04/18/2019 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

           SB 54-ALASKA RAILROAD CORP. LAND TRANSFERS                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:14:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL announced that the  next order of business would be                                                               
SENATE BILL  NO. 54,  "An Act approving  the transfer  of certain                                                               
Alaska Railroad Corporation land;  and providing for an effective                                                               
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:14:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RYNNIEVA  MOSS,   Staff,  Senator  John  Coghill,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, presented SB 54 on  behalf of Senator Coghill, prime                                                               
sponsor.  She explained that Senate  Bill 86 passed the Senate in                                                               
2018;  it  gave the  Alaska  Railroad  Corporation permission  to                                                               
manage its  property and  sell it.   The bill  died in  the House                                                               
Labor  and  Commerce  Standing Committee,  but  both  the  Senate                                                               
Finance  Committee  and  House  Finance  Committee  felt  it  was                                                               
important  "to  get  land  into  private  hands"  and  "encourage                                                               
economic development."   She said  language adding  five specific                                                               
projects  was  added  to  House   Bill  119  [passed  during  the                                                               
Thirtieth  Alaska State  Legislature],  which  dealt with  public                                                               
corporations.   Ms. Moss said one  of the land sales  was at Otto                                                               
Lake.   She offered her  impression was that the  Alaska Railroad                                                               
Corporation wanted a description of the land they were leasing.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. MOSS directed  attention to a map [included  in the committee                                                               
packet],  which  shows  the  parcel at  Otto  Lake,  outlined  in                                                               
yellow.   She  stated, "Their  intention  was to  sell the  whole                                                               
parcel, but the description I used  was only for the portion that                                                               
had been leased  in a long-term lease."  She  explained that as a                                                               
result,  [the buyer]  was deeded  29.52 acres,  when they  should                                                               
have been  deeded 47.24  acres.   She said SB  54 would  deed the                                                               
remaining 17.72  acres of land,  which was appraised  at $250,000                                                               
and bought for $400,000.   She explained that the legislature has                                                               
already  approved the  sale  but needs  to  "get the  description                                                               
right."                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:16:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  WOOL  asked  if  the  issue  had  occurred  because  of                                                               
miscommunication between the Alaska Railroad Corporation and...                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. MOSS interjected, "And me."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL asked, "Have they sold the entirety of it yet?"                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. MOSS answered yes.  She  added, "The company has paid in full                                                               
for the entire 47.24 acres."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL  concluded that the  intent is to "change  the bill                                                               
so  that   what  they  did   was  in  accordance   with  statute,                                                               
basically."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS. MOSS said, "We're correcting  the description of the property                                                               
to be sold."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL commented that it seems pretty simple.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:17:32 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR WOOL announced that SB 54 was held over.