ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE  February 25, 2010 1:00 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Albert Kookesh, Chair Senator Linda Menard, Vice Chair Senator Bettye Davis Senator Kevin Meyer Senator Joe Paskvan MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 114(TRA) AM "An Act relating to availability of state transportation facilities and state-owned or state-operated transportation modes for delivering compassionate aid." - MOVED SCS CSHB 114(TRA) OUT OF COMMITTEE SENATE BILL NO. 280 "An Act designating the bridge to be built on the Dalton Highway at approximately mile post 308 as the Sam Schuyler Memorial Bridge." - MOVED SB 280 OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 114 SHORT TITLE: USE STATE TRANS FACILITY FOR DISASTER AID SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) RAMRAS 02/04/09 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/04/09 (H) TRA, FIN 02/17/09 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17 02/17/09 (H) Heard & Held; Assigned to Subcommittee 02/17/09 (H) MINUTE (TRA) 03/12/09 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 17 03/12/09 (H) Moved CSHB 114(TRA) Out of Committee 03/12/09 (H) MINUTE (TRA) 03/13/09 (H) TRA RPT CS (TRA) NT 3DP 2NR 03/13/09 (H) DP: MUNOZ, JOHNSON, GRUENBERG 03/13/09 (H) NR: JOHANSEN, WILSON 04/07/09 (H) FIN RPT CS (TRA) NT 6DP 1NR 04/07/09 (H) DP: THOMAS, AUSTERMAN, FAIRCLOUGH, JOULE, HAWKER, STOLTZE 04/07/09 (H) NR: SALMON 04/07/09 (H) FIN AT 8:30 AM HOUSE FINANCE 519 04/07/09 (H) Moved CSHB 114(TRA) Out of Committee 04/07/09 (H) MINUTE (FIN) 04/15/09 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) 04/15/09 (H) VERSION: CSHB 114(TRA) AM 04/16/09 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/16/09 (S) TRA, FIN 02/04/10 (S) TRA AT 1:00 PM BUTROVICH 205 02/04/10 (S) Heard & Held 02/04/10 (S) MINUTE (TRA) 02/25/10 (S) TRA AT 1:00 PM BUTROVICH 205 BILL: SB 280 SHORT TITLE: SAM SCHUYLER MEMORIAL BRIDGE SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) PASKVAN 02/15/10 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/15/10 (S) TRA, FIN 02/25/10 (S) TRA AT 1:00 PM BUTROVICH 205 WITNESS REGISTER JANE PIERSON, Staff to Representative Jay Ramras Alaska State Legislature Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Testified that the sponsor agrees to the Senate CS for HB 114. GAIL VOIGTLANDER, Assistant Attorney General Civil Division Department of Law (DOL) POSITION STATEMENT: Available for questions on HB 114. ANNA SORENSEN, Staff to Senator Paskvan Alaska State Legislature Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Introduced SB 280 on behalf of the sponsor. CLARK MILNE, Maintenance Engineer Northern Region Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 280. MEADOW BAILEY, Public Information Officer Northern Region, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions related to SB 280. MARY SIROKY, Special Assistant to the Commissioner Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions related to SB 280. ACTION NARRATIVE 1:00:46 PM CHAIR ALBERT KOOKESH called the Senate Transportation Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. Senators Menard, Paskvan, Meyer, and Kookesh were present at the call to order. Senator Davis arrived soon thereafter. HB 114-USE STATE TRANS FACILITY FOR DISASTER AID  1:01:14 PM CHAIR KOOKESH announced the consideration of HB 114. [CSHB 114(JUD) am was before the committee.] SENATOR PASKVAN withdrew the motion to strike subsection (b), which he made during the 2/4/10 hearing. He moved to adopt the Senate Transportation CS for CSHB 114, labeled 26-LS0505\W, as the working document. There being no objection, version W was before the committee. 1:02:01 PM SENATOR DAVIS joined the committee. JANE PIERSON, Staff to Representative Jay Ramras, thanked the committee for the work it did on the bill. It was never the sponsor's intention to give state equipment to a nonprofit to use, she said. The intention was always for a state employee to operate state equipment. CHAIR KOOKESH stated for the record that the committee directed the sponsor to work with Senator Paskvan to resolve the differences. SENATOR PASKVAN said he is satisfied and believes that it's appropriate for the bill to move forward. GAIL VOIGTLANDER, Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, Department of Law (DOL), offered to answer questions about how the changes came about. CHAIR KOOKESH found no questions and closed public testimony. He asked the will of the committee. 1:04:32 PM SENATOR PASKVAN thanked the sponsor for working with his office. SENATOR MENARD moved to report the Senate CS, 26-LS0505\W, [for HB 114] from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There being no objection, SCS CSSB 114(TRA) moved from Senate Transportation Standing Committee. At ease from 1:05 p.m. to 1:07 p.m. SB 280-SAM SCHUYLER MEMORIAL BRIDGE  1:07:30 PM CHAIR KOOKESH announced the consideration of SB 280. SENATOR PASKVAN, Sponsor of SB 280, said that earlier this year the northern region director of maintenance and operation for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) asked him to sponsor a bill naming a bridge on the Dalton Highway for Sam Schuyler, a late employee of the department. He highlighted that the bridge will be in Senator Kookesh's district, Mr. Schuyler was represented by Senator Coghill, and the DOTPF northern region is headquartered in his district. 1:09:10 PM ANNA SORENSEN, Staff to Senator Paskvan, said SB 280 names a bridge to be built at mile 308 on the Dalton Highway as the Sam Schuyler Memorial Bridge. She reported that Sam Schuyler began his career with DOTPF as a heavy equipment operator at the Jim River maintenance station and quickly became foreman. Later he was promoted to roving foremen for the Dalton Highway District. He was known to be thorough and always felt that the safety of those working and traveling on the Dalton Highway was of the utmost importance. He was still a department employee when he passed unexpectedly on January 1, 2007. MS. SORENSEN noted that the bridge that will be built at Mile 308 will replace a culvert. The fiscal note reflects the cost of the bridge and the signage. SENATOR MENARD commented that Mr. Schuyler made his mark with DOTPF and deserves this recognition. 1:12:21 PM CLARK MILNE, Northern Region Maintenance Engineer, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), said Mr. Schuyler was the guy that went out in a storm and used innovation to get things done. He noted the numerous letters of appreciation in the packet. SENATOR MENARD reviewed a picture of the proposed sign in the packet and asked if the actual sign will be brown. She thought the standard was green. SENATOR PASKVAN said he's sure it will conform to the appropriate signage standards. 1:14:31 PM MEADOW BAILEY, Public Information Officer, Northern Region, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), said she understands that the sign was designed by the DOTPF traffic and safety department. The standard color is brown for a sign that names a bridge. MARY SIROKY, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), confirmed that the standard for bridge memorial/naming signs is brown. Green signs are directional. CHAIR KOOKESH closed public testimony. Finding no comments or questions, asked the will of the committee. SENATOR MENARD moved to report SB 280 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There being no objection, SB 280 moved from the Senate Transportation Standing Committee. 1:16:18 PM There being no further business to come before the committee, Chair Kookesh adjourned the Senate Transportation Standing Committee meeting at 1:16 p.m.