03/09/2017 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

           HB 148-SECOND CLASS BOROUGH SERVICE AREAS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
8:03:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FANSLER announced that the  only order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 148,  "An Act  relating to  service areas  in                                                               
second class boroughs; and providing for an effective date."                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FANSLER noted that since  last hearing HB 148 on 3/7/17,                                                               
the committee  had received a  letter of support from  the Alaska                                                               
Municipal League [included in the committee packet].                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:05:14 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE   NAVARRE,   Mayor,   Kenai   Peninsula   Borough,   offered                                                               
information in response  to questions that had  been asked during                                                               
the  bill  hearing  on  3/7/17.    He  reported  that  there  are                                                               
currently no third-class  boroughs in Alaska.  He  said the Kenai                                                               
Peninsula  Borough  has  no  concerns over  whether  or  not  the                                                               
committee  chooses to  amend HB  148 to  include a  definition of                                                               
"emergency   services"    as   meaning   fire    and   ambulance.                                                               
Furthermore,  the  borough  has  no problem  with  the  committee                                                               
including a definition  of "highway corridor" as  a state highway                                                               
right-of-way,  but hopes  it will  not attempt  to do  so "within                                                               
actual feet of  the center line" [of a  highway], because rights-                                                               
of-way and where  private property begins and  ends fluctuates so                                                               
much throughout highway corridors.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  NAVARRE reported  that  the borough  had  contacted all  six                                                               
second-class  boroughs  in  the  state  and  no  one  raised  any                                                               
objections to HB  148.  He said the borough  tried to get written                                                               
statements, but there was not  much time between the last meeting                                                               
and today's meeting.  He said  the highway service area is a moot                                                               
point  in  the  Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su)  Borough,  because  it                                                               
already has  area-wide emergency  service powers and,  thus, does                                                               
not need  the legislation.   Furthermore, the legislation  is not                                                               
of concern to  the boroughs of Kodiak  Island, Ketchikan Gateway,                                                               
Aleutians  East,  and Bristol  Bay,  because  none of  them  have                                                               
highways.  He  noted that his chief of staff,  Larry Persily, had                                                               
contacted  John Fulton,  [Chief Administrative  Officer], Bristol                                                               
Bay Borough, who expressed no concerns.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. NAVARRE reported that on  Tuesday, [March 7, 2017], the Kenai                                                               
Peninsula Borough passed both a  resolution and an ordinance that                                                               
"authorizes  us  to  move  forward  with  exploring  and  putting                                                               
together additional  information to bring back  to the assembly."                                                               
He added,  "If this legislation  goes through, we're going  to do                                                               
it concurrently, because we think  it's a ... critical issue that                                                               
needs to be addressed."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:07:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  noted that  at the  last hearing,  he had                                                               
raised  the issue  of more  narrowly defining  "highway corridor"                                                               
and "emergency  services".  He  said he consulted with  the prime                                                               
sponsor  and  decided  not  to pursue  that  kind  of  amendment,                                                               
because  he wants  to provide  the local  service areas  with the                                                               
authority to  decide on  the level  of expansion  or restriction.                                                               
He  noted that  an  analysis by  Legislative  Legal and  Research                                                               
Services  stated that  the definition  of a  highway corridor  in                                                               
Title 19 might be expansive.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:08:35 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MAYOR  NAVARRE, in  response to  a  question from  Representative                                                               
Saddler,  confirmed  that under  HB  148,  the borough  would  be                                                               
required to  get the approval of  the assembly in order  to "move                                                               
the corridor service  area forward."  In response  to a follow-up                                                               
question, he reiterated the borough's  plan to gather information                                                               
and bring it  to the assembly, if the plan  is cost effective and                                                               
feasible.   He said the borough  has data - including  the number                                                               
of accidents in the corridor,  how much traffic comes through the                                                               
area,  what percentage  of the  users of  the corridor  are local                                                               
residents,  and how  many users  are just  passing through  - but                                                               
needs to  better quantify the  costs, because it would  be taking                                                               
money from  the federal PILT,  which is already allocated  in its                                                               
budget, and  must make the  case to the assembly  and appropriate                                                               
the funds.   He said  the goal is to  get everything in  place in                                                               
time  for   summer,  when  the  traffic   increases  through  the                                                               
corridor.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:10:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RAUSCHER   said  he  spoke  with   Otto  Feather,                                                               
Director of  Emergency Services  for the  Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-                                                               
Su)  Borough,  and as  long  as  no  private properties  will  be                                                               
"included  in this  kind of  thing,"  the Mat-Su  Borough has  no                                                               
problem with the proposed legislation.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:11:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FANSLER  reopened public testimony.   After ascertaining                                                               
that there was  no one who wished to testify,  he reclosed public                                                               
testimony on HB 148.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:12:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO said having  previous experience in local                                                               
government, he  sees HB 148 as  putting another tool in  the tool                                                               
box  for local  governments to  improve services  - not  only for                                                               
their residents but also for  the traveling public.  He expressed                                                               
support  for HB  148, and  he said  it sends  a message  that the                                                               
legislature trusts boroughs to exercise  the option that would be                                                               
provided under HB 148.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:13:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR PARISH stated his support of HB 148.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:13:40 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  PARISH moved  to report  HB 148  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, HB  148 was  reported from  the House                                                               
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.