HCR 28: Creating a Citizens' Commission for a Northern Vision.
00HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 28 01 Creating a Citizens' Commission for a Northern Vision. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS Alaska is the only state in the United States of America with most of its 04 land mass located within arctic and subarctic environmental conditions; and 05 WHEREAS the far north physical location of the state creates unique challenges for 06 infrastructure and economic development; and 07 WHEREAS winter can last as long as nine months above the Arctic Circle and six 08 months in other areas of the state, with corresponding lengthy periods of darkness, cold, ice, 09 and snow; and 10 WHEREAS the short, intense seasons of warmth limit the length of the construction 11 season, the ability of the land to recover from damage, and the time available for most tourists 12 to experience the beauty of the North; and 13 WHEREAS other more mature northern communities have recognized that long 14 winters produce distinct social and cultural adaptations in order to ensure economic prosperity;
01 and 02 WHEREAS the rapid evolution of the global economy has produced an intensely 03 competitive marketplace in which Alaska is positioned to profit from the state's unique 04 circumstances; and 05 WHEREAS the state's future prosperity depends on its citizens, many of whom have 06 moved to the state from the Lower 48 and other more temperate parts of the world, learning 07 the constraints and opportunities of our unique northern land; and 08 WHEREAS there is a need for the state to develop a more cohesive regional identity 09 in the design of its communities and the minds of its people, and to clarify its special sense 10 of place in the minds of the international public; and 11 WHEREAS the state would benefit from building this northern identity from the 12 grassroots, involving the people of Alaska to the maximum extent possible; and 13 WHEREAS the development of a northern strategic plan would be in the best interests 14 of the state and provide guidance to public agencies as they construct multiyear action plans 15 to address common needs; 16 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature establishes in the legislative 17 branch the Citizens' Commission for a Northern Vision in order to develop and recommend 18 to the Governor, the legislature, and the people of Alaska a northern strategic statewide plan; 19 the commission shall include individuals who reflect a wide range of viewpoints, who have 20 indicated a strong dedication to the public interest, and who represent different physical, 21 social, and economic areas of the state; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall consist of the following voting 23 members: 24 (1) nine members of the public, not to include members of the legislative, 25 executive, or judicial branches; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of 26 the Senate, and the Governor shall each appoint three of these members; 27 (2) two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker 28 of the House; one member shall be a member of the majority and one a member of the 29 minority; 30 (3) two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate; one 31 member shall be a member of the majority and one a member of the minority; and
01 (4) two members of the executive branch appointed by the Governor; and be 02 it 03 FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall select a chair and vice-chair from 04 among its members, shall meet as frequently as the commission determines necessary, may 05 meet during the interim and during legislative sessions, and may meet and vote by 06 teleconference; and be it 07 FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the commission shall serve without 08 compensation but are entitled to travel expenses and per diem as authorized for boards and 09 commissions under AS 39.20.180; and be it 10 FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature directs the Legislative Budget and Audit 11 Committee to provide administrative and other assistance to the commission, and the 12 legislature also requests the Office of Management and Budget to provide assistance to the 13 commission; and be it 14 FURTHER RESOLVED that, subject to an appropriation for the purpose, the 15 commission may employ up to three staff members; and be it 16 FURTHER RESOLVED that the purpose of the commission is to craft a strategic 17 plan that 18 (1) declares public policy concerning the social, economic, and cultural 19 development of the state and identifies the objectives and actions that the state will pursue to 20 achieve the recommendations in this strategic plan for our northern community; 21 (2) declares goals and policies for the state's development and management that 22 guide, but do not bind, the legislature in taking action; 23 (3) informs the business community, the public, and other governmental 24 agencies of the state's strategic goals and the relationship of those goals to policy development 25 and management; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the strategic plan developed by the commission shall 27 address the following general goals: 28 (1) to create a living environment of the highest possible quality, based on 29 comprehensive planning for the population and its growth potential and addressing the 30 ecological, economic, health, social, public safety, and physical development needs of the 31 state;
01 (2) to encourage citizen participation in formulating policies, plans, and 02 programs of the state at community and regional levels; 03 (3) to create and maintain conditions in which all Alaska residents have an 04 equitable opportunity to share in employment, education, health, housing, social service, and 05 recreational resources; 06 (4) to develop a safe, convenient, and economical state transportation system 07 that provides adequate access to all parts of the state, maximizes safety, minimizes 08 environmental effects, and provides for alternative modal facilities; 09 (5) to encourage the development of a state economy with sufficient growth 10 and diversity to provide a stable economic base yet maintain the integrity of critical human 11 and environmental systems; 12 (6) to ensure that the natural environment is enhanced, maintained, and 13 protected by establishing standards for the protection of soil, vegetation, air, sound, and sight, 14 with appropriate surveillance and enforcement of these standards; 15 (7) to encourage the protection of life and property from natural disasters and 16 hazards; 17 (8) to incorporate advances in telecommunications technologies to ensure that 18 universal access to the information highway is available to all parts of the state; 19 (9) to encourage access to safe, decent, affordable housing, providing safe and 20 structurally sound housing resources; 21 (10) to provide a wide range of cultural and recreational opportunities to all 22 communities and regions of the state; 23 (11) to provide a full choice of educational opportunities to all segments of the 24 state, using all community and regional facilities and programs to maximum advantage; and 25 be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the statewide strategic plan developed by the Citizens' 27 Commission for a Northern Vision shall be results-based; the plan shall recommend a process 28 in which benchmarks for state agency performance are created in coordination with the 29 executive branch and linked to the annual budgetary process; and be it 30 FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall request participation and 31 information from
01 (1) the commissioner of each principal department in state government; 02 (2) the president of the University of Alaska; 03 (3) representatives from local governments, school boards, business, industry, 04 and nonprofit organizations; and be it 05 FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall hold public hearings, encourage 06 participation by residents of the state, and take advantage, to the greatest extent possible, of 07 modern telecommunications technology; and be it 08 FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall present an action plan to the 09 legislature by February 1, 1999, that details its methodology for crafting a northern strategic 10 plan; the action plan shall include a detailed work schedule for the project and identify the 11 public participation process, supporting resources from state agencies, in-kind contributions 12 from individual Alaskans and businesses, joint ventures with nonprofit organizations, 13 benchmarks for progress achieved, and appropriate project management tools that illustrate the 14 work to be accomplished; and be it 15 FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission shall submit a preliminary report on its 16 work to the Governor and the Alaska State Legislature by January 1, 2000, and that the 17 commission shall submit a final report to the Governor and the Alaska State Legislature by 18 January 1, 2001; and be it 19 FURTHER RESOLVED that the commission is authorized to begin work immediately 20 on the appointment of its full membership or on July 15, 1998, whichever date is earlier, and 21 is terminated on the convening of the Second Regular Session of the Twenty-First Alaska 22 State Legislature.