03/26/2021 02:00 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 27                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act naming the irene Webber Bridge."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:10:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SARA   PERMAN,   STAFF,    REPRESENTATIVE   LOUISE   STUTES,                                                                    
introduced HB 27.  She reported that the  3-line bill simply                                                                    
renamed an  unidentified bridge  in Cordova,  known formally                                                                    
by the  Department of  Transportation and  Public Facilities                                                                    
(DOT) as  Bridge 406  Scott Glacier #6  to the  irene Webber                                                                    
Bridge. She  relayed that  irene Webber  was a  Cordovan who                                                                    
passed away in  2018. Naming the specified  bridge after her                                                                    
would serve to remind her  Cordovan friends and neighbors of                                                                    
the legacy she left behind.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Perman  continued that irene  was an Alutiiq  woman born                                                                    
in Ellamar near  Tatitlek. She later moved  to Cordova where                                                                    
she  raised her  family. irene  along with  her husband  and                                                                    
their  three  children ran  a  seining  operation in  Prince                                                                    
William Sound. irene was best  remembered as an avid runner.                                                                    
She was  not a life-long  runner, rather, she  began running                                                                    
as an  adult. Earlier in  life irene struggled  with alcohol                                                                    
dependency. As  she got  sober, she  turned to  running. Her                                                                    
daughter,   Kim,   shared   that   running   empowered   and                                                                    
invigorated her mom.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Perman  relayed that  in  pursuing  her passion,  irene                                                                    
founded  the  Cordova  Running  Club  and  was  integral  in                                                                    
founding many  of the local  running events. She  was likely                                                                    
best  remembered  for running  and  founding  the sole  King                                                                    
Salmon Marathon  in 1986. She  decided to  run it and  did a                                                                    
full  marathon  length.  Thirty-five  years  latter  and  in                                                                    
addition to the King Salmon  Marathon, there was the Sockeye                                                                    
Half Marathon, the Coho 10 K,  the Humpy 5 K, and the Smooth                                                                    
1-mile Fun Run. The runs  paralleled the Cordova Salmon runs                                                                    
and 200  to 300  people attended each  year. In  addition to                                                                    
working with  the runs, irene  was integral in  creating the                                                                    
Cancer 2 x  2 walks and the Sudden  Infant Death Bike-a-thon                                                                    
in Cordova.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Perman wanted to share  a few anecdotes she learned from                                                                    
family members. Her daughter, Kim,  shared that on the boat,                                                                    
"Dad may  have been  the captain  of the  boat, but  Mom was                                                                    
always the admiral."  Kim also shared that  everyone in town                                                                    
knew  irene, and  it  was  common for  people  to call  her,                                                                    
"Grandma  irene." irene  liked  to honk  her  horn and  wave                                                                    
every time she saw runners on the road.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Perman noted  that  the spelling  of  irene's name  was                                                                    
always spelled  with a  lower case "i"  which was  how irene                                                                    
spelled  it.  A  friend  spoke that  it  was  diminutive  in                                                                    
figure,  and  irene did  not  consider  herself larger  than                                                                    
everybody  else.  The  family  requested that  her  name  be                                                                    
spelled with a lower case "i" on any signage.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Perman  continued  that  the  bridge  in  question  was                                                                    
9.5 miles between  Cordova city center and  the airport. The                                                                    
bridge crossed the  Scott River and looked  back towards the                                                                    
Scott Glacier.  Notably, the Cordova  Marathon and  the Half                                                                    
Marathon Salmon  runs spanned  over the  area. The  area was                                                                    
also known as  a local hub for recreation  and contained the                                                                    
9  Mile  Sand  Pile,  an   area  for  picnicking  and  other                                                                    
activities.  The area  had 4-wheeling,  snow machining,  and                                                                    
forest  service trails  nearby. The  family identified  with                                                                    
the area  because it was  an area where families  spent time                                                                    
together.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Perman  pointed out that  there were two  resolutions in                                                                    
members':  one from  the City  of Cordova  and one  from the                                                                    
Native Village  of Eyak  supporting the  bill. Additionally,                                                                    
there was  a fiscal note from  DOT in the amount  of $10,158                                                                    
and was associated with the  cost of materials for the signs                                                                    
including the signage,  the posts, the sauna  tubes, and the                                                                    
installation.  She was  happy to  answer  any questions  the                                                                    
committee might have.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Edgmon spoke  in support of the  bill. He had                                                                    
seen the bill in a prior session,  but it did not make it to                                                                    
the finish  line before  the session  ended. He  thought the                                                                    
story was very uplifting and  it was appropriate to name the                                                                    
bridge  after an  ordinary citizen  yet an  unsung hero.  He                                                                    
recalled  that irene  became a  runner in  her fifties.  Ms.                                                                    
Perman  thought  his  guestimate was  close.  Representative                                                                    
Edgmon believed  irene was an  Alaska Native. He  thought it                                                                    
was amazing for someone to  become a walker in their fifties                                                                    
and  even  more  remarkable  to become  a  runner  in  their                                                                    
fifties. He reiterated his support of the bill.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Rasmussen   spoke   in   support   of   the                                                                    
legislation.  She  thought  anytime  the  legislature  could                                                                    
recognize  an outstanding  Alaskan woman  was an  effort she                                                                    
could  happily support.  She was  excited to  hear from  the                                                                    
family  and  appreciated   the  respectful  and  appropriate                                                                    
remarks made about Ms. Webber.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:16:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WILLIAM  WEBBER  SR.,  SELF, CORDOVA  (via  teleconference),                                                                    
spoke  fondly  of his  wife,  irene.  He provided  a  little                                                                    
background  about her  life and  revealed  her addiction  to                                                                    
alcohol.  She sought  help to  recover  from her  alcoholism                                                                    
which  saved their  marriage. He  indicated  they had  three                                                                    
children and  several grandchildren. She started  running to                                                                    
take care of her health at  which time she started a running                                                                    
club. She got many  community members running. The marathons                                                                    
attracted people  from all over  the country. He  missed his                                                                    
wife since she passed away.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:20:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KIM  ASPELUND, SELF,  CORDOVA (via  teleconference), irene's                                                                    
daughter, considered  her mom  a very  inspirational person.                                                                    
She  admired her  mom dealing  with her  drinking addiction.                                                                    
Ms. Aspelund was a runner in  college and taught her mom how                                                                    
to run.  irene was a strong  Aleut woman who worked  hard on                                                                    
the  family boat  in the  summers and  was the  root of  the                                                                    
family. The family  missed irene very much.  She thought the                                                                    
naming  of  the  bridge  after  her  mother  was  a  perfect                                                                    
dedication.  She inspired  the community  with her  ambition                                                                    
with  the  American Cancer  Society  and  raising money  for                                                                    
Saint  Jude's.  She  started many  events  in  Cordova  that                                                                    
remained  in place  over several  years. A  proclamation for                                                                    
"irene  Webber Day"  was  issued by  the  mayor years  prior                                                                    
because  of  irene  being an  inspirational  and  passionate                                                                    
person. She thanked the committee.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:23:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE  WEBBER, SELF,  CORDOVA  (via teleconference),  irene's                                                                    
son, fully supported HB 27. His  mother had a big heart. She                                                                    
was  also known  for  being a  very  strong and  competitive                                                                    
fisherwoman. He spoke of her  running the beaches in several                                                                    
fishing areas  around the state.  She touched  many people's                                                                    
hearts through  her inspiration.  He thought  it was  a huge                                                                    
honor to  see his mother's  name on the highway  in Cordova.                                                                    
He considered his mother a  hero in the community of Cordova                                                                    
and the  family. He appreciated members  supporting the bill                                                                    
and thanked the committee for the opportunity to share.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:26:27 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATRINA  HOFFMANN, SELF,  CORDOVA (via  teleconference), was                                                                    
impressed  with  the  legacy that  irene  left  behind.  She                                                                    
mentioned  the philanthropic  work irene  did in  support of                                                                    
Saint Jude's  Hospital and the American  Cancer Society. She                                                                    
thought irene was a woman  worth honoring. She described the                                                                    
site around the bridge.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick  relayed there were folks  online to review                                                                    
the fiscal note.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:28:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE   LESMANN,    LEGISLATIVE   LIAISON,    DEPARTMENT   OF                                                                    
TRANSPORTATION AND  PUBLIC FACILITIES  (via teleconference),                                                                    
reported  that the  costs associated  with  the fiscal  note                                                                    
were material  costs only.  He mentioned  that the  costs of                                                                    
the signs had increased since  the prior bill was introduced                                                                    
in the  previous legislative session, specifically  the cost                                                                    
of aluminum.  There were several  things to  considered when                                                                    
DOT constructed and placed traffic  signs. The Department of                                                                    
Transportation and  Public Facilities provided  the services                                                                    
in  accordance  with  a  document,  The  Manual  on  Uniform                                                                    
Traffic  Control Devices  (MUTCD),  by  the Federal  Highway                                                                    
Administration. The  department had an  accompanying manual,                                                                    
The  Alaska  Traffic  Manual,  that spoke  to  some  of  the                                                                    
state's more  unique and  specific circumstances  in Alaska.                                                                    
He noted that  the MUTCD was the nation's  guidebook and was                                                                    
supported by all of the  DOTs across the United States. Like                                                                    
the   National  Conference   of  State   Legislatures  which                                                                    
provided  good  research   information  and  best  practices                                                                    
guidelines  to legislatures,  state transportation  agencies                                                                    
belonged  to  the  American  Association  of  State  Highway                                                                    
Transportation Officials  (AASHTO). He was happy  to provide                                                                    
additional information.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:31:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:31:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Merrick  indicated amendments  were due  by Sunday,                                                                    
March 28, 2021 at noon.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  LeBon  complimented  the Webber  family  for                                                                    
their  inspirational testimony.  He  thanked family  members                                                                    
for calling in to testify.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Merrick  reviewed  the agenda  for  the  following                                                                    
meeting on Monday, March 29, 2021.