02/26/2004 03:33 PM Senate STA

            SB 245-PERS BENEFITS FOR HARBOR OFFICERS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR   GARY  STEVENS   announced   SB  245   to   be  up   for                                                               
consideration. He  invited Senator  Elton forward  and apologized                                                               
that  he  would lose  the  quorum  in  just  5 minutes  so  there                                                               
wouldn't be  time to hear from  all the people who  had signed up                                                               
to testify. He  noted that the calendar was full  on Tuesday, but                                                               
he would hear the bill again on the following Thursday.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  JOHN COWDERY  said he  had several  questions and  would                                                               
work with the sponsor before the next public hearing.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KIM  ELTON, sponsor  of  SB  245, outlined  the  general                                                               
duties of a harbor officer from the sponsor statement.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Among other duties, harbor officers:                                                                                       
        · Enforce regulations  on the  use of  parking, safe                                                                    
          operation of boats and vehicles, and the conduct                                                                      
          of people and animals in the harbor and harbor                                                                        
          areas                                                                                                                 
        · Have  the authority  to  issue  citations and  can                                                                    
          testify in court                                                                                                      
        · Assist police, fire  and other emergency personnel                                                                    
          in harbor-related activities                                                                                          
        · Carry  radios  to  stay   in  contact  with  local                                                                    
          police, state troopers and coast guard                                                                                
        · Work  with state  troopers and  fish and  wildlife                                                                    
          officers                                                                                                              
        · Are required  to render aid to  distressed persons                                                                    
          along with body recovery of drowning victims                                                                          
        · Work  with the  coast  guard and  FBI on  security                                                                    
          issues at the port                                                                                                    
        · Have  the  authority  to  arrest  individuals  for                                                                    
          violations                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Under  federal  regulations, harbor  officers  are                                                                         
     responsible for port  security. They have training                                                                         
     in explosives  and related fields and  are part of                                                                         
     homeland  security. They  are responsible  for the                                                                         
     security of  docks when the huge  cruise ships tie                                                                         
     up and bring visitors to Alaska communities.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Harbor   officers  should   be   given  the   same                                                                         
     retirement  benefits   as  peace   officers,  fire                                                                         
     fighters and  dispatchers in the  Public Employees                                                                         
     Retirement System.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON concluded by saying that,                                                                                         
     If  I had  been presented  the parameters  of this                                                                         
     bill at  the turn  of the century  - four  or five                                                                         
     years ago  - I wouldn't have  been as enthusiastic                                                                         
     a  proponent  of  the  bill.  But  given  the  new                                                                         
     realities,    post    911,     and    given    the                                                                         
     responsibilities that these  harbor officers have,                                                                         
     I think  the scope  of their duties  and certainly                                                                         
     the  magnitude  of   their  responsibilities  have                                                                         
     changed  dramatically and  we can  only anticipate                                                                         
     that  they will  change even  more in  the future.                                                                         
     These  really   are  first-line  people   in  port                                                                         
     security  and  they are  no  longer  seen as  just                                                                         
     people  who enforce  ordinances  and protocols  in                                                                         
     the harbors.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SB 245  only applies to  how harbor officers are  treated in                                                                    
their  retirement system.  It doesn't  change  the scope  of                                                                    
duties in  any way. For instance,  municipalities will still                                                                    
determine whether or  not harbor officers will  be armed and                                                                    
when they will be armed.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY  STEVENS thanked Senator  Elton for  his patience                                                                    
and  expressed appreciation  to  everyone who  signed up  to                                                                    
speak and  asked them to  return on Thursday for  the second                                                                    
hearing. He then adjourned the meeting at 6:00 pm.