Legislature(2021 - 2022)SENATE FINANCE 532
03/29/2022 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Department of Public Safety Fy 23 Budget Overview | |
| Presentation: Hiring Bonuses and Retention Incentives by the Department of Management and Budget | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
March 29, 2022
9:02 a.m.
9:02:13 AM
CALL TO ORDER
Co-Chair Stedman called the Senate Finance Committee
meeting to order at 9:02 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair
Senator Bert Stedman, Co-Chair
Senator Lyman Hoffman
Senator Donny Olson
Senator Bill Wielechowski
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Natasha von Imhof
Senator David Wilson
ALSO PRESENT
Kelly Howell, Special Assistant to the Commissioner,
Department of Public Safety; James Cockrell, Commissioner,
Department of Public Safety; Leon Morgan, Deputy
Commissioner, Department of Public Safety; Dianne Casto,
Executive Director, Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault;
PRESENT VIA TELECONFERENCE
SUMMARY
PRESENTATION: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FY 23 BUDGET
OVERVIEW
PRESENTATION: HIRING BONUSES and RETENTION INCENTIVES BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT and BUDGET
^PRESENTATION: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FY 23 BUDGET
OVERVIEW
9:06:05 AM
Co-Chair Stedman stressed that masks would be worn in the
room to protect the members from COVID-19. He asserted that
the committee members needed to be healthy and present to
complete work on the budget on time. He reminded the
presenters to avoid the use of acronyms and to explain the
presentation simply.
9:07:43 AM
KELLY HOWELL, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE COMMISSIONER,
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, introduced herself. She noted
that she had worked with co-chair staff to craft the
presentation.
9:08:28 AM
JAMES COCKRELL, COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY,
introduced himself. He shared that the budgetary focus for
the department was statutory requirements, departmental
priorities, administrative priorities, rural support, and
revitalizing the Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO)
program. He relayed that because the budget should meet the
demands of the department, while exploring ways to better
utilize resources and better communicate with citizens,
there were budget requests for Tribal Liaisons for VPSO and
troopers, as well as Victim Witness Coordinators for major
areas of the state.
9:10:09 AM
Senator Hoffman recalled a specific case of public safety
in his district from May 2020 and remarked that the people
wanted closure on the issue. He said that survivors of the
incident could not move on with their practical lives
because of lack of information and communication from the
department. He lamented that individuals in rural Alaska
had very limited resources and deserved every opportunity
to get closure without hitting a bureaucratic wall when
dealing with the department. He wanted the issue look into
and for help to be provided to the survivors so they could
move on with their lives.
9:13:04 AM
Co-Chair Stedman asked that the information be provided to
the committee.
9:13:19 AM
Commissioner Cockrell agreed to examine the situation. He
said that it was a priority for the department to provide
more support in rural Alaska.
9:14:42 AM
Co-Chair Stedman felt that the subject could be addressed
at the appropriate time in the presentation.
9:14:57 AM
Ms. Howell discussed the presentation, "Department of
Public Safety; FY2023 Budget Overview; Senate Finance
Committee; March 29, 2022" (copy on file). She pointed to
slide 2, "Department of Public Safety; FY2023 Budget
Overview; Senate Finance Committee; March 29, 2022." She
shared that the slide had been prepared by the Legislative
Finance division (LFD) and provided a ten-year lookback for
the departments operating budget. She said that the FY 23
budget request reflected a 15 percent increase over
previous years. She mentioned that $9.7 million of the
increase was due to the transfer of the Alaska Public
Safety Communication Services from the Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to the Department of
Public Safety (DPS). She said the majority of the budget
was funded undesignated general funds (UGF) at 77 percent,
followed by federal funds at 15 percent.
9:15:58 AM
Co-Chair Stedman asked for an explanation of the increase
in the FY 20 management plan.
9:16:09 AM
Ms. Howell replied that the department had an increase in
UGF from FY 19 to FY 20 due to the addition of several
positions and an increase in federal funds. She thought
that the increased federal funds could be associated with
the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
9:16:44 AM
Co-Chair Stedman remarked that request had gone from $161
million in FY 19 to $212 million in FY 23.
9:17:01 AM
Ms. Howell agreed.
9:17:06 AM
Co-Chair Stedman hoped that the presentation would explain
the growth within the agency. He did not suggest the growth
was unwarranted but hoped for more background on the
current request.
9:17:23 AM
Ms. Howell stressed that the growth between FY 20 and FY 23
had been from additional positions added in FY 21 combined
with the federal funding. She stated that the department
was recovering from prior budget reductions and was working
to regrow the department to past levels.
9:18:06 AM
Co-Chair Stedman questioned the accuracy of that statement.
He noted that UGF was flat at $164 million from FY 13
through to FY 19. He wondered whether there were numbers
indicating that the department had ever been at $212
million.
9:18:31 AM
Ms. Howell clarified that the department was trying to
regain prior levels as well as increase growth with the
addition of new positions, new programs to bolster services
to rural Alaska, and shifting some work from troopers to
civilian staff within the department.
9:19:13 AM
Co-Chair Stedman clarified that there had been budget
reductions in several agencies and the University, while
there had been growth in the budgets for DPS and the
Department of Corrections (DOC).
9:19:43 AM
Ms. Howell looked at slide 3, "Appropriations within
Department of Public Safety." She related that the slide
had been prepared by LFD and showed the department's
allocations over the past 10 years. The top red line
represented Alaska State Trooper appropriation and was the
biggest portion of the budget at $166.2 million or 66
percent. She relayed that the Statewide Support
appropriation was 18 percent of the budget; followed by the
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
9:20:31 AM
Ms. Howell addressed slide 4, "State Trooper Budgeted
Position History." She said that between FY 16 and FY 19
the department lost over 40 trooper positions; the request
for an additional 17 positions in FY 23 will result in a
gain of 37 positions. She stated that the chart broke down
the troopers between the Alaska Wildlife Division and the
Alaska State Trooper Division. The total of the two
divisions in FY 22 excluded 17 funded State Trooper Recruit
positions, because the legislature had added funding for
those positions in FY 21. She relayed that there were 402
positions between the two divisions combined.
9:22:04 AM
Senator Hoffman wondered how many of the 17 positions were
off the road system.
9:22:09 AM
Ms. Howell replied that those positions were at the academy
in Sitka and were placeholders for new recruits as they
entered the training program. Once training was complete,
they were transferred into a different position.
9:22:35 AM
Senator Hoffman asked how many of the 17 positions would be
placed off the road system once they completed training.
9:22:48 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that once the student
graduated from the academy, they went to one of three
places for training: Soldotna, Mat-Su Valley, or Fairbanks.
After a two-year probationary period, they could request to
be placed in rural Alaska. He said that there were 73
positions to serve Kotzebue to Kodiak, down to the Bristol
Bay region.
9:24:01 AM
Co-Chair Stedman understood that the question would be
addressed further in the presentation.
9:24:27 AM
Co-Chair Bishop queried the attrition rate at the academy.
9:24:36 AM
Commissioner Cockrell agreed to provide that information.
9:24:54 AM
Ms. Howell clarified that none of the numbers included in
the 17 recruits. She pointed to slide 5, "State Trooper Job
Class Series." The slide showed how the positions were
allocated within each budget allocation, as well as the job
class title and the division. She reiterated that the
Alaska State Trooper Detachments allocation was the
largest.
9:26:25 AM
Co-Chair Stedman wondered where the commissioner and deputy
commissioner in the table on slide 5 would be located.
9:26:39 AM
Ms. Howell responded that the two positions would be
budgeted in the Statewide Services allocation under the
Commissioners Office, as well as the two colonels that
directed the division.
9:26:57 AM
Co-Chair Stedman understood that the slide contained the
worker bees in the division.
9:27:20 AM
Ms. Howell agreed.
9:27:23 AM
Senator Hoffman wondered about the Statewide Drug and
Alcohol Enforcement Unit. He noted the connection between
crime in rural Alaska and the use of alcohol and drugs. He
queried the accomplishments of the unit as the problem was
persistent in rural areas of the state.
9:28:11 AM
Co-Chair Stedman thought the presenter could give a brief
history of the matter and provide further written detail
later. He thought that the unit had made some progress in
Southeast Alaska in the previous years.
9:28:32 AM
Commissioner Cockrell directed committee attention to the
departments annual Drug Report. He said that drug
investigators were stationed throughout the state; 3
investigators were stationed in Bethel. He said that the
department was engaged in drug seizures throughout eh state
includeing being members of several Task Forces.
9:29:20 AM
Co-Chair Stedman hoped for more detail broken down by
region.
9:29:23 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied in the affirmative.
9:29:30 AM
Ms. Howell discussed slide 6, "State Trooper Job Class."
The slide showed the positions by allocation, vacant
positions within each allocation, and where new PCNs were
being requested. She relayed that FY 22 budgeted PCNs
totaled 419; total vacant PCNs was 67. The overall vacancy
rate was 16 percent. New PCN requests were as follows:
Alaska State Trooper Detachments, 12; Aircraft Section, 2;
Alaska Wildlife Troopers, 3.
9:30:27 AM
Co-Chair Stedman asked whether the vacancy number was
normal for the department.
9:30:42 AM
LEON MORGAN, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY, replied that the vacancy rate was high, but the
department felt positive that positions would be filled.
9:31:20 AM
Co-Chair Stedman wondered about historical vacancy rates.
9:31:40 AM
Deputy Commissioner Morgan agreed to provide that
information to the committee. He expressed hope to bring
the vacancy rate into the single digits.
Co-Chair Stedman shared that there would always be a
vacancy rate, generally 5 or 6 percent, a zero-vacancy rate
did not exist, and that single digits were optimal.
9:32:38 AM
Co-Chair Bishop wondered whether the retention factors were
increasing or decreasing. He wondered whether the state was
losing trained staff to the Lower 48 states.
9:33:02 AM
Deputy Commissioner Morgan replied that improvements in the
environment had helped with retention but burn out was
still a problem with troopers and VPSOs.
9:34:11 AM
Senator Wielechowski spoke of bills currently cycling
through the legislature to return to a defined benefit. He
wondered whether a defined benefit would have an impact on
recruitment and retention in his department.
9:34:32 AM
Deputy Commissioner Morgan replied that goo retirement
packages were important. He said he could not comment on
specific legislation.
9:35:07 AM
Ms. Howell displayed slide 7, "Trooper Vacancy Factor
Information Detachments Allocation." The slide
illustrated the number positions by location, and broke FY
22 management plan down by budgeted PCNs, vacant PCNs, and
actual vacancy rate. Figures for FY 23 included new
position requests and gov FY 23 new PCN cost once filled.
She noted that of the 242 positions, the most troopers were
in Fairbanks. She said that there was a 12.4 vacancy rate
within the detachments allocation, 12 new positions were
requested with an estimated const of $3 million. She stated
that the budgeted vacancy factor for the trooper detachment
allocation was 6.9 percent, with a 12.4 vacancy rate there
was excess personal services in the allocation. She said
that the department had the ability to shift fund amongst
the personal services line within the trooper
appropriation.
9:37:18 AM
Co-Chair Bishop asked for a map of the coverage of areas in
the state.
9:37:41 AM
Senator Hoffman noted that, of the twelve requested
positions, ten were in Wasilla and Palmer. He wondered
whether that was because those areas had the highest crime
rate.
9:38:08 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that the positions were to
provide more support for troopers currently stationed in
those areas. He shared that the jurisdiction was immense,
and more troopers were needed to respond to all the calls.
He said that once those areas were settled, then more
troopers could be placed in rural areas of the state. He
lamented that lack of adequate housing for troopers in
rural Alaska kept the department from placing troopers in
those communities.
9:39:07 AM
Senator Hoffman remarked that housing had been built in
Bethel over ten years ago. He argued that the Yukon
Kuskoquim Delta (YK Delta) was twice the size of the
Palmer/Wasilla area and contained 56 villages, many of
which did not have even a VPSO presence. He contended that
the new request allocation should consider the statewide
perspective and the need for additional troopers in the YK
Delta.
9:40:30 AM
Senator Wielechowski wondered whether the department had
received funding for rural trooper housing in FY 22.
9:40:43 AM
Co-Chair Stedman asked that the answer include rolling in
of the federal money available
9:41:04 AM
Ms. Howell responded that she could get back to the
committee on the issue of rural trooper housing. She said
that any federal dollars were being managed by the
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
(DCCD). She said that communities that had had received
funds were working with DCCD to overcome federal
requirements for constructing housing. She said that the
federal rules regarding environmental impacts was slowing
the work.
9:42:40 AM
Co-Chair Stedman shared that the staff would reach out to
DCCD for a written response to the issue.
9:43:04 AM
Senator Hoffman noted that U.S. Attorney General Barr has
written a scathing report on the conditions and lack of
services in rural Alaska. He said that Wasilla, Palmer, and
Soldotna were not mentioned anywhere in the report.
9:44:26 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that he agreed that there
were great needs in rural Alaska. He stressed that law
enforcement presence in rural Alaska had been a problem
since statehood. He assured the committee that the
department was working to address the problem. He
reiterated that the biggest limitation facing the
department was housing in rural Alaska. He said that
criminal investigators had been assigned in Bethel and
Nome. He recognized that the crime rates in rural Alaska
were staggering. He said that a crime scene technician was
being placed in Bethel.
9:46:11 AM
Senator Hoffman said that in the YK Delta the housing issue
had been addressed by additional funds being put into the
budget by administration, which led to bids on construction
and the houses being built. He felt that the same thing
could happen in Bristol Bay and Norton Sound. He felt that
the problem and solution had already been identified and
wondered why the problem was not being solved.
9:47:17 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that there were housing units
in Kotzebue that were leased and the housing in Bethel was
at capacity. He said that housing was needed in Saint
Michaels, Emmonak, Hooper Bay, and Ambler. He stressed that
troopers could not be placed in those areas without
housing. He added that troopers should not be responding
from the larger hubs because weather could be an issue,
leaving VPSOs to hold the scene until troopers arrived. He
said that stationing troopers in rural Alaska would cost
money and could not happen without the support of the
administration and the legislature.
9:48:36 AM
Senator Olson spoke of the department's response to a
recent fire in his district and thanked the commissioner
for his service to that community.
9:49:02 AM
Senator Wielechowski surmised that the report from LFD
showed that the department reallocated $325 thousand from
rural trooper housing to a different area in the budget.
9:49:30 AM
Ms. Howell replied that was correct. She explained that the
rural trooper housing allocation was funding that the
department used to pay for rural trooper housing leases and
received funding through rental payments made by troopers
under their collective bargaining agreements. She said that
transfer of funds out of that allocation into another
allocation under the state troopers appropriation was made
to balance expenditures and revenue. She said that it was
possible that the transfers would need to reoccur again in
the coming fiscal year.
9:50:14 AM
Co-Chair Bishop requested that the department provide the
committee with the ten-year strategic plan for trooper
housing in rural Alaska.
9:50:34 AM
Commissioner Cockrell agreed to provide the information. He
added several examples of the difficulty the department
faced when trying to procure trooper housing in rural
Alaska.
9:51:31 AM
Co-Chair Stedman reiterated that the budgeted vacancy
factor was 6.9 percent, and the actual was 12 percent. He
requested further clarification on how funds were handled
to reflect the difference in percentage.
9:51:34 AM
Ms. Howell replied that the difference between the budgeted
and the actual vacancy factors was approximately $2.8
million and were personal services funds currently
allocated to unfilled positions. The funds would be used
for unanticipated responses to law enforcement expenses as
well as position transfer expenses due to geographic
differentials.
9:53:11 AM
Co-Chair Stedman spoke of budgeting challenges and wondered
about funding for new positions. He struggled with the fact
that there was no funding in place for the 12 additional
positions.
9:54:52 AM
Ms. Howell responded that the 12 positions were currently
in the budget with no funding. She relayed that full
funding would be requested in a supplemental once the
positions were filled.
9:55:50 AM
Co-Chair Stedman expressed distaste for supplemental budget
requests. He wondered whether there was room in the vacancy
factor to absorb the expense. He noted 30 unfilled but
funded positions currently within the department.
9:57:02 AM
Ms. Howell thought that it would be challenging to absorb
the expense if all the positions were filled. She said that
if the vacancy rate remained the same the department could
move money to cover the cost of the positions to the extent
possible. She stressed that the goal was to get the vacancy
rate reduced and the trooper positions filled.
Co-Chair Stedman asked about where the new troopers would
be placed in the state. He thought there were areas in the
state that could afford their own police department, which
could free up resources for communities that could not
afford law enforcement.
9:58:41 AM
Commissioner Cockrell stated that the department could not
dictate where services were provided. He said that there
were areas that had statutory and constitutional
requirement for trooper placement. He recalled that in the
past troopers had been moved from urban to rural areas of
the state and the troopers had quit, due to overwork. He
said that there had to be a consensus among policy makers
to decide the best direction for the state. He offered an
option of giving the department the ability to contract out
like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) did in
Whitehorse.
10:00:48 AM
Commissioner Cockrell concluded his remarks.
Co-Chair Stedman asked if the legislature made a policy
call pertaining to affordability of contracting troopers -
he wondered how many law enforcement officers that would
make available for rural areas.
Commissioner Cockrell admitted that there was not an area
of the state that DPS provided adequate protection for the
public. He stressed that if the department was going to
continue to provide support to the state, they would need
more budgetary support from the legislature. He lamented
that rural Alaska had been neglected for law enforcement
since statehood.
10:03:19 AM
Co-Chair Stedman spoke of funding through property taxes
and the equity issue that practice created in rural Alaska.
10:04:08 AM
Senator Hoffman asked about the issue of moving troopers
from Kenai to rural Alaska. He said that when there were no
troopers in rural Alaska - there was no law enforcement
readily available. He thought that the idea of moving a few
troopers from urban to rural areas was a good idea for the
protection of rural Alaskans. He argued that all Alaskans
deserved protection. He reminded the commissioner of his
responsibility to protect all Alaskans.
10:07:12 AM
Ms. Howell pointed to slide 8, "FY 2023 Significant
Operating Budget Requests." The slide listed
appropriations/allocations, description of the request, the
amount of requested funding, and the number of PCNs
associated with each request:
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Dispatch Services (new
allocation)
Description
Add Funding for Dispatch Services Contract with Kenai
Peninsula Borough
Funding
$1,819.4 UGF
PCNs
0
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/AST Detachments
Description
Add Troopers in Anchorage (1), Tok (1), Palmer (5),
Wasilla (5), and Public Safety Technicians in Juneau
(1) and Soldotna (1)
Funding
$0.0
PCNs
14 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/AST Detachments
Description
Expand AST In-Car Video Storage Services
Funding
$631.5 UGF
PCNs
0
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/AST Detachments
Description
Add Full Funding for New FY2021 Filled Positions
Funding
$631.0 UGF
PCNs
0
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/AST Detachments
Description
Funding to Establish Office Space in Togiak and Hooper
Bay
Funding
$200.0 UGF
PCNs
0
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/AST Detachments
Description
Add Positions to Address Domestic Violence, Sexual
Assault, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons
Funding
$818.8 UGF
PCNs
7 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/AST Detachments
Description
Add Four Criminal Justice Technician Positions
Funding
$404.4 UGF
PCNs
4 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Bureau of Investigation
Description
Add Two Office Assistant Positions and Two Criminal
Justice Technician Positions
Funding
$395.5 UGF
PCNs
4 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Bureau of Investigation
Description
Add Two Criminal Intelligence Analyst Positions in the
Technical Crimes Unit Digital Forensics Lab
Funding
$234.9 UGF
PCNs
2 PFT
She listed each request and provided a description and
funding number. She emphasized that much of the work listed
in the details was currently being done by troopers but
could be done by civilians, which would free up troopers to
respond public safety services.
10:10:58 AM
Senator Wielechowski understood that Kenai Peninsula was an
organized borough that could pay for its own services. He
surmised that Kenai wanted to charge the state $1.8 million
for troopers to provide public safety for the area.
10:11:46 AM
Deputy Commissioner Morgan replied in the affirmative.
10:12:13 AM
Senator Olson wondered how an organized borough with the
tax base to fund its own public safety coverage would have
such a large request. He wondered whether there were any
alternatives to the request that would be less financially
impactful to the state budget.
10:12:48 AM
Deputy Commissioner Morgan replied that there was no
immediate alternative. He said that the conversation
concerning consolidating trooper dispatch was an important
one. He stated that there had been a plan in the past to
have a facility in Southern Alaska, but due to legislative
intent language, and the inability of the executive branch
to institute a working group, the plan had been halted.
10:13:53 AM
Senator Olson remarked that if the borough was mandated to
supply their own public safety, then what kept the
department from pulling troopers from the area.
10:14:37 AM
Deputy Commissioner Morgan replied that pulling troopers
from the area would be catastrophic to the people in the
area.
10:15:34 AM
Senator Olson contended that in the absence of state
troopers, Kenai could rely on law enforcement within the
municipality.
Deputy Commissioner Morgan replied in the affirmative.
10:15:55 AM
Senator Hoffman thought that other organized boroughs in
the state would follow suit with Kenai and demand state
funded troopers even though they could afford to provide
their own law enforcement. He wondered how the department
would say no to one borough and yes to another. He pointed
out that there were communities in the state that had no
public safety services at all while the department
considered funding over $1 million in dispatch services for
Kenai. He argued that this was wrong public policy, and
that the department should revisit the request.
10:17:25 AM
Senator Olson stressed that the legislature should send the
message, by not honoring the Kenai request, that public
safety dollars should be spread more equitably throughout
the state.
10:18:40 AM
Ms. Howell addressed slide 9, "Trooper Vacancy Factor
Information Alaska Wildlife Troopers Allocation" The
slide showed the top 6 locations where positions were
currently based, the number of vacancies in those areas,
and the actual vacancy rate. The department had requested
three positions: Yakutat (1), Saint Marys (1), and Galena
(1). She said that the wildlife troopers were under their
budgeted vacancy factor at 6.4 percent.
10:19:16 AM
Co-Chair Stedman wondered how the requested positions would
be funded.
10:19:28 AM
Ms. Howell replied that that department had the discretion
to transfer funds in the personal services line from other
allocations within the state trooper appropriation. She
said should the department need those funds to cover the
position costs, the department would attempt to absorb the
costs through transfers from other allocations.
10:19:54 AM
Co-Chair Stedman wondered whether the ability to move funds
around to fund new positions not previously budgeted for
meant that there was too much slop in the budget. He
added that, conversely, there was the issue of unwelcome
supplemental requests.
10:20:17 AM
Ms. Howell looked at slide 10, "FY 2023 Significant
Operating Budget Requests." The slide detailed the FY 23
request for the Alaska Wildlife Trooper Division:
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Wildlife Troopers
Description
Add Alaska Wildlife Trooper Positions in St. Mary's
(1),
Galena (1), and Yakutat (1)
Funding
$0.0
PCNs
3 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Wildlife Troopers
Description
Add Funding for Public Safety Technician Time Status
Change
Funding
$369.4 UGF
PCNs
6 PFT
(6) PPT
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Wildlife Troopers
Aircraft Section
Description
Add Two State Trooper Tactical Flight Officers and One
Aircraft Pilot
Funding
$614.2 UGF
PCNs
3 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Wildlife Troopers
Aircraft Section
Description
Add Funding for Aircraft Maintenance and Repairs
Funding
$1,800.0 UGF
PCNs
0
Appropriation/Allocation
Alaska State Troopers/Alaska Wildlife Troopers Marine
Enforcement
Description
Add Funding for Large and Medium Vessel Fuel and Parts
Funding
$500.0 UGF -
PCNs
0
10:21:01 AM
Co-Chair Bishop queried the job description of a Tactical
Flight Officer.
10:21:11 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that the Tactical Fight
Officer was a commissioned Alaska State Trooper position
that provided watch for operations, specifically
surveillance camera operations. The position lessened the
need to pull support resources from patrol.
10:22:07 AM
Co-Chair Bishop asked about the $1,800.0 request for
aircraft funding and wondered whether it was connected to
the Capital Budget request for two potential aircraft.
10:22:30 AM
Ms. Howell replied that the $1.8 million request was to
cover cost increases for fuel and parts, as well as
increased in flight hours for existing aircraft. The money
will also fund addition training for pilots.
10:22:59 AM
Co-Chair Bishop understood that the capital request was
tied to the operating request.
10:23:04 AM
Senator Hoffman wondered where in the state the part-time
public safety technician positions would be located.
10:23:24 AM
Ms. Howell replied that she would get back to the committee
with the information.
10:24:21 AM
Senator Olson asked about a Galena Wildlife Trooper named
Brad Stratton.
10:24:42 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that he was following up on
the matter. He said that there was not a trooper assigned
to Galena and someone form Anchorage was usually sent
there.
10:24:59 AM
Ms. Howell pointed to slide 11, "Village Public Safety
Officer Program." She relayed that the slide captured the
VPSO funding and filled positions, by fiscal year. She
shared that the blue part of the graph reflected the total
appropriations for the VPSO program, the red bars showed
the grants allocated out to the 10 regional corporations,
the green lined showed the VPSO positions filled as of
st
December 31 of each fiscal year. She said that the FY 23
request included funding to support up to 65 VPSOs, 10 more
that was currently funded.
10:26:27 AM
Ms. Howell addressed slide 12, "VPSO / Trooper Hourly Rate
Comparison." She stressed that it was challenging to make
comparisons between the two job classes. She noted that
VPSO were not employees of the department or the state,
rather they were the grantees for which the department
provided funding. She stated that the current VPSO starting
hourly rate was $30.79 per hour. She noted that the FY 23
request would bring that hourly rate to $32.79 per hour.
She relayed that the trooper base hourly rate was $36.04,
increasing with geographic differentials established under
collective bargaining agreements.
10:27:39 AM
Senator Hoffman remarked that in the past it had been noted
that troopers would relocate to rural areas to log 3 to 5
high differential years for retirement purposes. He
wondered whether the department monitored such actions to
control the retirement budget.
10:28:22 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that there was a time when
Tier 1 and Tier 2 troopers transferred to rural Alaska to
get their high 3 or high 5 years. He said that currently
most of the tropers in rural Alaska were young and not near
retirement age. He shared that there was a bid system in
place that would place troopers closer to retirement age in
rural areas based on seniority. He did not consider the
issue to be a current problem.
10:29:36 AM
Ms. Howell looked at slide 13, "FY 2023 Significant
Operating Budget Requests." The slide reflected the
requests for the VPSO appropriation:
Appropriation/Allocation
Village Public Safety Officer (VPSO) Program/VPSO
Program
Description
Add a Tribal Liaison Position
Funding
$125.5 UGF
PCNs
1 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
VPSO Program/VPSO Program
Description
Add Funding for Ten Village Public Safety Officers
Funding
$2,328.0 UGF
PCNs
0
Appropriation/Allocation
VPSO Program/VPSO Program
Description
Village Public Safety Officer 5% Salary Increase
Funding
$671.6 UGF
PCNs
0
10:30:26 AM
Senator Olson asked whether any of the increases were part
of the VPSO working group recommendations.
10:30:37 AM
Ms. Howell replied that the salary increases were due to a
recommendation from the working group. She added that the
departments commissioner had prioritized the Tribal
liaison position to promote the department's image and
service to rural Alaska.
Senator Olson was in favor of the Tribal liaison position.
10:31:16 AM
Co-Chair Bishop wondered whether the Tribal liaison
position would be filled by a person with working knowledge
of rural Alaska and the VPSO program.
10:31:31 AM
Commissioner Cockrell said that it was his intent that the
person be knowledgeable of the Tribes throughout the state.
He said that ultimately, he would like to establish a
Tribal Affairs Office within the department. He admitted
that the department had done poorly in the past
communicating with Tribes when allocating resources to
rural Alaska.
10:32:57 AM
AT EASE
10:35:28 AM
RECONVENED
10:35:36 AM
Co-Chair Stedman announced that the meeting would continue
in the afternoon to discuss bonuses and retention.
10:36:12 AM
Ms. Howell pointed to slide 14, "CDVSA FY 2021 - FY 2024
Available Grant Funding." The slide showed the FY 21
through FY 24 available grant funding that the Council on
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault had awarded to
different programs.
Ms. Howell looked at slide 15, "CDVSA FY 2021 - FY 2024
Available Grant Funding." The graph showed the increase in
federal funding received for each program and the
subsequent drop in those funds. She said that in FY 22
there had been a significant drop in Victims of Crime Act
(VOCA) funds received by the council. She stated that the
department requested, and received, funding through the
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CSLFRF)
to backfill the amount of funding lost through VOCA, which
enabled CDVSA to keep programs as whole as possible.
10:38:21 AM
Co-Chair Stedman asked the presenters to limit the use of
acronyms.
Ms. Howell stated that Diane Casto, Executive Director,
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Department
of Public Safety was available for questions. She related
that the last two bars on the graph showed the projected
amounts for FY 23 and FY 24 that the council would be able
to award to programs. She noted the $3.5 million request
for receipt authority for the CSLFRF fund in FY 23. She
pointed to the note at the bottom of the slide:
$5,000.0 in congressionally directed spending expected
before October 2022
10:40:05 AM
Co-Chair Stedman wondered whether other federal monies or
federal appropriation bills could pass that would help to
fund the programs.
10:40:09 AM
Ms. Howell replied that a federal VOCA fix bill had been
signed and would help to recapitalize the VOCA fund. She
lamented that the timeline for seeing increased federal
funding would be quite long.
10:40:47 AM
Co-Chair Stedman warned that the federal coronavirus
funding would wane. He wondered how the state should
prepare for the transition away from the federal
coronavirus dollars and back to running the programs on a
more normal budget.
10:41:41 AM
Ms. Howell replied that one action would be to gradually
reduce the amount in awards distributed by the council. She
deferred to Ms. Casto.
10:42:01 AM
Co-Chair Stedman invited Ms. Casto to the table.
10:42:31 AM
DIANNE CASTO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COUNCIL ON DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, stated that the council had
struggled with the questions. The decrease in VOCA funds
had been noted. She stressed that although it seemed that
programs had been built using limited VOCA funds the
programs were critical for victims of domestic violence and
sexual assault. She pointed to the FY 21 and FY 22 funding
where funding had been reduced by $1 million, She stated
that once the council knew that federal funding would be
reduced it reduced grant awards by 5 percent. She said that
the administration had chosen to give back the $1 million
through the federal Coronavirus dollars, which meant that
all grantees received their grants but not through the
council. She recognized that on an economic level the funds
needed to be reduced but on a humanitarian level these
services were vital for survivors. She shared that the fund
that paid out awards under VOCA was diminished and would
not rebound for several years. She relayed that the amount
of federal dollars received in 2018 was an anomaly.
10:46:25 AM
Co-Chair Stedman thought that the committee was interested
in not building a budget on $101/bbl. He said that a
mechanism would be established to deal with excess revenue.
He hoped that the council did not expect the budget would
be crafted using $101/bbl oil. He warned against relying on
the state to supplant federal dollars.
10:47:34 AM
Co-Chair Bishop noted the three targeted program areas. He
wondered how much money was spent on prevention and
education in the state, citing the Choose Respect
campaign from previous years.
10:48:28 AM
Ms. Casto understood the question and agreed that there
should be a balance between services for victims and
education and prevention. She pointed to the designated
general fund (DGF) line on the slide. She relayed that the
passage of SB 91 in 2017 had allowed the council $2 million
specifically for prevention efforts. She said that the
federal dollars could be used for prevention services but
most of the fund went to victims services.
10:49:58 AM
Co-Chair Bishop agreed.
10:50:13 AM
Ms. Howell discussed slide 16, "FY 2023 Significant
Operating Budget Requests." The slide provided the
operating request for the CDVSA:
Appropriation/Allocation
Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
(CDVSA)/CDVSA
Description
Add One-Time Funding for Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault Victim Services Grants
Funding
$3,500.0 Fed
PCNs
0
Appropriation/Allocation
CDVSA/CDVSA
Description
Add Two Program Coordinator Positions to Manage Victim
Services and Perpetrator Intervention Programs
Funding
$93.2 Fed
$193.2 UGF
PCNs
2 PFT
Appropriation/Allocation
CDVSA/CDVSA
Description
One-Time Funding for Alaska Family Justice Center
Model
Study
Funding
$500.0 UGF
PCNs
0
10:51:09 AM
Senator Wielechowski understood that the other body had cut
the funding for the $500,000 request to $200,000. He
wondered whether the department would be able to conduct
the study with the deduced funds.
10:51:20 AM
Ms. Howell replied that that DPS did not have a robust
enough estimate of the true cost. She shared that the other
body had reduced the request and reallocated the $300,000
for grants. She said that the guidance from the other body
was that if additional funding was needed for the study the
department could transfer the money back.
10:51:59 AM
Co-Chair Stedman noted that the proposed FY 23 budget
listed 233 additional employees across the state, 229 minus
the Court System and the Legislature. He expressed concern
about adding employees in a budget built on too high of an
oil price.
10:52:57 AM
Ms. Howell pointed to slide 17, "FY2022 Supplemental
Capital Budget Request (All $ in Thousands)":
? Aircraft Purchase and Replacement, $6,000.0 UGF
? AST Unmanned Aerial System, $450.0 UGF
? AWT Medium-Class Vessel Replacement, $1,800.0 UGF
? Body Worn Camera Initiative, $4,524.3 UGF
? Mobile and Handheld Radio Replacement, $3,728.3 UGF
? VPSO Law Enforcement Program Support, $2,980.0 UGF
10:53:31 AM
Co-Chair Stedman wondered whether any of the requests were
in previous capital budgets and subsequently vetoed by the
governor. He contended that there had been numerous items
in the past that had been included in the Capital Budget at
the administrations request and then vetoed by the
governor.
10:53:54 AM
Ms. Howell replied that she did not know if any of the
requests had been previously vetoed. She offered to provide
the information to the committee.
10:54:08 AM
Senator Olson asked for an example of the last bullet point
on the slide, VPSO Law Enforcement Program Support.
10:54:27 AM
Ms. Howell replied that the department had consulted with
the ten VPSO grantee employers to assess their needs. The
request would cover a building heating system in Angoon,
and other housing repairs and refurbishments. She listed a
variety of needs that had been requested.
10:55:20 AM
Co-Chair Stedman remarked that the request was a
supplemental request from FY 22 and there were ample funds
being considered in the FY 23 budget. He said that the
committee would consider funding the items in the FY 23
budget and did not believe that the items should be in the
supplemental request.
10:56:20 AM
Ms. Howell looked at slide 18, "FY2023 Capital Budget
Request (All $ in Thousands)":
? Law Enforcement Off Highway Vehicle Replacement,
$750.0
UGF
? Marine Fisheries Patrol Improvements, $1,200.0 Fed
10:57:02 AM
Co-Chair Stedman hoped that the department had fuel
calculations in their budget to make sure that the troopers
had the ability to use their fleet to do enforcement and
patrol of fisheries and game hunting. He stressed that the
oil price had change since the budget had been crafted.
10:57:28 AM
Commissioner Cockrell replied that that there was major
concern with the vessel and aircraft fuel prices forcing
the department to scale back its operations.
10:57:51 AM
Co-Chair Stedman said that the commissioner should let the
committee know what a reasonable request would be. He
worried about the trooper's ability to respond and said
that there was no interest in having troopers inactive
because of the cost of gasoline. He reiterated that the
department should ask for what they needed regarding
funding for vessel and aircraft fuel.
Co-Chair Bishop thanked the department for their work on
catching an arsonist in Fairbanks.
^PRESENTATION: HIRING BONUSES and RETENTION INCENTIVES BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT and BUDGET
10:58:40 AM
Co-Chair Stedman stated that the presentation would be
heard that afternoon.
11:00:03 AM
RECESSED
ADJOURNMENT
11:00:03 AM
The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 032922 DPS Budget Overview SFIN Presentation 03.29.22.pdf |
SFIN 3/29/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| 032922 AG BU Bonus Legal Memo LAW L12 Replacement 032322 (002).pdf |
SFIN 3/29/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| 032922 Leg Legal Bonuses to Public Employees in the Executive Branch Memo.pdf |
SFIN 3/29/2022 9:00:00 AM |
|
| 032922 OMB Presentation Recruitment Incentive LOAs.pdf |
SFIN 3/29/2022 9:00:00 AM |