Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/31/1993 05:00 PM House MLV
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE
MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS
March 31, 1993
5:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Rep. Eldon Mulder, Co-Chairman
Rep. Pete Kott
Rep. Ed Willis
MEMBERS ABSENT
Rep. Richard Foster, Co-Chairman
Rep. Mike Navarre
OTHER LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS PRESENT
Sen. Loren Leman
Sen. Randy Phillips
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
Military Base Schools
WITNESS REGISTER
JAN CATTON, Chairman
Parent Advocacy Committee
6340 H St., Apt. A
Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK 99506
(907) 753-0714
Position Statement: Addressed military base school needs
JANET STOKESBURY
Chief Financial Officer (Acting)
Anchorage School District
4600 Debarr
Anchorage, AK 99519-6614
(907) 269-2394
Position Statement: Addressed military base school needs
CHUCK LANDERS, Assemblyman
Municipality of Anchorage
HC 83, Box 192A Myrhes
Eagle River, AK 99577
(907) 694-9098
Position Statement: Addressed military base school needs
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 93-6, SIDE A
Number 000
CHAIRMAN ELDON MULDER called the House Military and Veterans
Affairs Committee to order at 5:10 p.m. on March 31, 1993.
Members present were Rep. Kott and Rep. Willis. Members
absent were Rep. Foster and Rep. Navarre. Other legislative
members present were Sen. Leman and Sen. Phillips.
Number 045
JAN CATTON, CHAIRMAN, PARENT ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, stated that
the information on military base schools she gave to
Chairman Mulder was accurate. She stated that the land is
owned by the Department of Defense (DOD), but the buildings
are owned by the United States Department of Education
(DOE); and until the schools are brought up to acceptable
standards in the Anchorage School District, ownership of the
schools will not be transferred to the Anchorage School
District. She stated that there are seven schools in
Anchorage in this category (three on Ft. Richardson and Four
on Elmendorf AFB) and there are schools on Eielson AFB that
are in the same situation.
Number 060
MS. CATTON said her committee was working to see that all of
these schools receive funding. She stated that the facts
and figures she provided were fairly accurate for the
funding ($41,624,075) her committee was requesting. She
stated that the facts and figures for Elmendorf and Ft.
Richardson were off because they were 1990 cost estimates.
MS. CATTON remarked that she had asked Mr. Crystal (acting
superintendent of the Anchorage School District) to put
together or review the cost estimates for those seven
schools in Anchorage so they could receive current cost
estimates. She also noted that she had asked for studies
concerning the efficiency of these facilities. She stated
that this was done in Fairbanks and was beneficial. She
also stated that her committee would like this to be done in
Anchorage. She pointed out that, at this time, the facts
and figures she had provided were the most current until she
receives the ones requested from the acting superintendent.
Number 137
SEN. LEMAN referred to a letter from Steve Hole (who was
then with the state Department of Education) to Carl LaMarr
(acting superintendent of the Anchorage School District),
asked if the priorities list changed its emphasis due to the
projected military cuts in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Number 160
MS. CATTON stated that she was not the best one to ask as to
what the federal government's plans are for the military in
the future. She stated that Lt. General Ralston would
probably be able to give a fairly accurate look as to the
future of military bases in Alaska. She stated that a
community does not really know what the military brings to
that community until there is a base closing. She said she
was confident, given the strategic location of Alaska, that
the state will be minimally affected by the base closures.
Ms. Catton said she was not active duty military and Lt.
General Ralston should be contacted for his input.
Number 180
SEN. LEMAN commented that he was impressed with the
proposals for the expenditures, both on Ft. Richardson and
Elmendorf. He noted that there was one facility for
children at a cost of about $5 million. He stated that this
might be a very needed facility, but he found himself
thinking as to what could be done with that $5 million at
Mt. Spur School. He asked if she was aware of that list.
Number 190
MS. CATTON stated yes, it was the one that was published in
the Daily News yesterday or today.
SEN. LEMAN replied yes.
MS. CATTON remarked that she was aware of the funds ($5
million) that were allocated to the child care center on the
base (Elmendorf). She told the members that her committee
had asked if discretionary funds from the military could be
used for these schools, and the request was denied on
legalities. She stated that the problem was that the funds
coming from the DOD (for things like the child care center)
are not available for U.S. DOE buildings.
Number 209
(Rep. Mulder stated for the record that Sen. Phillips had
joined the meeting.)
REP. MULDER asked Ms. Catton what her understanding was of
the situation in which money was appropriated for Ursa Major
before it was in limbo. He asked Ms. Catton if there was
any indication that they were going to release those funds.
Number 218
MS. CATTON stated that the only indication she had was when
she wrote that package. (Ms. Catton's information was
provided to the committee and is on file in the committee
office.) She stated that Janet Stokesbury would have the
current information.
Number 227
JANET STOKESBURY, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (ACTING),
ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT, stated that the district had been
in contact with the U.S. DOE that morning (Charles Hanson's
office), over the Ursa Major project. She said she believed
that everything was still going forward with the grant on
the Ursa Major project. She noted that the school district
was currently working with the Bureau of Land Management to
receive the lease agreement. She stated that a draft of a
memorandum of understanding had been done with the 6th
Infantry and was being reviewed through the Corps of
Engineers.
MS. STOKESBURY also noted that since the 1990 list, there
have been certain projects at Ursa Major that have been done
through local funds and state funds. She commented that a
revised project description was submitted and was with the
U.S. Department of Education, which was sent to a Washington
state office of engineers. She stated that, other than
reviewing it, the district has not heard back yet on the
status. She said the district will contact the legislature
if there were any problems; however, there have been no
problems.
MS. STOKESBURY commented that the district was still in the
process of paying the rent and they had received no
notification that there was any hold up. She said they were
advised not to spend any money until they received the
actual grant award.
Number 254
REP. MULDER stated that funds are given annually to the
school district by the federal government for federal impact
for military students. He asked if some of those funds
could go for maintenance and upkeep of school buildings.
Number 264
MS. STOKESBURY responded that up until the current years,
the state of Alaska was the educational agency that was the
applicant for military schools on Ft. Richardson and
Elmendorf. She stated that prior to the current year, the
funds, except for the special education add-on, had been
going directly to the state and viewed as a state revenue
source. She said the state would then give funding to the
Anchorage School District in the form of foundation revenue
and as state tuition funding in place of not taxing property
on military bases. She noted a memorandum of agreement that
the Anchorage School District had with the state of Alaska.
MS. STOKESBURY explained that during the current year the
district was notified by the state DOE that they wanted to
renegotiate that contract. She said they had been notified
by the federal government that this funding source (federal
impact aid) needed to come directly to the Anchorage School
District. Ms. Stokesbury said the district was in the
process of working on a new memorandum of agreement with the
state.
MS. STOKESBURY noted that the Anchorage School District was
going to receive funding of about $165 thousand less than
usual by receiving federal impact aid directly. She stated
that the foundation formula has a reduction for 90 percent
of local contributions. She said the Anchorage School
District local contributions were about 62 percent out of
the federal impact aid money. She stated that the district
was going to receive less than $6.5 million in foundation
funding and then not receive any state tuition funding.
However, the district would receive federal impact money
directly. She noted that this was going to net the
Anchorage School District about $165 thousand less in
1992/1993.
MS. STOKESBURY explained that the state DOE has agreed that
the agreement for this year would be to make the Anchorage
School District whole (all three school districts whole) for
the fiscal year 1992/1993, so they will give the Anchorage
School District other sources of state revenue ($165
thousand). She stated that the district was currently
working on a memorandum of agreement for the fiscal year
1993/1994. She said if the appropriation was made by the
legislature, hopefully, the funding would be made for the
Anchorage School District. She explained that the funding
the district was talking about had been used as a funding
source for general operations. She said the district had a
memorandum of agreement that stated the amount of money that
the Anchorage School District was obligated for to perform
maintenance of schools ($25,000 or less), and it stated how
much money the state of Alaska was obligated for to perform
maintenance of schools ($25,000 or more).
Number 321
CHAIRMAN MULDER asked if it was specific about the
responsibility of the state DOE to pay for the costs of
maintenance over $25,000.
MS. STOKESBURY replied yes, it was through a memorandum of
agreement that had been in effect up until this current year
when the DOE notified the district that they wanted to
renegotiate. She noted that the district had been trying to
get the DOE to negotiate. She added that the district had
been operating by statutes as opposed to the memorandum.
Number 336
CHUCK LANDERS, ASSEMBLYMAN, MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE,
emphasized the importance of the military, the importance of
children, and the importance of the way in which the
legislature handles this matter. He stated that he thought
the legislature should try to match funds given by the
federal government for these schools. He remarked that if
the money needed was not found, then a task force should be
put together with a short time frame to get something done.
He said the task force would need to approach this from
different angles: through U.S. Senator Ted Stevens' office,
the military, the legislature, the school district, and the
assembly.
Number 408
CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that he had been in contact with U.S.
Senator Ted Stevens' office over this matter. Chairman
Mulder commented that U.S. Senator Ted Stevens was in the
best position to help with this problem. The Chairman also
stated that one idea to be considered would be to do a 50/50
match leveraging the federal government and leveraging the
state. Chairman Mulder said he also talked to Lt. General
Ralston and he pledged he would do everything possible to
help.
Number 445
CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that if the legislature was unable to
get the funding this session, the task force that Chuck
Landers suggested should be formed to have a resolution to
report back to the legislature next session. He said that
the public-at-large would have a greater impact on the
legislature than the five members advocating a certain
position.
Number 450
ASSEMBLYMAN LANDERS stated that if the legislature doesn't
get the solution in the next 30 days, it should be expanded
out of the Anchorage area. He emphasized that this was not
a district issue, but a state issue.
Number 465
CHAIRMAN MULDER remarked that Chuck Landers was right. He
stated that the Muldoon discretionary funds would not total
$20 million.
Number 468
CHAIRMAN MULDER said he hoped to have this resolution
drafted in the next two or three days.
Number 473
MS. CATTON suggested that Chairman Mulder include the
military liaison officer, Captain Dennis Porter. Ms. Catton
stated that she was a can-do person. Ms. Catton suggested
that one idea of getting money to fund these schools would
be to take the interest earning reserve from the permanent
dividend account.
Number 510
CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that both houses were almost at
unanimous support for some level of funding for school
construction, but the location of that funding was the
stumbling block. He said a comprehensive school
construction package that the legislature could agree upon
for the schools was coming up. Chairman Mulder commented
that if it was not this year, then next year the legislature
would come up with a comprehensive school construction
package. He stated that it was his concern that Alaska
address this problem and show the U.S. Department of Defense
that Alaska was serious about its military bases.
Number 557
MS. CATTON said she had received information from Sen.
Kelly's office which showed that the interest earning
reserve, as of Feb. 28, 1993, was about $836.5 million. She
stated that if $25 million was taken out of that, it would
be a drop in the bucket. She also said if the state could
show that $25 million was put into bringing the schools up
to standards, the state could say to the federal government
that it had done its share, now they needed to do the same.
She asked what the possibility was of that.
CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that the earnings reserve was a part
of the overall budget package at this time and the state was
in a budget deficit which was already utilizing much of the
earnings reserve and leaving very little left for carrying
over next year. He stated that there were other schools in
Alaska that needed funding as well as military base schools.
Number 594
ASSEMBLYMAN LANDERS pointed out that nobody has taken
responsibility for these schools and no local or state
government has tried to solve the problem. He said this was
an opportunity to sell the program throughout the state
where there is a military presence.
MS. CATTON stated that these military base schools were not
capable of receiving bond money for capital projects like
the other schools in the state. She said these problems are
because they are not owned by the school district. She
stated that these schools should be brought into the
Anchorage School District. She stated that the only way to
do that would be to get funding from the state legislature,
and the state would need to take creative measures in
appropriating funds for these schools.
Number 673
CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that the Military and Veterans
Affairs Committee was committed to seeing that this problem
resolved. He said it was in the best interest of all
Alaskans to provide quality education for all of the
children, whether on military bases or off military bases.
Number 730
CHAIRMAN MULDER stated that as a delegation of the Anchorage
Caucus in representing the military, they sent a letter to
the board members of the Anchorage School District
requesting that they allow for representation of an
ex-officio (non-voting representation on the board) for the
military bases. He said this would allow for the base
schools' concerns to be heard. Chairman Mulder stated that
this was an issue that he visited with Col. Vakalis and Lt.
General Ralston about, and they both felt strongly that
representation like this was needed on the school board.
ADJOURNMENT
CHAIRMAN MULDER adjourned the meeting at 6:05 p.m.
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