02/08/1994 01:30 PM Senate L&C

 SENATOR KELLY returned HB 180 (ALASKA HOUSING FINANCE CORPORATION             
 HOUSING INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS) to committee and asked DAVID                 
 HARDING, Aide to REPRESENTATIVE EILEEN MACLEAN, to explain the                
 proposed committee substitute on HB 180.                                      
                                                                               
 Number 100                                                                    
                                                                               
 MR. HARDING explained the only change was on page 2, lines 17 and             
 18 with a definition of "rural area."  He quoted the concerns of              
 the committee that the previous definition was too broad, so the              
 population cap of 5,500 was added.                                            
                                                                               
 SENATOR KELLY asked who it would cover.  MR. HARDING said it would            
 not apply to communities with their own municipal codes, but would            
 change the designation for Ketchikan, Sitka, and possibly Bethel,             
 with the changes in their population number.  SENATOR KELLY checked           
 to be sure of the designation of Juneau and Cordova.                          
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN questioned whether the changes would eliminate                
 Minto, connected by road to Fairbanks, and she was told it would.             
 She listed Manley and all of the Ottna communities, but MR. HARDING           
 said the bill was not intended to catch people along the road                 
 system.  He explained the merger that precipitated the legislation,           
 and how it was being addressed in the legislation.                            
                                                                               
 Number 149                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR LINCOLN expressed her problem with a five hour trip to                
 Manley over a nearly impassable road, except in the winter time.              
 MR. HARDING said Manley was not covered in HB 180, and SENATOR                
 SHARP explained the road to Eagle was accessible during the summer            
 time, but not the winter.  He wondered if the definition was going            
 to cause additional problems.  There was a general discussion among           
 the committee members of the various communities that would or                
 would not be served by the legislation.                                       
                                                                               
 MR. HARDING reviewed the provisions of the proposed legislation to            
 provide for inspection in those areas not presently served by                 
 municipal codes or reside on the highway system, where inspectors             
 can access the buildings, albeit on a substandard road.                       
                                                                               
 SENATOR KELLY asked if any complaints had been received from Minto,           
 Manley, or Eagle, and MR. HARDING said not in the two years he had            
 been working on the bill.  SENATOR LINCOLN asked for the next                 
 committee of referral, and it was found to be the Rules Committee.            
 SENATOR KELLY decided to hold the legislation for another meeting             
 and asked SENATOR LINCOLN for language to address the problem, but            
 he suggested it might be difficult to narrow the definition any               
 further.                                                                      
                                                                               
 SENATOR SHARP said he was not interested in fixing any more of the            
 problems that were created when AHFC was merged with Alaska State             
 Housing by the Legislature.                                                   
                                                                               
 MR. HARDING explained the definition for rural mirrors a part of              
 the definition of "small community" later on in the Chapter, which            
 he read: "A small community is defined as community under 1,400 on            
 the road system."  He suggested a numbers fix was the only option             
 left to the legislators, but it might also allow communities on the           
 edge of Anchorage to benefit from the legislation.                            
                                                                               
 Number 198                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR KELLY again said the bill could be addressed before the               
 next meeting for any changes.