Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
03/20/2007 01:00 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB105 | |
| HB102 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| * | SB 105 | ||
| SB 68 | |||
| HB 102 | |||
SB 105-REIMBURSEMENT FOR MUNICIPAL DEBT
CHAIR KOOKESH announced the consideration of SB 105.
1:08:47 PM
JOHN WEISE, staff to Senator Lyman Hoffman, sponsor of SB 105,
said that the bill addresses the delay of debt repayment for
various harbor projects, only one of which, in Unalaska, will
not be able to meet the repayment date. The entire project in
question is for a two-part harbor, the outer section of which
must be completed before the state-funded inner portion can be
started. The inner harbor will cost $12.9 million, of which
state debt reimbursement will total $5 million.
CHAIR KOOKESH asked Mr. Weise to expand on the main object of
the bill.
MR. WEISE said that SB 105 tries to name the only small boat
harbor still owing repayment from the original bill. There
hasn't been any change in other parts of the bill.
1:12:20 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the money was previously
appropriated and the bill will simply be extending the date of
debt repayment.
MR. WEISE replied that was correct.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the fiscal note is zero.
MR. WEISE replied in the affirmative.
SENATOR OLSON asked how many boats will be served by the harbor.
MR. WEISE said that final capacity will be 75 boats; there's
already another harbor in Unalaska that holds 60 to 65 but is
currently overfull, so once the new harbor is completed it will
already be full.
SENATOR OLSON asked who owns the existing harbor, and if they
charge for the slips.
MR. WEISE replied that the city owns the harbor, and he doesn't
know if they charge for the slips; he pointed out a map showing
the location of the future harbor.
SENATOR KOOKESH asked if all the permits for the inner harbor
have already been obtained.
MR. WEISE said that the permits for the outer harbor have all
been obtained, but he was unsure as regards the inner harbor.
SENATOR OLSON asked if there will be a waiting list for slips
once the harbor is completed.
MR. WEISE replied that the harbor will be first come first
serve, but that many boats need a place to have safe harbor in
bad weather.
1:15:59 PM
RAY GILLESPIE, lobbyist for the city of Unalaska, said that he
was prepared to answer questions about the harbor and described
the poster showing the harbor construction.
SENATOR KOOKESH asked Carl Moses if he would like to make any
comments on the bill.
CARL MOSES, former state representative, said that the project
has been delayed and is over 40 years overdue. It will provide
safe harbor to many boats in the busiest fishery in the United
States.
SENATOR WILKEN wished Mr. Moses well.
MR. MOSES thanked him.
CHRIS LADDOCK, Unalaska City Manager, said that the slips will
have a rental fee, as in the existing harbor. There's currently
a wait list of 30-45 boats, and at under two-thirds capacity the
harbor will already be self-supporting. There have been problems
in congress with continuing authorization for project bidding;
it's unsure whether the project will be included in this year's
budget.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked for an estimate on how much the
project will cost.
MR. LADDOCK said that the total cost will be $27 million.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked for the amount for which the debt
reimbursement extension is being requested.
MR. LADDOCK replied that the amount is $5 million.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI commented that the bill seems open-ended in
terms of debt reimbursement, and asked if there are cost control
measures in place.
MR. LADDOCK replied that the original appropriation was for $5
million, and the city has contributed funding for cost overruns.
SENATOR OLSON asked for the operating and maintenance plan, and
means of payment for such, for the harbor.
MR. LADDOCK said that he doesn't anticipate any problems in
paying for operational and maintenance costs.
SENATOR OLSON asked if there are safety provisions for shipping
of cargo containers.
MR. LADDOCK said that the harbor department takes care of
security issues, and almost all the vessels coming through the
harbor are registered with the federal government.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said that the bill doesn't refer to the
harbor alone in terms of debt repayment extension, and asked if
it's the only project the bill would apply to.
MR. WEISE replied that it is.
1:25:18 PM
FRANK KELTY, resource analyst for the City of Unalaska, urged
the committee to move the bill, and said that it's an important
and long-overdue project. Unalaska is the largest fishing port
in the nation, and has many vessels trying to seek port there.
The weather in Unalaska is intense, and vessels need to be
properly moored. The project should be supported, and it will
help the community grow economically.
STEPHEN BOARDMAN, with the Army Corps of Engineers, said that
the 2007 work plan was received that morning and funding was not
included for the harbor construction.
SENATOR OLSON asked for detail on what the lack of funding will
mean for the harbor.
MR. BOARDMAN said that the Corps has notified Congress of its
capability of executing the project, and hopefully funding will
be received by next year.
SENATOR OLSON asked if the city is expecting to see construction
begin in 2009.
MR. BOARDMAN said that he hopes to see congress includes the
project in its budget in 2008, which means it will be begun
later that year.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said that his only concern is that there's
a number of projects listed in the section of the bill
concerning the harbor, and the bill should only be applied to
this one project.
SENATOR WILKEN remarked that the bill appears not to extend
beyond a certain list of harbors.
SENATOR KOOKESH said that the committee would officially
recognize Senator Wielechowski's clarification of the intent of
bill.
SHIRLEY MARQUARDT, mayor of the city of Unalaska, said that the
city will do everything in its power to move the project forward
as soon as possible. Congress has approved the project and all
the documents are in order, so the city wants to move forward as
soon as the Army Corps of Engineers receives additional funding.
SENATOR WILKEN commented that line ten of the bill could be
interpreted as an open-ended ruling for many DOT projects, and
that perhaps the bill should be made more restrictive.
CHAIR KOOKESH restated that the committee would officially
recognize the previously discussed clarification of the bill.
1:35:50 PM
SENATOR OLSON moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute
(CS) to SB 102, labeled 25-LS0707\M, as the working document of
the committee. There being no objection, the motion carried.
SENATOR COWDERY motioned to report CS for SB 105 from committee
with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, CSSB 105(TRA) moved from committee.
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