09/02/1998 09:10 AM House TRA

      HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE                                  
                 September 2, 1998                                             
                     9:10 a.m.                                                 
                                                                               
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                             
                                                                               
Briefing from DOT/PF on the Draft Southeast Transportation Plan                
                                                                               
TAPE(S)                                                                        
                                                                               
98-24, SIDES A & B                                                             
98-25, SIDES A & B                                                             
                                                                               
CALL TO ORDER                                                                  
                                                                               
Representative Bill Hudson, Acting Chairman, convened the House                
Transportation Standing Committee meeting at 9:10 a.m.                         
                                                                               
PRESENT                                                                        
                                                                               
Committee members present at the call to order were Representatives            
Hudson, Elton and Kookesh.  Representatives Cowdery and Williams               
joined the meeting while in progress via teleconference.                       
                                                                               
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                         
                                                                               
TOM BRINGHAM, Director, Statewide Planning, Department of                      
Transportation and Public Facilities, offered introductory remarks             
regarding the Southeast Transportation Draft Plan and discussed the            
main objectives of the plan.  He also responded to questiones asked            
by committee members and the public.                                           
                                                                               
JEFF OTTESON, Statewide Planning Chief, Division of Statewide                  
Planning, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, gave             
a detailed slide presentation of the draft plan and answered                   
questions posed by the committee members and the public pertaining             
to the plan.  A copy of the slide presentation is in the committee             
file.                                                                          
                                                                               
CAPTAIN BOB DAHL, General Manager, Alaska Marine Highway System,               
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, responded to               
questions asked by members of the committee and the public.  He                
also offered his perceptions as to the essential elements that need            
to be observed during the implementation of the plan.                          
                                                                               
ROBERT MARTIN, JR., Regional Manager, Southeast Region, Department             
of Transportation and Public Facilities, offered comments regarding            
the reasons as to why Hyder was excluded from the plan.                        
                                                                               
BERNE MILLER, Executive Director, Southeast Conference, reviewed               
the formation of the advisory committee and the important role that            
community input has had in the development of the plan.  He                    
commented on the support that the plan has received from the                   
Southeast Alaska Conference of Mayors and the intentions of the                
Southeast Alaska Conference of Mayors to endorse the plan.  He also            
responded to questions from committee members.                                 
                                                                               
JOHN PEARSON, representing the community of Hyder, Economic                    
Development Advisor to Hyder, expressed Hyder's desire to be                   
included in the plan and reviewed the community's needs for                    
service; stating that Hyder would be constructing one of Alaska's              
largest bottled water plants in the near future.  He also answered             
questions from the committee members regarding Hyder's situation.              
                                                                               
JOHN HILL, Staff Planner, Planning Department, Ketchikan Gateway               
Borough, asked questions of DOT/PF regarding the plan via the                  
teleconference network.                                                        
                                                                               
DOUG WARD, Alaska Ship and Dry Dock, stated, via the teleconference            
network, that the new ferry designs could be constructed in                    
Southeast Alaska and expressed interest in working together with               
the planners during this process.                                              
                                                                               
BOYD BROWNFIELD, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Transportation             
and Public Facilities, commented on the relationship between the               
Juneau Access EIS Plan and the Southeast Transportation Plan.  He              
stated the plans are designed to be merged together.  He also                  
responded to questions from committee members.                                 
                                                                               
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                               
                                                                               
The committee took no action.                                                  
                                                                               
ADJOURNMENT                                                                    
                                                                               
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.                                            
                                                                               
NOTE:                                                                          
                                                                               
The meeting was recorded and log notes were taken.  A copy of the              
tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the House                  
Records Office at 130 Seward Street, Suite 211, Juneau, Alaska                 
99801-1182, (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the second                
session of the Twentieth Alaska State Legislature, in the                      
Legislative Reference Library.