02/03/2026 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB216 | |
| Presentation(s): Winter Road Maintenance | |
| Overview(s): Defining Advanced Construction and Federal Aide Sources | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 216 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 3, 2026
1:02 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Ashley Carrick, Co-Chair
Representative Ted Eischeid, Co-Chair
Representative Genevieve Mina
Representative Louise Stutes
Representative Kevin McCabe
Representative Steve St. Clair
Representative Garret Nelson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 216
"An Act approving the transfer of land owned by the Alaska
Railroad Corporation to the City of Whittier; and providing for
an effective date."
- MOVED HB 216 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PRESENTATION(S): WINTER ROAD MAINTENANCE
- HEARD
OVERVIEW(S): DEFINING ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION AND FEDERAL AIDE
SOURCES
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 216
SHORT TITLE: TRANSFER OF RAILROAD LAND TO WHITTIER
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) HOLLAND
05/02/25 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
05/02/25 (H) TRA, CRA
01/29/26 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
01/29/26 (H) Heard & Held
01/29/26 (H) MINUTE(TRA)
02/03/26 (H) TRA AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
WITNESS REGISTER
AYDEN NICHOLS, Staff
Representative Ky Holland
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: On behalf of Representative Holland, prime
sponsor presented HB 216.
JACKIE WILDE, City Manager
City of Whittier
Whittier, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HB
216.
BURRELL NICKESON, Maintenance and Operations Manager
Central Region
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Winter Road Maintenance
presentation.
JASON SAKALASKAS, Regional Maintenance and Operations Chief
Northern Region
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Winter Road Maintenance
presentation.
ANDY MILLS, Legislative Liaison
Office of the Commissioner
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-Offered the Winter Road Maintenance
presentation.
MARCUS ZIMMERMAN, Maintenance and Operations Manager
Southcoast Region
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Winter Road Maintenance
presentation.
BRAD BYLSMA, Statewide Equipment Fleet Manager
State Equipment Fleet
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the Winter Road
Maintenance presentation.
CHRISTINE LANGLEY, Division Director
Division of Data Modernization and Innovation
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Winter Road Maintenance
presentation.
DOM PANNONE, Director
Division of Program Management and Administration
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Co-offered the Defining Advanced
Construction and Federal Aide Sources overview.
ADAM MOSER, Federal Aide Program Manager
Division of Program Management and Administration
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the Defining
Advanced Construction and Federal Aide Sources overview.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:02:16 PM
CO-CHAIR ASHLEY CARRICK called the House Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. Representatives Mina,
Stutes, McCabe, St. Clair, Nelson, Eischeid, and Carrick were
present at the call to order.
HB 216-TRANSFER OF RAILROAD LAND TO WHITTIER
1:03:00 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 216, "An Act approving the transfer of
land owned by the Alaska Railroad Corporation to the City of
Whittier; and providing for an effective date."
1:03:46 PM
AYDEN NICHOLS, Staff, Representative Ky Holland, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Holland, prime sponsor,
provided a brief recap of HB 216. He said that HB 216 would
give limited and specific authorization for the Alaska Railroad
Corporation (ARRC) to transfer five parcels of land to the City
of Whittier.
1:04:15 PM
MR. NICHOLS, in response to a question from Representative
Nelson, that 40 percent of Whittier's budget is spent on land
leases.
REPRESENTATIVE G. NELSON asked for the dollar amount of these
leases and how long they have been ongoing.
1:05:21 PM
JACKIE WILDE, City Manager, City of Whittier, clarified that 40
percent of Whittier's gross revenues have been spent on master
lease lands, since 1998. She said that Whittier has spent about
$2 million on these leases.
1:06:24 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK opened public testimony on HB 216. After
ascertaining that no one wished to testify, she closed public
testimony.
1:07:11 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID moved to report HB 216 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, HB 216 was reported out of the House
Transportation Standing Committee.
1:07:39 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 1:07 p.m. to 1:11 p.m.
^PRESENTATION(S): Winter Road Maintenance
PRESENTATION(S): Winter Road Maintenance
1:11:50 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK announced that the next order of business would
be a continuation of the Winter Road Maintenance presentation
[begun on January 29, 2026].
1:13:49 PM
REPRESENTATIVE G. NELSON returned to the brine versus salt
conversation. He described the terrain of the Moose Creek
bridge and the Glenn Highway and asked how many hours were spent
working on this area.
1:15:10 PM
BURRELL NICKESON, Maintenance and Operations Manager, Central
Region, Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
(DOT&PF) referred to the north side of the Glenn Highway, just
east of the Moose Creek bridge. He elaborated on the surface
water coming out of the ground in that area, emphasizing that
DOT&PF cannot predict when that is going to happen. He stated
that DOT&PF worked 231 hours on that project as of last week,
with two to five individuals treating that problem at a time.
REPRESENTATIVE G. NELSON appreciated the context and data Mr.
Nickeson provided.
MR. NICKESON said the design section of DOT&PF has taken notice
of this area as well, noting an environmental assessment
conducted in the 1990s and an ongoing search for solutions.
1:19:13 PM
JASON SAKALASKAS, Regional Maintenance and Operations Chief,
Northern Region, Department of Transportation & Public
Facilities, gave a PowerPoint presentation, titled [hard copy
included in the committee file]. He began on slide 19, which
provided Northern Region performance measures from September to
December 2025. He highlighted that 72 percent of target
conditions were achieved. He also addressed questions from the
previous committee meeting, stating that the Northern Region
uses brine corrosion inhibitors, which reduce the temperature
needed for brine application. He added that brine is used in
the Fairbanks and Valdez districts.
1:21:27 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked about private entities using brine on
sidewalks and parking lots.
MR. SAKALASKAS responded that he is unaware of any prohibitions
against ant-icing chemicals.
1:22:45 PM
MR. SAKALASKAS continued addressing previous committee
questions. He said that it is very difficult to perfectly
quantify brine efficiency. He stated that brine is only
utilized in temperatures above 20 degrees and is used in the
pre-wetting process to help lock aggregates into the roadway
surface for longer durations. He confirmed that brine is not
used to supplement staff vacancies but using it does make
operations more efficient.
1:25:56 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked if there is sufficient sidewalk equipment
and staffing to support pedestrians walking in Fairbanks.
MR. SAKALASKAS said DOT&PF would like to increase sidewalk
maintenance to meet pedestrian requests, so it has contracted
some sidewalk maintenance, following in Anchorage's lead.
1:27:38 PM
MR. SAKALASKAS moved to slide 20, which highlighted Northern
Region winter contract usage, providing total expenditures from
fiscal year 23 (FY 23) through FY 25. He said that so far this
winter in Fairbanks, DOT&PF has utilized roadway contracts four
times and sidewalk contracts five times, which is on target for
an average level of expenditures. He moved to slide 21, which
displayed a chart of staff vacancies by maintenance district.
He highlighted Dalton district, which had 14 vacancies as of
January 16, 2025, and only two vacancies as of January 21, 2026.
He said that although there has been an overall downward trend
in vacancies across Northern Region districts, the Valdez and
Western districts continue to struggle in their recruitment
efforts. He explained that one attempt to decrease staff
vacancies is a program that covers the cost of commercial
driver's license (CDL) training for employees.
1:32:33 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked if the equipment operator positions in
these districts include airport positions.
MR. SAKALASKAS answered that these numbers do not reflect
staffing at the Fairbanks International Airport, but they do
cover some of the smaller airports.
1:33:24 PM
MR. SAKALASKAS, in response to a series of questions from Co-
Chair Eischeid, described Dalton's flexible work schedule. He
explained that employees work two weeks on and two weeks off,
which some other districts have implemented. He noted that in
the case of emergency needs, the district can ask operators to
work additional days. He stated that he does not know the
percentage of positions filled by women but noted that
applications are open to all applicants. He highlighted that
the CDL program offers an opportunity to individuals who could
not previously obtain operator positions.
1:37:04 PM
MR. SAKALASKAS moved to slide 22 and stated that the Northern
Region has experienced a fair winter regarding snowfall amounts
and extremely cold weather. He said that the region has faced
challenges including overflow and water management. He
described a frozen creek near Tok that overflowed onto a bridge
and DOT&PF's response to it.
1:38:37 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked if DOT&PF is struggling with equipment
challenges in Fairbanks due to the extreme cold.
MR. SAKALASKAS responded that cold weather does impact DOT&PF's
fleets; certain equipment cannot be operated in temperatures
below 30 degrees, causing delayed responses to snow events.
1:40:20 PM
MR. SAKALASKAS moved to slide 23 and explained that a major
winter event in January caused the closure of the Richardson
Highway for two days. He described the snow, rainfall, and
avalanches that occurred during the event and said that during
the closure, crews performed guardrail repair, addressed
flooding, and de-iced parts of the highway.
ANDY MILLS, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Commissioner,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, added that a
social media post used a fabricated image and recycled old
material and old themes during the event. He emphasized that
DOT&PF must be vigilant about misinformation and artificial
intelligence (AI) usage.
1:44:04 PM
MR. SAKALASKAS moved to slide 24, which provided challenges
regarding Dalton Highway. He said that there is limited
commercial support in response efforts to vehicles that get
stuck in the roadway, causing extended response times and
limited communications along the route.
1:45:24 PM
MARCUS ZIMMERMAN, Maintenance and Operations Manager, Southcoast
Region, Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, moved
to slide 25, which provided challenges and success in the
Southcoast Region this winter. He said that there have been 69
total events across the region with 86.3 percent of target
conditions achieved. He moved to slide 26, which discussed
winter contract usage in the region. He said that sidewalk
maintenance contracts in Juneau have expanded from last year's,
but there are still limits on sidewalk snow removal and snow
haul contracts.
MR. ZIMMERMAN moved to slide 27, which highlighted the Tom
Madsen Unalaska Airport closure. He said that during the winter
event, 120 miles per hour wind gusts caused wave actions and the
runway was closed for 72 hours. He explained that emergency
lighting and debris clearing efforts took place and that this
occurred during the busiest time of the year for Unalaska. He
moved to slide 28 and highlighted the record setting snowfalls
in Juneau during the month of December and stated that there
were several record setting days within the month as well.
1:50:03 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES noted that Kodiak was left out of the
Southcoast Region's report and that Sargent Creek freezes and
floods homes every year. She said that despite DOT&PF promises
to address the issue, she has seen no work yet. She emphasized
that due to a lack of plowing, people that live in Bells Flats
cannot get to town or to the U.S. Coast Guard base.
MR. ZIMMERMAN responded that there is a bridge project planned
at Sargent Creek, but he does not have details on the project's
status. He also said that he is unaware of the issues regarding
homes flooding.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES expressed gratitude for the bridge project
and emphasized that this is a critical issue as some cars cannot
even cross the road due to flooding conditions.
MR. ZIMMERMAN responded that plowing crews have been instructed
to clear roads to Marine Hill, which is located beyond Bells
Flats.
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES said she would appreciate any additional
efforts in that direction.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked for a status report on the Sargeant River
bridge project.
1:54:54 PM
MR. ZIMMERMAN moved to slide 29, which highlighted record
snowfall in Skagway and Haines. He said that there have been
287 hours of closure on the Klondike Highway this winter so far,
due to avalanches and blizzard conditions and 43 hours of
closure on Haines Highway due to avalanches. He stated that
emergency snow-clearing contracts were implemented to maintain
access and restore operations as conditions allowed and he
described the collaboration between the northern and Southcoast
Regions during this winter storm.
1:57:18 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked about equipment in Central and Southcoast
Regions and if equipment sharing is a sustainable practice.
MR. MILLS responded by describing DOT&PF's approach to scaling
up contracting.
MR. ZIMMERMAN added that it was great that the Northern Region
could share equipment with Juneau when needed, especially
because the Southcoast Region had broken equipment at the time.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked if the Central or Southcoast Regions need
specific operational equipment.
2:00:14 PM
BRAD BYLSMA, Statewide Equipment Fleet Manager, State Equipment
Fleet, Department of Transportation & Public Facilities,
responded that DOT&PF does not have the fleet or manpower to
respond to an apocalyptic statewide storm event, but the state
has resources to share. He explained that DOT&PF maintains a
daily renting pool of equipment that is not assigned to a
specific region and there is always a need for more equipment.
He highlighted the major snow and landside event last winter
that closed the George Parks Highway, which the Southcoast
Region supported.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK reiterated that there is sharing across regions
for extraordinary events.
MR. MILLS emphasized the need to focus on extending the lifetime
of DOT&PF vehicles, rather than investing in new equipment.
2:04:19 PM
MR. ZIMMERMAN moved to slide 30 and stated that Governor Mike
Dunleavy issued a state of disaster declaration on January 6,
2026, regarding the winter storm events in southeast Alaska. He
described how the state supported Juneau with additional
resources during that time. He moved to slide 31, which showed
a map of avalanche detection surrounding downtown Juneau. He
highlighted the additional staffing resources that the Northern
Region provided Juneau with during its winter storms. He noted
that Thane Road was closed for 93 hours due to avalanche
activity.
2:07:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES said that additional expenses, due to
extreme weather, have been requested in subcommittee meetings,
and urged DOT&PF to alert the committee soon if it needs an
increase.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK agreed that it is good to know needs in
advance.
MR. MILLS responded that the state equipment fleet and
innovations can be brought into future conversations.
2:10:38 PM
CHRISTINE LANGLEY, Division Director, Director of Data
Modernization and Innovation, Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities, moved to slide 32, which showed a screenshot
of the Alaska DOT&PF Avalanche Dashboard. She said that there
were 729 hours of road closures due to avalanches in 2025. She
moved to slide 33, which displayed Doppler radar being used to
detect avalanches. She explained that this technology reports
automatically and she hopes for it to be included in Alaska 511.
She moved to slide 34, which highlighted the infrasound
detection system, which does not require line of sight and has
automated notifications. She continued to slide 35, which
showed the mobile boom whoosh. She explained that this tool
does not require ammunition and uses propane to project a
bulbous of air. She said that it is safer for the public,
recharges in 20 seconds, and will decrease road closure time.
^OVERVIEW(S): Defining Advanced Construction and Federal Aide
Sources
OVERVIEW(S): Defining Advanced Construction and Federal Aide
Sources
2:14:00 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK announced that the final order of business
would be the Defining Advanced Construction and Federal Aide
Sources overview.
2:14:27 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 2:14 p.m. to 2:17 p.m.
2:17:42 PM
DOM PANNONE, Director, Division of Program Management and
Administration, Department of Transportation & Public
Facilities, co-offered an overview, titled "Defining Advanced
Construction and Federal Aide Sources" [hard copy included in
the committee file]. He began on slide 2, which defined advance
construction (AC). He explained that AC allows DOT&PF to begin
a project without committing federal funds immediately, which
can occur later when the budget allows for that. He described
the process of converting an AC project to an obligated federal
project. He said that AC increases project output each year and
allows projects to advance if they are ready to go. He noted
that there are over 30 fund types from the U.S. Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA).
2:20:41 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STUTES asked if AC funds must be used on a
federally approved project.
MR. PANNONE responded that projects using AC must be included in
the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and
adhere to all the same standards as any other federally funded
project.
2:21:28 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a question from Representative Mina,
explained that when DOT&PF submits for AC approval, it indicates
the funding source that it anticipates using in the future. He
said that the project may convert to federal obligations before
there are any expenditures, but expenditures would be reimbursed
if needed.
2:22:57 PM
MR. PANNONE moved to slide 3, which highlighted the major phases
of a transportation construction project. He noted that these
are discreet phases, and that AC is used on a particular,
discreet phase. He reiterated that AC is typically used when a
project is ready to begin and it allows DOT&PF to move funds
based on project availability.
2:24:56 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a question from Co-Chair Carrick,
explained that there are two different uses for AC: within the
year, which gives DOT&PF flexibility in fund usage; and AC
programmed into the STIP, which increases project commitments.
2:27:28 PM
ADAM MOSER, Federal Aide Program Manager, Division of Program
Management and Administration, Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities, provided an example of AC usage. He said
that obligation authority is sometimes limited and that AC is
used in a given fiscal year to move a design phase forward with
the intent to convert funds within the fiscal year.
CO-CHAIR CARRICK confirmed that AC keeps current projects going
and noted that she does have additional questions.
2:29:02 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a series of questions from
Representative Stutes, explained that funds are not associated
with a specific project until they are obligated. He said that
DOT&PF is obligated to complete a phase once funds are obligated
to a project.
MR. MOSER added that once funds are obligated, they are
available until that project is completed or closed. He
clarified that the advantage of using AC on a project is that it
gets a project started, which can then be converted to federal
funds.
2:33:18 PM
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID asked about the disadvantages of using AC.
MR. MILLS responded that future repayment is a potential
downside. He emphasized the department's desire to get projects
on the street and said that leveraging AC allows for follow
through of that goal.
2:34:57 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked if there is any risk to contractors with
the use of AC.
MR. PANNONE responded that paying back AC means reimbursing the
state and there is no difference, risk, or liability for
contractors. He said that DOT&PF faces the decision of when to
pay down AC balance.
MR. MILLS compared AC usage to buying a new car with a loan with
zero percent annual percentage rate (APR).
CO-CHAIR CARRICK stated that she has received feedback that the
state does lose confidence from the contracting community by
using AC.
2:39:33 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a question from Representative
McCabe, said AC does not create problems paying contractors. He
described how DOT&PF pays its bills.
2:41:07 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a series of questions from
Representative Mina, said that, in the decades DOT&PF has used
AC, there has not been a case where it has not received federal
obligation. He explained that the state can only use AC up to
the state's match amount, that there are also AC limits within
the STIP, and that legislative authority is required for a
project itself.
MR. MOSER added that FHWA funds are available for three years
and emphasized that it is important to obligate funds when it is
appropriate to obligate.
2:44:29 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a question from Representative St.
Clair, stated that DOT&PF can only use AC on the federal
portion, and that the state must have the match funds available
at the time of AC use.
2:45:21 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a question from Co-Chair Eischeid,
said that DOT&PF tracks timely contractor payments as a metric
and that late payments are subject to interest. He emphasized
that the department is committed to paying contractors timely so
they can also pay their payrolls.
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID said he would like to know the total interest
paid to contractors due to late payments.
2:48:51 PM
MR. PANNONE moved to slide 4, which provided citations for where
AC resides in laws and federal regulations. He moved to slide
5, which included limitations to implementing AC, from both the
federal and state perspectives. He highlighted that federal
statutory caps on a state's total AC were removed in 1995. He
moved to slide 6, which showed a graph of AC balance over time
since 2004. He noted that in 2006, the AC balance was 200
percent of the annual apportionment.
2:52:11 PM
MR. MILLS, in response to a question from Representative Mina,
stated that he did not know what occurred in 2006 but would
forward that information to the committee.
2:53:42 PM
MR. PANNONE, in response to a series of questions from Co-Chair
Eischeid, stated that DOT&PF receives a single match
appropriation with three allocations in the capital budget. He
said that the millions of dollars for match funding that were
vetoed affected this match amount for AC projects.
2:55:40 PM
CO-CHAIR CARRICK asked if DOT&PF can use funds for that project
on a current project.
MR. PANNONE, in response to a series of questions from Co-Chair
Carrick, explained that DOT&PF must show AC usage in the STIP
and that changes in funding sources require an amendment. He
emphasized that DOT&PF is fiscally constrained within the STIP.
2:59:54 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Transportation Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:59
p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Constrution & Fed Aid.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
|
| DOTPF Winter Weather Operations.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
|
| HB 216 Version A Sectional Analysis.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Slides TRA.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Version A Sponsor Statement.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Supporting Docs AOI Maps.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Version A.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
HB 216 |
| HB 216 Supporting Docs Whittier Resolution.pdf |
HTRA 2/3/2026 1:00:00 PM |
HB 216 |