located in two service areas into one service area such that the [tax lot] is placed in the service area that provides road access to the parcel; a parcel that's partially situated in an existing road service with access only to the [tax lot] parcel via a road in the service area. 8:56:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE ORTIZ inquired as to the factor that caused the introduction of SB 19. MS. MOSS informed the committee that two years ago the Fairbanks North Star Borough noticed that a parcel of land was located in two road service areas instead of one. The borough wanted to [annex] the parcel into one service area and the borough took half of the parcel out of one service area, which caused the need for an election in the existing service area. However, no one voted and the borough was unable to place the partial parcel into one tax lot in a service area. 8:57:17 AM REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES inquired as to the type of public notice that is provided to the involved property owners. MS. MOSS explained that under current law and ordinances, the borough notifies property owners [in these situations] as well as those adjacent to the property. In further response, Ms. Moss confirmed that the process would remain the same with the passage of CSSB 19(CRA). 8:58:09 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON related his understanding that new paragraphs (5) and (6) to AS 29.35.450(c) only deal with road service areas. MS. MOSS replied yes. 8:58:56 AM CHAIR TILTON opened public testimony. 8:59:08 AM MICHAEL BREDLIE, Rural Services Manager, Fairbanks North Star Borough, related support for SB 19. The borough, he informed the committee, has 105 road service areas with dozens of parcels that are only partially in the road service area or parcels that are split between two road service areas. This legislation will allow [boroughs] the ability to include an entire parcel into a service area without voter approval, which will be a great help since most service area elections have a very low turnout. 9:00:10 AM CHAIR TILTON asked if the problem addressed by CSSB 19(CRA) occurs in areas besides Fairbanks. MR. BREDLIE said he has spoken with Anchorage, where he understands the boundaries follow property lines. He explained the maps drawn for the service areas weren't very precise and when they were transferred to something more precise, it resulted in parcels that were partially in and out of service areas. 9:01:13 AM MS. MOSS related her understanding from an administrator of the Chugiak Birchwood Eagle River Rural Road Service Area that it doesn't have this issue as all of its parcels are within the boundaries [of the service area]. 9:01:49 AM CHAIR TILTON, upon determining no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony. 9:02:11 AM MS. MOSS, in response to Representative Reinbold, confirmed that this legislation has no impact on the [Chugiak Birchwood Eagle River Rural Road Service Area]. CHAIR TILTON related her understanding that the Fairbanks area has the most issues with [road service boundaries]. She also related her understanding that there are no issues with this in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. 9:02:53 AM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON recalled that there was a Supreme Court case in the Matanuska-Susitna [Borough] regarding a parcel that was accessed from roads in one area while they were charged from the road service area from which no services were received. He opined that this legislation would take care of the aforementioned problem. However, he requested the sponsor review that Supreme Court case in relation to this legislation. MS. MOSS answered that even with the passage of CSSB 19(CRA), it will remain the borough's decision as to whether to remove a parcel or whether it [remains] in a service area. She recalled that in the aforementioned case there is other access to the property, but reiterated that it's for the borough assembly to make the decision. In further response to Representative Seaton, Ms. Moss indicated her agreement to review the case in relation to the legislation. 9:05:03 AM CHAIR TILTON announced that SB 19 would be held over.