Legislature(2009 - 2010)Anch LIO Rm 550
06/23/2009 01:30 PM House RULES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Authorization of Asbestos Abatement Contract | |
| Authorization to Go to Bid for Remodeling Speaker's Office and Majority Leader's Office | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE
Anchorage, Alaska
June 23, 2009
1:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative John Coghill, Chair
Representative Bob Herron, Vice Chair
Representative Charisse Millett
Representative Kurt Olson
Representative Berta Gardner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Mark Neuman
Representative Beth Kerttula
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
AUTHORIZATION OF ASBESTOS ABATEMENT CONTRACT
- APPROVED
AUTHORIZATION TO GO TO BID FOR REMODELING SPEAKER'S OFFICE AND
MAJORITY LEADER'S OFFICE
- APPROVED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
PAM VARNI, Executive Director
Legislative Affairs Agency
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing, answered questions
regarding using Session Funds for asbestos abatement and upgrade
of the lighting and ceilings in the Speaker's and House Majority
Leader's offices in the capitol building.
DON JOHNSTON, Building Manager
Legislative Affairs Agency
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing, answered questions
regarding using Session Funds for asbestos abatement and upgrade
of the lighting and ceilings in the Speaker's and House Majority
Leader's offices in the capitol building.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:30:07 PM
CHAIR JOHN COGHILL called the House Rules Standing Committee
meeting to order at 1:37 p.m. Representatives Coghill, Herron,
Millett, Olson, and Gardner were present at the call to order.
^Authorization of Asbestos Abatement Contract
1:30:28 PM
CHAIR COGHILL announced that the first order of business before
the committee is consideration of the authorization of an
asbestos abatement contract for a second floor wall in the
capitol building. Asbestos was found in the wall adjoining the
Speaker's office and the House Rules Chair's office. In order
to move the aforementioned wall, an asbestos abatement strategy
has to be in place. Chair Coghill explained that the House
Rules Standing Committee is addressing these issues because the
committee that would normally address such issues is unable to
do so.
1:31:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON moved that the House Rules Standing
Committee approve the bid from Absolute Service, Inc., in the
amount of $33,800 for asbestos abatement on the second floor of
the capitol from Session Expenses funding.
1:31:56 PM
PAM VARNI, Executive Director, Legislative Affairs Agency, in
response to Chair Coghill, explained that the funding being
requested is from the component that the House and Senate Rules
Standing Committees control with the exception of travel, which
is covered by the presiding officers. The main collocation
code, 31924301, isn't the component utilized for funding staff
or small furniture purchases. She estimated that this fiscal
year over $600,000 will lapse from the main component of the
legislature's budget. Therefore, there's plenty of funding to
approve the contract for the asbestos abatement. She noted that
procurement procedures require committee authorization of funds
when the amount is in excess of $25,000.
1:33:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER inquired as to why Absolute Services,
Inc., is the only bid.
MS. VARNI said that the building manager has worked with
Absolute Services, Inc., and Legislative Council recently
approved a contract with Absolute Services, Inc., to perform the
asbestos abatement in the capitol building boiler room.
Therefore, the company is on site now. She informed the
committee that a bid abstract was done that requested bid quotes
from Alaska Abatement Corp. and Arrowhead Building Contractors,
both of which declined to bid. Therefore, required procurement
procedures were followed. Ms. Varni opined that bids from the
non-responding companies would've likely been substantially
higher because they would've had to travel to Juneau whereas
Absolute Services, Inc., is already in town.
1:35:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON asked if the asbestos is friable.
1:35:20 PM
DON JOHNSTON, Building Manager, Legislative Affairs Agency,
replied yes and noted his agreement with Representative Herron
that the bid is so high because the asbestos is friable.
CHAIR COGHILL related his understanding that the asbestos has to
be sealed and disposed at an approved site.
MR. JOHNSTON explained that currently the area is quarantined
and pre-demolition air monitoring is performed as required. The
air monitoring continues throughout the abatement and upon
completion of the project. This air monitoring is performed by
a separate entity in order to avoid self-monitoring.
1:37:41 PM
There being no objection, the bid by Absolute Services, Inc., in
the amount of $33,800 for asbestos abatement on the second floor
of the capitol building was approved.
^Authorization to go to bid for remodeling Speaker's Office and
Majority Leader's Office
1:37:56 PM
CHAIR COGHILL then turned the committee's attention to the
lighting and ceiling remodel in both the Speaker's and Majority
Leader's offices. He noted that the Speaker's Office had a
decorative ceiling and is at a different level than the House
Rules Office, a portion of which will be assumed by the
Speaker's Office.
1:38:46 PM
MR. JOHNSTON explained that the request is to use specialty cast
plaster ceiling tiles with recessed lighting and pendant
lighting in the Speaker's Office and acoustic panels with
recessed lighting in the staff office areas. The existing
ceiling in the Speaker's Office has the original plaster ceiling
with hand stenciled artwork whereas the House Rules Chair's
office has a regular plaster ceiling. Mr. Johnston explained
that he doesn't want to drill into the ceiling of the Speaker's
Office, and therefore he has requested an engineer be involved
to design a ceiling joist system that would span from the
exterior wall to the interior corridor wall in the specialty
ceiling area only, from which the new cast plaster ceiling would
hang. In the House Rules Office, the new ceiling can be hung
from the original ceiling.
1:40:40 PM
MS. VARNI interjected that no new ceiling or lighting will be
hung in the caucus room or the reception area of the Speaker's
Office. She clarified the specific ceiling locations.
1:41:20 PM
MR. JOHNSTON, in response to Representative Gardner, confirmed
that the hand stenciled work on the ceiling will be saved, which
is the reason for involving the engineer to design a ceiling
joist system from which to hang the new ceiling.
1:41:52 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON moved that the House Rules Standing
Committee approve the solicitation, award, and expenditure of
Session Expenses funds to upgrade the lighting and ceilings in
the Speaker's and House Majority Leader's offices in the
capitol.
CHAIR COGHILL informed the committee that the estimated cost is
$50,000-$70,000.
1:42:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GARDNER inquired as to what would happen if the
bid is in excess of $50,000-$70,000.
CHAIR COGHILL responded that the matter would come back before
the committee.
MS. VARNI expressed hope that if the bid is a bit higher that
the authorization doesn't have to come back before the
committee. She clarified that $50,000-$70,000 is her estimate
of the cost and she would let the chair know if the bid is
higher, at which time he could decide if it's necessary to have
a meeting.
1:43:09 PM
CHAIR COGHILL noted his agreement, adding that if the bid is
within the realm of reason there wouldn't be a need to have a
meeting.
1:43:33 PM
There being no objection, the motion to authorize the
solicitation, award, and expenditure of Session Expenses funds
to upgrade the lighting and ceilings in the Speaker's and House
Majority Leader's offices in the capitol was approved.
1:44:12 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Rules Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:44 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|