ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL    SEPTEMBER 19, 2019  1:30 PM    MEMBERS PRESENT  Senator Gary Stevens, Chair  Representative Louise Stutes, Vice Chair  Senator John Coghill  Senator Mia Costello  Senator Cathy Giessel  Senator Bert Stedman  Senator Natasha von Imhof  Representative Neal Foster  Representative DeLena Johnson  Representative Jennifer Johnston  Representative Chuck Kopp  Representative Steve Thompson      MEMBERS ABSENT  Senator Lyman Hoffman  Representative Bryce Edgmon      OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT      AGENDA  APPROVAL OF MINUTES  CONTRACT APPROVALS      SPEAKER REGISTER  Jessica Geary, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs Agency  JC Kestel, Procurement Officer, Legislative Affairs Agency    1:31:41 PM    I. CALL TO ORDER    CHAIR STEVENS called the Legislative Council meeting to order  at 1:30pm in the Anchorage Legislative Information Office  (LIO) Large Conference Room. Present at the call were:  Senators Coghill, Costello, Giessel, Stedman, Stevens, von  Imhof; Representatives Foster, Johnson, Johnston, Kopp,  Stutes, Thompson.    Senator Hoffman and Representative Edgmon were absent.    12 members present.      II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES    A. JUNE 25, 2019  B. AUGUST 21, 2019    1:33:31 PM  VICE-CHAIR STUTES moved and asked unanimous consent that  Legislative Council approve the minutes dated June 25, 2019,  and August 21, 2019, as presented.    CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were corrections or additions to  those minutes. Seeing none, the minutes are approved.      III. CONTRACT APPROVALS    A. Terry Miller Legislative Office Building Window and  Exterior Renovation Project Change Order    1:33:34 PM  VICE-CHAIR STUTES moved that Legislative Council approve  Change Order No. 4 with F&W Construction Company, Inc. in the  amount of $239,011.90 for the demolition of hazardous building  materials containing asbestos and lead paint at the Terry  Miller Legislative Office Building.    CHAIR STEVENS objected for purpose of discussion. He said this  was not an issue we planned for and asked JC Kestel to provide  a brief explanation.    JC KESTEL, Procurement Officer for the Legislative Affairs  Agency, said the renovation project on the Terry Miller  Building began in May of 2019. During the initial phases, F&W  Construction explored the building and realized there were  some hazardous materials encased behind the window framing  that consisted of lead paint and asbestos. F&W Construction  solicited bids for subcontractors for the asbestos abatement  work and chose Alaska Abatement Corporation, which was the  lowest bid. The Legislative Affairs Agency requests Council's  approval to proceed with Change Order No. 4, so the hazardous  materials can be removed and the project can proceed as  planned.    CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were questions or comments.    REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON said he understood that if asbestos  was kept encapsulated or covered, it did not need to be  renovated completely. He asked if this was the case here.    MR. KESTEL responded that because this asbestos is located in  the caulking which holds in the existing windows,  encapsulation was not possible since it had to be removed for  the new windows to fit into place properly.    CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were further comments.    SENATOR VON IMHOF asked what is the additional timeframe  required to complete this project, or is there, to do the  remediation before the windows can be replaced.    MR. KESTEL replied that the contractor estimated approximately  a sixty-one day contract extension as needed for this asbestos  abatement. The plan is for the abatement crew to work on areas  of the building and have F&W Construction follow behind, one  area at a time, to replace the windows as needed. This way it  is not a complete removal of all the building's windows at one  time. It is estimated to last approximately sixty-one days for  the abatement.    SENATOR VON IMHOF said the Change Order is for $239,000. She  then asked if that money is in our account and what will it do  to the balance?    JESSICA GEARY, Executive Director of the Legislative Affairs  Agency, responded that there are capital funds available and  we can afford this Change Order.    CHAIR STEVENS said this is never an issue that we like to  happen, but when it happens it must be dealt with. He asked if  there were further comments. Seeing none, he requested a roll  call vote.    A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Coghill, Costello, Giessel, Stedman, Stevens,  von Imhof; Representatives Foster, Johnson, Johnston, Kopp,  Stutes, Thompson.    NAYS: None    The motion passed 12-0.      B. HOMER LEASE RENEWAL    1:39:40 PM  VICE-CHAIR STUTES moved that Legislative Council approve  Renewal No. 5 of the lease for Homer Office Space in an amount  of $60,564.00.    CHAIR STEVENS objected for purpose of discussion and asked JC  Kestel to provide a brief explanation of this issue.    MR. KESTEL said the original lease agreement between the  Legislative Affairs Agency and Clayton L. and Joan E.  Ellington for office space in Homer was for a three-year term  that began November 1, 2012, and terminated October 31, 2015.  There were five lease renewals available under the original  lease agreement, each for a one-year period. LAA has exercised  four of the renewal options.    Renewal No. 4 of the lease expires on October 31, 2019. LAA  would like approval to proceed with Renewal No. 5 for the  period November 1, 2019, through October 31, 2020.    If Legislative Council approves Renewal No. 5, this will leave  no more lease renewal options available, so LAA must issue a  bid or lease extension before Renewal No. 5 expires on October  31, 2020.    CHAIR STEVENS said he is one of the legislators affected by  this lease as he has a staff person there, as does  Representative Vance. He continued that this has been a very  good office space, far better than the previous space occupied  years ago. He asked if there was any discussion or questions  on this motion.    REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON asked if this is the same amount as  paid last year, or if there was an automatic increase.    MR. KESTEL replied that there is an automatic Consumer Price  Index (CPI) increase, based on the Alaska level, which all  Agency leases are subject to.    CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were further comments. Seeing  none, he removed his objection and requested a roll call vote.    A roll call vote was taken.    YEAS: Senators Coghill, Costello, Giessel, Stedman, Stevens,  von Imhof; Representatives Foster, Johnson, Johnston, Kopp,  Stutes, Thompson.    NAYS: None    The motion passed 12-0.      IV. ADJOURN    CHAIR STEVENS thanked everyone for making themselves available  and said if there is nothing further to come before the  Council, we are adjourned.    1:43:31 PM