01/23/2001 01:40 PM House TRA

HB 44 - JOE REDINGTON SR. MEMORIAL ROAD                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOHRING announced  the first  order of  business would  be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 44  "An Act designating  the Joe  Redington, Sr.,                                                               
Memorial Road."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 0296                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
EDWARD  GRASSER, Staff  to Representative  Beverly Masek,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, presented  the bill on behalf  of the sponsor.                                                               
He explained that HB 44 deals  with naming Knik-Goose Bay Road in                                                               
the Wasilla area after the  famous Iditarod musher, Joe Redington                                                               
Sr.  Several  people had  requested  the  name change,  including                                                               
people along  the road,  Mr. Redington's  family, and  people who                                                               
lived  outside of  this  district.   The  sponsors  of this  bill                                                               
believe that renaming this road is  a fitting memorial for such a                                                               
great Alaskan [Joe  Redington Sr.], because of its  location.  It                                                               
runs past the  Iditarod headquarters, Knik, which used  to be the                                                               
jumping-off spot for the Iditarod Trail.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER stated that the bill  is simple.  There is one change                                                               
that  has  been suggested,  to  change  "Road" to  "Trail"  which                                                               
reflects Mr.  Redington's commitment to  the trail.   Mr. Grasser                                                               
mentioned that he had discussed  this change with Chair Kohring's                                                               
staff,  and  if  there  was a  committee  substitute  "we"  would                                                               
"entertain"  this  change.    [The change  is  reflected  in  the                                                               
proposed  committee  substitute   (CS),  22-LS0076\F,  Utermohle,                                                               
1/22/01.]                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOHRING  asked for  the reason for  changing the  word from                                                               
"road" to "trail."                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER  replied that  Representative Kerttula  had suggested                                                               
the change due to a request by  her father.  Mr. Grasser had then                                                               
contacted  Mr. Redington's  widow who  concurred that  the change                                                               
was a great  idea.  The change from "road"  to "trail" represents                                                               
Joe  Redington's dedication  to starting  the Iditarod  [sled dog                                                               
race] and  running it on  a trail.   He mentioned that  there are                                                               
memorial highways that  have more than one name.   He stated that                                                               
the first 15 miles of Knik-Goose  Bay Road would be co-named with                                                               
the title  "Joe Redington Sr.  Memorial Trail."  This  road still                                                               
has trails that go off of it, so  "we" feel that this would be an                                                               
appropriate change.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0460                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOHRING made  a  motion to  adopt  the proposed  committee                                                               
substitute  (CS)  for  HB  44,  version  22-LS0076\F  ,Utermohle,                                                               
1/22/01 as  a work draft.   There  being no objection,  Version F                                                               
was before the committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER commented:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     We believe  that Joe's commitment  to the  formation of                                                                    
     the  Iditarod  Sled  Dog  race,   which  has  become  a                                                                    
     worldwide phenomenon,  certainly has put Alaska  on the                                                                    
     map in a lot of  different countries.  People come from                                                                    
     all  over   the  world  either  as   spectators  or  as                                                                    
     participants.   It's a truly unique  Alaskan event, and                                                                    
     because Joe was so  instrumental in getting it started,                                                                    
     we  feel that  this is  a  fitting memorial  to such  a                                                                    
     great Alaskan.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 0502                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
FRANK  RICHARDS,   State  Maintenance  Engineer,   Department  of                                                               
Transportation  & Public  Facilities  (DOT&PF),  stated that  the                                                               
department  is  in favor  of  this  bill.    They will  take  the                                                               
necessary  steps  to designate  the  road  and identify  it  with                                                               
signs.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOHRING  asked how many signs  would be placed on  the road                                                               
and what the potential cost of the signs would be.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. RICHARDS replied  that "they" would put one sign  at each end                                                               
of the road, with an approximate cost  of $500 a sign for a total                                                               
cost of $1000 dollars.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOHRING  asked for clarification  in that all the  signs on                                                               
the road  will not have  to be redone  because the road  is being                                                               
re-named, not co-named.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. RICHARDS  confirmed this statement.   He said that  "we" have                                                               
not added a fiscal note to the bill, but he is sure it is zero.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 0582                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  KOHRING  asked  if  the  signs would  be  similar  to  the                                                               
Eisenhower Corridor sign in Anchorage.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. RICHARDS replied  that the signs would be like  those and are                                                               
similar to ones that "we" identify with memorial bridges.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR KOHRING stated that he  lives up Knik-Goose Road and wanted                                                               
to  note  for  the  record  that there  is  no  perception  of  a                                                               
conflict.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE OGAN  made a motion  to move CSHB 44  [Version 22-                                                               
LS0076\F,  Utermohle, 1/22/01]  out  of committee  with the  zero                                                               
fiscal  note and  attached individual  recommendations and  asked                                                               
for unanimous  consent.  There  being no objection,  CSHB 44(TRA)                                                               
was moved out of the House Transportation Standing Committee.