Legislature(2021 - 2022)

10/14/2022 01:00 PM House LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

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Audio Topic
01:10:08 PM Start
01:21:52 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Teleconference <Listen Only> --
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Committee Business TELECONFERENCED
Sale of Anchorage LOB Satellite Parking Lot
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                   ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                   
                     LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL                                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
                       OCTOBER 14, 2022                                                                                       
                           1:00 PM                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
   MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                            
   Representative Sara Hannan, Chair                                                                                          
   Representative Matt Claman                                                                                                 
   Representative Bryce Edgmon                                                                                                
   Representative Louise Stutes                                                                                               
   Representative Cathy Tilton                                                                                                
   Representative Chris Tuck                                                                                                  
   Senator Click Bishop                                                                                                       
   Senator Peter Micciche                                                                                                     
   Senator Bert Stedman                                                                                                       
   Senator Gary Stevens                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                              
   MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                             
   Senator Lora Reinbold, Vice Chair                                                                                          
   Representative Neal Foster                                                                                                 
   Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                                                                      
   Senator Shelley Hughes (alternate)                                                                                         
   Senator Mike Shower                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
   OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                      
   Senator Jesse Kiehl                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
   AGENDA                                                                                                                     
   APPROVAL OF AGENDA                                                                                                         
   COMMITTEE BUSINESS                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
   SPEAKER REGISTER                                                                                                           
   Jessica Geary, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs                                                                     
   Agency (LAA)                                                                                                               
I. Call to Order                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
1:10:08 PM                                                                                                                  
CHAIR HANNAN  called the Legislative  Council meeting  to order                                                               
at 1:10pm in the House Finance Committee room in the Capitol.                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
Present  at  the  call were:  Representatives  Claman,  Edgmon,                                                               
Hannan,  Stutes,  Tilton,  Tuck;   Senators  Bishop,  Micciche,                                                               
Stevens.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
Nine members present at the call.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
Senator Stedman joined at 1:15pm.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
II. Approval of Agenda                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
1:11:41 PM                                                                                                                  
SENATE  PRESIDENT MICCICHE  moved and  asked unanimous  consent                                                               
that Legislative Council approve the agenda as presented.                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
The agenda was approved without objection.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
III.  Sale  of  Anchorage Legislative  Office  Building  (ALOB)                                                               
Satellite Parking Lot                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
1:12:00 PM                                                                                                                  
SENATE  PRESIDENT  MICCICHE  moved   that  Legislative  Council                                                               
                                                  st                                                                          
approve  the  sale of  the  lot  at  1500 West  31   Avenue  in                                                               
Anchorage, Alaska,  for the gross  amount of $500,000  and that                                                               
any applicable  fees or  closing costs be  paid from  the gross                                                               
amount per the terms of the Purchase and Sale Agreement.                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
CHAIR HANNAN objected for the purposes of discussion.                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
JESSICA GEARY,  Executive Director  of the  Legislative Affairs                                                               
Agency, noted  that members have  in their packet a  memo dated                                                               
July 15,  2022, which describes  this item in detail.  She said                                                               
the lot  is no longer  being used  by the Legislature  and that                                                               
this  matter has  been  previously  brought before  Legislative                                                               
Council  with consideration  to use  the lot  sale proceeds  to                                                               
fund  legislative capital  projects. She  continued that,  with                                                               
approval,  this  sale  will net  approximately  $470,000  after                                                               
closing costs and broker fees,  which would be deposited into a                                                               
capital  appropriation  for  use  for  any  number  of  capital                                                               
projects that Council chooses.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON asked if  the legislative capital account                                                               
referred to by  Ms. Geary was where the funds  for the purchase                                                               
of the lot  and the Anchorage Legislative  Office Building came                                                               
from in the first place.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
MS.  GEARY  stated  that  in  fiscal  year  2016  there  was  a                                                               
legislative capital appropriation  specifically for the purpose                                                               
of  purchasing the  ALOB  - what  used to  be  the Wells  Fargo                                                               
building - and it came with  a vacant parking lot. The proceeds                                                               
of the  lot sale will be  deposited into a  general legislative                                                               
capital appropriation  to be used  for renovation,  repair, and                                                               
necessary improvements to legislative facilities.                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON  asked if any money coming  from the sale                                                               
would come before Legislative Council for consideration.                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
MS. GEARY  responded that  it would  depend on  the procurement                                                               
code  and  the  particular  item;  if  an  item  is  under  the                                                               
threshold,  then  it  would not  necessarily  need  Legislative                                                               
Council approval.  She confirmed that  if it was an  item that,                                                               
per Legislative Procurement Procedures,  would need Legislative                                                               
Council  approval   then  it   would  be  brought   before  the                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
SENATOR  STEVENS  stated  his  pleasure with  the  sale,  which                                                               
reduced  the  purchase price  of  the  building from  about  12                                                               
million to  11.5 million  dollars. He pointed  out the  lack of                                                               
use  of the  lot  that isnt   directly  connected  to the  main                                                               
parking lot and asked who had inquired about purchasing it.                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
MS. GEARY  stated that  in the past  people had  approached the                                                               
Legislature about the lot, but for  this sale, it was listed on                                                               
the open  market and  managed by a  broker. After  being listed                                                               
for  approximately six  weeks,  they received  this offer.  She                                                               
stated the initial offer was  $451,000 and the Agency countered                                                               
with $500,000, which was in line with the appraised value.                                                                    
                                                                                                                              
SENATOR STEVENS  said the sale  was a great opportunity  and he                                                               
was pleased that the issue had reached this point.                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
SENATE PRESIDENT MICCICHE  said he suspected that  if the value                                                               
of the  lot was dissected  from the  value of the  building, it                                                               
would be substantially  lower than the $500,000  sale price and                                                               
asked if anyone could confirm.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
MS. GEARY said  that level of cost analysis  was not conducted.                                                               
The  broker is  charging  standard  commercial property  broker                                                               
fees  and the  lot sale  price is more  today  than it  was two                                                               
years ago when Council last considered  it. She stated that she                                                               
believed this to be a good offer.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                              
SENATE PRESIDENT MICCICHE said he supports the decision to                                                                    
make the sale.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                              
1:20:57 PM                                                                                                                  
There was no further discussion and a roll call vote was                                                                      
taken.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
YEAS: Representatives Claman, Edgmon, Hannan, Stutes, Tilton,                                                                 
Tuck; Senators Bishop, Micciche, Stevens.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
NAYS: None.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
The motion passed 9-0.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
IV. Adjourn                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
There being no further business before the committee, the                                                                     
meeting was adjourned at 1:21pm.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
1:21:52 PM