09/08/2008 01:30 PM Senate RULES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
                SENATE RULES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                               
                       September 8, 2008                                                                                        
                           1:31 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Gary Stevens, Chair                                                                                                     
Senator Lyda Green, Vice Chair                                                                                                  
Senator Johnny Ellis                                                                                                            
Senator John Cowdery                                                                                                            
Senator Gene Therriault                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
All members present                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Chamber contract approval                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
No previous action to record                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
KARLA SCHOFIELD, Deputy Director                                                                                                
Legislative Administrative Services                                                                                             
Legislative Affairs Agency                                                                                                      
Juneau, AK                                                                                                                      
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained abatement project.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DON JOHNSTON, Building Manager                                                                                                  
Legislative Administrative Services                                                                                             
Legislative Affairs Agency                                                                                                      
Juneau, AK                                                                                                                      
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained abatement project in more detail.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY STEVENS called the Senate Rules Standing Committee                                                                 
meeting to order at 1:31:53 PM. Present at the call to order                                                                  
were Senators Therriault, Cowdery, Ellis, Green and Stevens.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
^Chamber contract approval                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  STEVENS  explained  that  as the  wiring  project  in  the                                                               
chambers  was  being  completed,   the  workers  came  upon  some                                                               
asbestos, which  ground their project  to a halt. He  asked Karla                                                               
Schofield, to explain the situation further.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:32:04 PM                                                                                                                    
KARLA  SCHOFIELD,  Deputy  Director,  Legislative  Administrative                                                               
Services, Legislative  Affairs Agency,  reported that  the agency                                                               
has  several projects  happening  on the  second  floor and  both                                                               
chambers  this interim.  While demolition  was  happening in  the                                                               
chambers, workers  came upon  a small  amount of  asbestos, which                                                               
happens  sometimes in  old buildings.  It requires  a specialized                                                               
abatement contractor  and that  project needs  to be  done before                                                               
the  lighting,  fire  alarm  sprinkler   system  and  wiring  can                                                               
continue.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SCHOFIELD  explained  that the  agency  used  the  practical                                                               
competition procurement, which is  in the Legislative Procurement                                                               
Code, and  found two  companies in Southeast  that could  do this                                                               
work. They got two bids  and the lower was Absolute Environmental                                                               
Services, so she was seeking approval for their services.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS asked if this was totally unexpected.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
DON  JOHNSTON,   Building  Manager,   Legislative  Administrative                                                               
Services,  Legislative  Affairs  Agency,   said  it  was  totally                                                               
unexpected.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS asked if there were questions.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THERRIAULT  asked about the scope  of the work and  if it                                                               
was discovered in putting the sprinklers in the ceiling.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR.  JOHNSTON replied  yes; the  duct work  has asbestos  tape in                                                               
both chambers. There  is approximately 60-70 lineal  feet of pipe                                                               
insulation in the  Senate Chambers and abatement is  holding up a                                                               
lighting,  sprinkler, fire  alarm  project  and rewiring  project                                                               
there.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:34:43 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  THERRIAULT   asked  about  the  expected   cost  of  the                                                               
abatement work.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. JOHNSTON replied  the low bid from  Absolute Environmental in                                                               
Anchorage is for $38,500.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS  asked if this is  a LAA project, why  are they are                                                               
meeting  as  the  Rules  Committee  instead  of  the  Legislative                                                               
Council.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:35:30 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  SCHOFIELD  explained  that actually  the  lighting  project,                                                               
because  it is  in the  chambers, is  more of  a Rules  Committee                                                               
issue; the  other projects are  actually through  the Legislative                                                               
Council.  It is  also easier  to have  a Rules  Committee meeting                                                               
right now, because they need to act immediately.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STEVENS asked if funding was an issue.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SCHOFIELD answered  no; the  funding  will come  out of  the                                                               
session expenses component. It has sufficient funds to do that.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY   moved  to  approve  awarding   a  contract  to                                                               
Absolutely  Environmental  Services,  Inc.  to  perform  asbestos                                                               
abatement in both chambers in the amount not to exceed $38,500.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:36:47 PM                                                                                                                    
A roll  call vote was  taken. Senators Green,  Therriault, Ellis,                                                               
Cowdery  and Stevens  voted  yea;  there were  no  nays; and  the                                                               
motion carried.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
There being  no further  business to  come before  the committee,                                                               
Chair Stevens adjourned the meeting at 1:37:32 PM.