04/17/2011 02:30 PM House FINANCE

                  HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE                                                                                       
                      April 17, 2011                                                                                            
                         2:34 p.m.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CONTINUATION OF 4/16/11 MEETING.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:34:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze called the House Finance Committee meeting                                                                     
to order at 2:34 p.m.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Bill Stoltze, Co-Chair                                                                                           
Representative Bill Thomas Jr., Co-Chair                                                                                        
Representative Anna Fairclough, Vice-Chair                                                                                      
Representative Mia Costello                                                                                                     
Representative Mike Doogan                                                                                                      
Representative Bryce Edgmon                                                                                                     
Representative Les Gara                                                                                                         
Representative David Guttenberg                                                                                                 
Representative Mark Neuman                                                                                                      
Representative Tammie Wilson                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Reggie Joule                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
^FISCAL POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:35:31 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze informed the committee the meeting was a                                                                       
continuation of the April 16, 2011 meeting and that there                                                                       
was one item to discuss.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair Fairclough MOVED and asked unanimous consent:                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     That the  House Finance  Committee approve  the request                                                                    
     by the  Fiscal Policy  Subcommittee for the  amount not                                                                    
     to  exceed $75,000  in  Joint  House Finance  Committee                                                                    
     funds. The  purpose of this  request is to  acquire the                                                                    
     contractual services  necessary to complete Phase  I of                                                                    
     a  three-phrase  project,  to  gather  information  for                                                                    
     future  fiscal  planning  between the  Legislature  and                                                                    
     Alaska communities.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair Fairclough explained that  the full House Finance                                                                    
Committee  had  heard a  presentation  earlier  in the  year                                                                    
regarding  an effort  led by  Representative Alan  Austerman                                                                    
and  participated   in  by  many  members   of  the  Finance                                                                    
Committee   and   other    members   of   the   legislature.                                                                    
Subcommittees  met over  the  course of  a  year in  working                                                                    
groups  together  with  the private  sector.  The  requested                                                                    
$75,000 was for Phase I of  a project that the working group                                                                    
estimated would  cost a total  of $500,000. She  stated that                                                                    
the  subcommittee did  not  need the  entire  amount at  the                                                                    
outset; the purpose  of the first phase was to  come back to                                                                    
the legislature  with something of  value before  more money                                                                    
was spent.  She hoped there would  be "meeting in a  box" to                                                                    
discuss  future choices  the state  could face  with various                                                                    
communities, along with  suggestions for solutions. Possible                                                                    
solutions   could    include   resource    development   and                                                                    
diversification of Alaska's economy,  but the first goal was                                                                    
to  have conversations  with each  community with  extensive                                                                    
public participation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Doogan commented  that the  project was  the                                                                    
first  phase of  something, but  in his  opinion it  was the                                                                    
second phase.  He considered the  first phase the  good deal                                                                    
of  work already  done  over the  course of  a  year by  the                                                                    
majority leader  and other members  and people  to determine                                                                    
how  to   communicate  with  the  people   of  Alaska  about                                                                    
important fiscal questions on a less ad hoc basis.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:39:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The meeting was adjourned at 2:40 PM.