00                   HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 28                                                                   
01 Expressing the intent of the legislature that rules in place at the time a project is funded                            
02 under the Village Safe Water Act not be changed unless the change is approved by the                                    
03 beneficiary of the funded project.                                                                                      
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
05       WHEREAS the Village Safe Water Act is administered by the Department of                                         
06 Environmental Conservation under AS 46.07; and                                                                          
07       WHEREAS the commissioner of environmental conservation is authorized to provide                                 
08 for the construction of facilities through grants to public agencies, private nonprofit                                 
09 organizations, and other applicants, and the governor submits grants approved by the                                    
10 Department of Environmental Conservation to the legislature for appropriations to fund the                              
11 grants; and                                                                                                             
12       WHEREAS the Department of Environmental Conservation has undergone an                                           
13 internal restructuring and has revised the requirements for grant eligibility, the management of                        
14 grant funds, and accounting procedures; and                                                                             
15       WHEREAS the approval of a grant by the governor and the appropriation of funds for                              

01 a grant by the legislature represent the approval of the project by the state; and                                      
02       WHEREAS several communities, including the village of Lowell Point, have                                        
03 experienced significant delays because of a change in procedures relating to the release of                             
04 grant funds; and                                                                                                        
05       WHEREAS funding delays result in missed construction seasons, increased costs                                   
06 because of inflation, and the inadequacy of the approved amount of the grant to complete a                              
07 project; and                                                                                                            
08       WHEREAS stability in project eligibility requirements, planning, construction,                                  
09 funding expectation, and accounting is beneficial to an applicant and in the best interests of                          
10 the state;                                                                                                              
11       BE IT RESOLVED that it is the intent of the Alaska State Legislature that the                                   
12 Department of Environmental Conservation not change the administrative rules after a project                            
13 is funded unless the beneficiary of the grant agrees to the administrative change.