Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/18/2003 01:43 PM Senate TRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SCR 1-SUPPORT ROADS/HOT SPRINGS LOOP ROAD
SENATOR GARY WILKEN, sponsor of SCR 1, explained the purpose of
SCR 1 is to consider road construction projects in the State of
Alaska. It originally focused on a road connection between two
hot springs in Interior Alaska. The Senate State Affairs added
three additional roads and its committee substitute (CS) is
before the Senate Transportation Committee. Senator Wilken
endorsed the addition of roads to the resolution.
SENATOR WILKEN referred to a map of the proposed Hot Springs
Loop Road. Circle Hot Springs is on a spur road off the Steese
Highway 130 miles from Fairbanks. Chena Hot Springs is 60 miles
from Fairbanks on the Chena Hot Springs Road. The 50 to 60
miles "as the crow flies" between Chena Hot Springs and Circle
Hot Springs crosses the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Steese
Wilderness Area, an area of rolling hills with a valley
configuration conducive to road construction. Senator Wilken
said the Hot Springs Loop Road would benefit the residents of
Fairbanks and visitors by allowing access to the hot springs in
a loop. The road would provide access to resources and aid in
the development of Alaska.
The Senate State Affairs Committee amended SCR 1 to include the
addition of three potential roads that would benefit residents,
visitors and industry:
· Bradfield Canal Road connecting Southeast Alaska to British
Columbia
· Knik Arm Crossing in Anchorage
· Iliamna Bay to Pile Bay
The SCR 1 packet contains the resolution as amended by the
Senate State Affairs Committee, the sponsor statement, a letter
of support from the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, a Fairbanks
Daily News Miner editorial dated February 16, 2003 and the
attached zero fiscal note.
SENATOR OLSON asked the type of landownership along the Hot
Springs Loop Road.
SENATOR WILKEN said he did not know but it is mixed. The Steese
Wilderness Area is state land. This corridor was first drawn
around 1982 and there is a search underway for the information
gathered at that time.
SENATOR OLSON asked the width of the corridor.
SENATOR WILKEN said he did not know but said he encourages the
addition of roads that will provide economic development.
MR. MERRILL HAKALA, Fairbanks resident, stated he was 100
percent against a road between Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot
Springs. It would destroy a lot of wilderness country and the
connection is not needed. He added that people with remote
sites accessible by snow machine would be happy to see the road
built.
MR. HAKALA said the funds could be better spent in other places.
He proposed the following projects.
· The planned road connection to Rampart.
· Installation of a public boat landing at Rampart.
· Installation of a public boat landing at Circle.
· Rebuild and straighten the road from Birch Creek Bridge to
Circle. Money was designated for this project in 1989 but
the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
(DOTPF) transferred those funds elsewhere.
· Rebuild the road from Central to Circle to make it a safer
road.
· Build a road 1 mile north of and parallel to the Chena Hot
Springs Road. This 20 to 25 mile long road should have
connections to Chena Hot Springs Road. This property could
then be subdivided and would greatly enhance the Fairbanks
area.
MR. JOHN BROWN, field representative, Operating Engineers Local
302, said he was present on another matter but was in favor of
building roads as they are a foundation for the Alaskan economy.
He stated:
I leave it up to the Legislature to prioritize that
and I think we need a lot of input on this particular
project but any kind of infrastructure helps our
economy in the long term and I'm sure this one would
too.
MR. RALPH SWARTHOUT, Regional Director, DOTPF Northern Region,
stated support for the construction of the Hot Springs Loop Road
because it would bring significant tourism, recreational and
economic development opportunities to the Fairbanks area. He
added:
There seems to be a lot of issues with the Steese
White Mountain Recreational Area, the Birch Creek Wild
and Scenic corridor - who owns the land, what is its
geo-technical conditions, how would a road be sited
here. If we do a reconnaissance type study, it would
take about a year to do, we could look at all of these
problems or perhaps problems in the future and come up
with some alternate solutions and make a decision on
whether it would be wise to proceed or not. So that
is my suggestion to the commissioner and I am
supportive at this time on this road.
SENATOR OLSON asked if Mr. Swarthout had looked at this from
DOTPF's standpoint. He asked how he saw the construction of
this road competing with dollars for maintenance of other roads.
Senator Olson added that DOTPF has not been maintaining the
roads in his district.
MR. SWARTHOUT perceived this road as a capital fund project that
could compete priority-wise with other projects. DOTPF's
maintenance and operations activities are funded out of the
general fund budget. The maintenance dollars are different from
capital dollars.
SENATOR OLSON understood the difference between the operating
and capital budgets. He said his question was how does DOTPF
expect to maintain this road after it has been built when other
roads lack maintenance.
MR. SWARTHOUT said he hoped the Legislature would support both a
new roadway and the operation costs. He added he had long been a
proponent for tying maintenance costs to capital projects and
said, "If they are not going to maintain them, don't build
them."
MR. PAUL NATHANIEL, First Chief, Circle Village Council,
explained the Circle Village Council position on the road
project between Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot Springs. When
something important occurs, like the Yukon Quest International
Dog Race or a visit from the Governor, the Steese Highway is
maintained. Otherwise, the highway has not been maintained
through the winter for the past four or five years. The 35
miles from Circle to Central is rough and hard on vehicles. Mr.
Nathaniel suggested those funds should be spent to maintain,
redesign, straighten and reconstruct the highway between Circle
and Central. [Parts of Mr. Nathaniel's testimony were
indiscernible due to poor transmission.]
CHAIR COWDERY said SCR 1 would be scrutinized as it moves
through Senate and House Committees. He thought Governor
Murkowski had appointed new people to DOTPF and attitudes will
change from what they were in the past.
SENATOR THERRIAULT moved CSSCR 1(STA) from committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal
note. Without objection, the motion carried.
SENATOR LINCOLN said Chair Cowdery's aide told her the meeting
started at 2:00 p.m. and that she had not been informed the
meeting was starting at 1:30 p.m. She had prepared to talk
about SCR 1 as it involves her district. She asked if Chair
Cowdery would allow the individual on line from Circle to be
heard after the committee finished with SB 40.
CHAIR COWDERY said he would extend that courtesy.
SENATOR LINCOLN appreciated that very much.
CHAIR COWDERY apologized that she was not notified of the time
change. He thought everyone had been notified.
MR. SCHMITZ said he was responsible for the lack of
notification.
SCR 1-SUPPORT ROADS/HOT SPRINGS LOOP ROAD
CHAIR COWDERY invited Senator Lincoln to make her comments on
SCR 1.
SENATOR LINCOLN thanked Chair Cowdery for taking up SCR 1 again.
She stated:
I understand that the individual that was on line is
no longer there. But I do want to say that the
community, there was some testimony earlier that there
was kind of a unanimous support for the resolution and
in fact there - Circle has taken a position that they
want to see the Circle to Central roads improved and
maintained before they support a new road going into
their community. And I know that the Tanana Chiefs
Conference hasn't taken a position on the piece of
legislation yet. But there's a real concern that if
we're going to put more money out there for new roads
that we should look first to those that are in really
bad shape. And I will tell you that I was in Circle
last year and went from Circle to Central and that
road is an awful road.
CHAIR COWDERY interjected, "A trail, it's not a road really."
SENATOR LINCOLN continued:
A trail, and they have to get folks sometimes to the
larger airport to get them out for medical reasons.
So I just - I want that on the record that the folks
up there are not endorsing this resolution as it
stands now because they've just got terrible road
conditions presently. And I thank you for going back
to that Mr. Chairman.
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