02/01/1995 01:50 PM Senate CRA

         SENATE COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE                         
                        February 1, 1995                                       
                           1:50 p.m.                                           
                                                                               
  MEMBERS PRESENT                                                              
                                                                               
 Senator John Torgerson, Chairman                                              
 Senator Randy Phillips, Vice Chairman                                         
 Senator Tim Kelly                                                             
 Senator Fred Zharoff                                                          
                                                                               
  MEMBERS ABSENT                                                               
                                                                               
 Senator Lyman Hoffman                                                         
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                           
                                                                               
  -- ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING                                                    
  -- OVERVIEW OF DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY & REGIONAL                            
       AFFAIRS BY COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE MIKE IRWIN                             
                                                                               
  WITNESS REGISTER                                                             
                                                                               
 Mike Irwin, Commissioner Designee                                             
 Department of Community & Regional Affairs                                    
 P.O. Box 112100                                                               
 Juneau, AK 99811-2100                                                         
                                                                               
  ACTION NARRATIVE                                                             
                                                                               
 TAPE 95-1, SIDE A                                                             
 Number 001                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN TORGERSON  called the Senate Community & Regional Affairs           
 Committee meeting to order at 1:50 p.m.  He noted the presence of             
 Senators Kelly, Zharoff and R. Phillips.                                      
                                                                               
 SENATOR KELLY moved and asked unanimous consent that the chairman             
 be given the authorization to file bills on behalf of the                     
 committee.  SENATOR ZHAROFF asked if the committee members would be           
 afforded the opportunity to see the bills before their                        
 introduction.  SENATOR TORGERSON acknowledged the courtesy would be           
 extended to the members.  Hearing no objection, the motion carried.           
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON invited Commissioner Designee Mike Irwin to the             
 table to make his presentation to the committee.                              
                                                                               
 Number 037                                                                    
                                                                               
 COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE IRWIN introduced staff members Mike Cushing             
 and Kim Metcalfe-Helmar, a special assistant who will be the                  
 department's legislative liaison.                                             
 Commissioner Designee Irwin said the Department of Community &                
 Regional Affairs basically has as its mission three main goals:               
 building stronger, healthier communities; strengthening local                 
 economies; and strengthening local governments.  These goals are              
 accomplished through a variety of divisions and programs within the           
 department.                                                                   
 The Division of Administrative Services assists the divisions                 
 within the department in implementing their programs and ensuring             
 that things are being done fiscally correct.  The division works              
 with the Legislative Budget & Audit Committee to make sure that the           
 department is carrying out the intent of the Legislature with the             
 dollars appropriated and the structure provided to them.                      
                                                                               
 The Division of Energy is the rural portions of what was formerly             
 the Alaska Energy Authority.  Commissioner Designee Irwin related             
 that in the few weeks that he has been commissioner, he has spent             
 a lot of time with this division getting up to speed on where it              
 has been, where it is now, and where they think it is going.  He              
 noted there has been concern in the past whether or not the                   
 authority has been integrating into the department as well as it              
 could.  However, he is confident that they can make the division a            
 good, strong functioning piece of their overall delivery program.             
                                                                               
                                                                               
 The Municipal and Regional Assistance Division targets the goal of            
 strengthening local governments by providing assistance to                    
 municipalities throughout the state.  This division is responsible            
 for administering the municipal assistance programs and state                 
 revenue sharing.  Commissioner Designee Irwin said there is concern           
 for  some municipalities that because of their size, with no tax              
 base and with very few dollars coming from the state, they are                
 facing a fiscal crisis of which they have no way out.  The                    
 department will continue to work with these communities in                    
 providing services to them and advocating on their behalf for                 
 having strong local governments.                                              
                                                                               
 The Division of Community & Rural Development oversees a number of            
 human resource and economic development programs such as the Head             
 Start Program, the Day Care Assistance Program, Jobs Training                 
 Partnership Act Program, etc.  This division is one of the key                
 divisions that will be working on Governor Knowles' welfare reform            
 initiative.                                                                   
                                                                               
 Number 160                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON commented that he would be interested in knowing            
 what the department has in mind to handle the fiscal crisis in the            
 smaller communities, separate from SB 20 (ALASKA MUNICIPAL BASIC              
 SERVICES PROGRAM), which is a mechanism that could be used to                 
 alleviate some of the problem.  Also, he is interested in learning            
 how welfare reform will tie into the community and rural                      
 development area.  COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE IRWIN responded that they            
 are working with the other affected agencies to see how, in fact,             
 these various resources can be brought into a more cogent program.            
                                                                               
                                                                               
 Number 185                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR R. PHILLIPS inquired as to the time frame for submitting a            
 welfare reform initiative to the Legislature.  COMMISSIONER                   
 DESIGNEE IRWIN answered that they are targeting March 3 for                   
 bringing their initial proposals to the Legislature.  He added it             
 may be an unrealistic date because it is a very complex issue and             
 a lot of what they can and cannot do hinges on what happens in                
 Washington, D.C. with welfare initiatives at the federal level.               
                                                                               
 Number 200                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR TORGERSON thanked Mr. Irwin for appearing before the                  
 committee and said the committee was looking forward to working               
 with him.                                                                     
                                                                               
 There being no further business to come before the committee, the             
 meeting was adjourned at 2:04 p.m.