Legislature(2011 - 2012)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/21/2012 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB147 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 147 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 147-WATER AND SEWER TASK FORCE
3:37:37 PM
CHAIR OLSON announced the consideration of SB 147.
3:38:06 PM
DOROTHY SHOCKLEY, staff for Senator Kookesh, Alaska State
Legislature, said the bill would create a nine member Alaska
Water and Sewer Task Force (WSTF) to address the estimated 6,000
homes in the state without "Safe Water and Sanitation Systems"
(SWSS). She said the state had only met the required amount of
matching federal funds at 19 to 25 percent for rural projects.
She said most money had gone into facility upgrades and
maintenance rather than new projects.
She said WSTF would establish an accurate number of homes
without SWSS; establish a spectrum of need and prioritize;
explore alternative self-sustaining SWSS; research other artic
nations' SWSS; coordinate funding in agencies that provide
services and oversee SWSS construction projects; investigate and
access past SWSS projects and service providers; meet with state
and federal agencies and departments on regulations and funding
requirements; and funding requirements to streamline projects.
She said WSTF would be a nine member task force; two from the
Senate, one appointed from the Bush Caucus, two from the House,
one from the public with civil engineering credentials, one
representative from an appropriate federal agency, one
representative from the appropriate state agency and two rural
Alaska residents.
3:40:00 PM
SENATOR ELLIS joined the meeting.
3:41:23 PM
MS SHOCKLEY said WSTF would meet in four rural communities and
attend the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention in
Anchorage. She said a report would be submitted by January, 2013
to the legislature.
SENATOR MENARD asked if potential WSTF candidates had shown
interest. She noted that former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens had
supported the same cause. She stated her support for WSTF.
MS SHOCKLEY answered that communities and organizations have
shown support. She said engineers have stated a willingness to
help.
SENATOR MENARD asked for additional information on the fiscal
note.
3:44:30 PM
MS SHOCKLEY answered that the fiscal note was $107,000 for the
five task force trips and a part time administrator. She said
the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) submitted a
fiscal note for $6,300 to accompany WSTF.
SENATOR MENARD asked to clarify that a part-time person would be
hired to assist WSTF.
MS SHOCKLEY answered yes.
CHAIR OLSON asked how the 6,000 households were geographically
distributed throughout the state.
MS SHOCKLEY answered that the distribution regions were, Yukon
Kuskokwim: 32 percent, Interior: 19 percent, South Central: 14
percent, Norton Sound: 10 percent, Kenai/Prince William Sound:
10 percent and Other: 15 percent. She said within the "Other
Region," Artic Slope: 9 percent, Northwest Arctic: 32 percent,
Southeast: 20 percent, Bristol Bay: 20 percent, Copper River: 13
percent and Aleutian Pribilof: 6 percent.
3:48:26 PM
MS SHOCKLEY said the regional distribution of First Service
Needs (FSN) for SWSS service to homes not previously served,
Yukon Kuskokwim: 69 percent, Norton Sound: 14 percent, Interior:
10 percent, Northwest Arctic: 6 percent. She said FSN should be
targeted with a list of projects and maintenance requirements.
CHAIR OLSON asked what specific health concerns were associated
with poor SWSS in rural Alaska.
MS SHOCKLEY answered that one issue was respiratory problems.
CHAIR OLSON commented that hepatitis was his major concern due
to viral transmission.
MS SHOCKLEY said a rural community had a breakout of
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
3:50:57 PM
CHAIR OLSON said projects were getting more expensive due to
diminishing federal funds and inaccessibility. He asked if there
were alternative solutions for SWSS projects in villages that
need help.
MS SHOCKLEY answered that anything was possible and other arctic
countries had done it.
3:52:04 PM
SENATOR KOOKESH commented that the U.S. government was going to
repair all of the Iraq's SWSS. He said the priority should be on
the 6,000 Alaskan homes and the rest of the U.S. rural families
that do not have proper SWSS. He said the WSTF would not solve
all of the problems, but reducing 50 percent of the homes
without SWSS would be a great accomplishment. He said having a
list of priorities from WSTF for legislatures was the intent of
the bill.
SENATOR MENARD asked about the WSTF sunset in 2013.
MS. SHOCKLEY answered that a report would be provided in 2013
and there was no sunset. She said she was hopeful that WSTF
would continue until all homes in Alaska had adequate SWSS.
SENATOR MENARD commented on her concern that WSTF did not have
enough time to provide a report to the legislature.
3:54:41 PM
CHAIR OLSON commented that the WSTF report would be done in less
than a year. He asked what the WSTF report would contain and how
the state would be involved.
MS SHOCKLEY answered that the WSTF report would provide details
on needs and priorities for SWSS.
3:56:29 PM
SENATOR KOOKESH commented that former Governor Knowles stated
that the "honey bucket" should be placed in a museum. He noted
that the Village Public Safety Officers (VPSO) program benefited
from implementing a task force. He stated that the $107,000
fiscal note was a minuscule appropriation.
SENATOR MENARD noted that Senator Kookesh served as an AFN board
member. She asked what the AFN priorities were regarding SWSS.
SENATOR KOOKESH answered that SWSS was a top priority and noted
that AFN would back WSTF.
CHAIR OLSON asked about technological advances in SWSS that
could benefit rural Alaska.
3:59:57 PM
BILL GRIFFITH, Facility Programs Manager, Department of
Environmental Conservation, Anchorage, said less than 25 percent
of rural households had SWSS 30 years ago and 75 percent today.
He said DEC was now looking at the most challenging communities
to serve in a sustainable way.
CHAIR OLSON asked how much of the rural budget for SWSS was
federally funded and what percentage of state funds went to
larger municipalities rather than rural communities.
MR. GRIFFITH said 75 percent of the SWSS was federally funded
with a required match of 25 percent from the state. He said
federal funds have declined over the past seven years and state
funds have declined proportionally. He said the state provided
100 percent grant match funding for larger municipalities and
annual appropriations were independent of federal funding. He
noted that communities had to provide a match for state funding
and the amount varied based on the population of the community.
4:03:44 PM
CHAIR OLSON said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
awarded $23.6 million for SWSS. He asked if the USDA funds found
their way to rural SWSS projects.
MR. GRIFFITH answered yes. He said the USDA money was part of
the federal money that required the state to match.
4:04:38 PM
MS. SHOCKLEY commented that it was not impossible to get SWSS to
all rural communities.
MARY SCHLOSSER, representing herself, Juneau, said the federal
government had spent over $2.6 billion for Iraq's SWSS. She
referenced her home village was still using honey buckets.
CHAIR OLSON commented that additional generations should not
have to continue using honey buckets.
4:08:22 PM
JOY HUNINGTON, representing herself, said she grew up in
villages that did not have SWSS. She said Alaska had not kept up
with other countries and voiced her concern regarding health
issues. She said she was exposed to MRSA during her travels to
rural Alaska. She said a lack of SWSS was leading to rural out-
migration and advocated WSTF.
4:12:55 PM
CHAIR OLSON asked about her MRSA experience.
MS. HUNINGTON answered that MRSA was a deadly staph infection.
[SB 147 was held in committee.]
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