Legislature(2001 - 2002)
11/28/2001 09:03 AM Senate TRA
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ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
November 28, 2001
9:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator John Cowdery, Chair
Senator Jerry Ward, Vice Chair
Senator Kim Elton
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Robin Taylor
Senator Gary Wilken
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Senator Ben Stevens
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
UPPER COOK INLET & RAILBELT LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS &
REGIONAL PORT AUTHORITY HEARING
WITNESS REGISTER
Steve Boardman
US Army Corps of Engineers
CEPOA-PM Box 898
Anchorage, AK 99506
Rob Campbell
Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities
3132 Channel Dr.
Juneau, AK 99801-7898
General Patrick Gamble
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Alaska Railroad Corporation
PO Box 107500
Anchorage, AK 99510-7500
Frank Dillon
Executive Vice President
Alaska Trucking Association
Anchorage, AK 99501
Paul Fuhs
1635 Sitka #301
Anchorage, AK 99501
Governor Bill Sheffield
Port of Anchorage
P.O. Box 196650
Anchorage, AK 99519
John Duffy
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Manager
350 East Dahlia Ave.
Palmer, AK 99645
Kirk McGee
Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated
2525 C St.
Anchorage, AK
Aves Thompson
Director of Measurement Standards and Commercial Vehicle
Enforcement Division
Department of Transportation &
Public Facilities
3132 Channel Dr.
Juneau, AK 99801-7898
Matt Rolley
City Manager, City of Whittier
P.O. Box 608
Whittier, AK 99693
Tim Krug
City Planner, City of Wasilla
290 East Herning Ave.
Wasilla, AK 99654
Captain Bob Pawlowski
Alaska Program Manager, Thales Geo Solutions
th
911 W. 8 Ave
Anchorage, AK 99501
Gene Sarrels
Chairman, Anchorage Port Commission
P.O. Box 196650
Anchorage, AK 99519
James Armstrong
Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Study
4700 S.Bragaw
Anchorage, AK 99508
Rynnieve Moss
Staff to Representative Coghill
119 N. Cushman Suite 211
Fairbanks, AK 99701
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 01-25, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN JOHN COWDERY called the Senate Transportation Committee
meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. Members present were Senators Jerry
Ward and Kim Elton. Senator Ben Stevens was also present. The
order of business is Upper Cook Inlet and Railbelt long range
transportation needs.
CHAIRMAN COWDERY informed participants that the purpose of the
meeting is for long range transportation planning of Upper Cook
Inlet and discussions of the possibility of a Regional Port
Authority. The Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities (DOTPF) will present a brief on a proposed regional
transportation analysis to provide coordination on all the
projects. The Corps of Engineers is conducting studies of Cook
Inlet circulation and sedimentation and the possible cost benefit
analysis of the Fire Island Project. Each project that is being
proposed impacts the other.
He said he would like to hear everyone testify of their efforts
and willingness to coordinate and cooperate with other
transportation entities. The Municipality of Anchorage and the
Matanuska Susitna Valley are contemplating a Regional Port
Authority as a way of coordinating their efforts. He spoke of
the opportunity to achieve many of the projects if all work
together. The Congress, Legislature, and Transportation and
Finance Committees want to see a coordinated approach at an
overall plan.
STEVE BOARDMAN, US Army Corps of Engineers, explained the Corps
of Engineers has a number of projects in the Southcentral Region.
He detailed the past and current maintenance dredging activity in
the Port of Anchorage and Cook Inlet Navigational Channel as
being inadequate for today's carriers. He discussed the Corps of
Engineer study, which includes a physical model of the tidal
actions and currents at the Port of Anchorage and incorporates
the proposed bridge or causeway crossing Knik Arm to Point
Mackenzie into this physical model.
He also said that Congress had instructed the Army Corps of
Engineers to do a feasibility study of building a causeway to
Fire Island. This would include the possibility of building port
facilities at Fire Island and a benefit to cost analysis of
relocating the Port of Anchorage to Fire Island.
MR. BOARDMAN proposed an authorization "to maintain a channel of
a certain width and certain depth through the entire Cook Inlet
and no matter what shoal occurs within the channel boundary,
then, we (Army Corps of Engineers) have the authority to go out
and remove it." He wanted the Municipality of Anchorage, the
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and the Kenai Borough to work with the
Corps of Engineers to determine the needs and to make a logical
plan for navigational improvements in this region.
CHAIRMAN COWERY emphasized that every project affects the others
and ask Mr. Boardman to comment on that.
MR. BOARDMAN explained that initially the physical model concept
was just the immediate area of the Port of Anchorage. Now with
potential causeways to Point Mackenzie and Fire Island the flow
patterns would be changed. Data is necessary and has to be
evaluated and incorporated into an expanded model to capture the
crossing(s) and figure out what the impacts of that crossing(s)
will be.
SENATOR WARD asked Mr. Boardman what the increase in
transportation would be if there was a channel 45 feet deep.
MR. BOARDMAN said that more information needed to be generated.
The benefits could be additional cargo or additional efficiencies
to navigation. Insurance companies want at least 6 feet under
the keel to bring a vessel in, so 45 feet today is almost
required just to handle traffic to provide that protection.
Proposed legislation in the Army Corps of Engineers system that
may be part of the Water Resource Development Act of 2002 is to
lower that threshold from 45 to 55 feet. The traffic that would
require a depth of 55 feet will drive looking at that depth for
the channel in Cook Inlet.
MR. ROB CAMPBELL, Department of Transportation and Public
Facilities (DOTPF), discussed an effort to study a regional
planning authority type of body for Southcentral Alaska. They
have hired a consultant for three tasks.
· Compile, coordinate and summarize a list of various planning
studies that have occurred in the past.
· Put together an ad hoc transportation committee to interlock
transportation efforts.
· Ask ad hoc committee to develop a plan for a permanent
planning board for this region.
MR CAMPBELL explained that this plan would be more external from
DOTPF than the Southeast Transportation Plan. It would involve
additional parties to effectively look at the big picture.
GENERAL PATRICK GAMBLE, Alaska Railroad Corporation (CEO),
explained that the railroad and DOTPF get together annually and
that that meeting saves time and money for both the state and the
railroad. He felt the only logical way to proceed with ambitious
projects is to take a corporate approach and draw out everyone
that has an interest, municipalities, boroughs, state and private
corporations. If consensus is reached then the federal
government sees a united front with enduring properties that
provides a clear vision for tying huge projects together. He
said the railroad can build projects independently but that
doesn't work. The Alaska Railroad Corporation is a strong
proponent of coming together for a regional transportation plan
with clarity of purpose in the State of Alaska. This regional
approach would enable the process rather than impede it.
CHAIRMAN COWDERY recognized Congressman Young's staff, General
Sharrow as being present. He then reemphasized the need to give
the congressional delegation a regional plan.
MR. DILLON, Alaska Trucking Association (ATA) Executive Vice
President, said that ATA represents a variety of different
transportation modes. He supported the testimony of General
Gamble and Mr. Campbell with regards to a larger focus on a
regional plan.
MR. DILLON expressed concern with the Federal Highway Trust Fund.
The money from that trust fund comes from fuel taxes. Of the $35
billion to be collected this year the trucking industry will
contribute approximately 38%. He feels the nationwide
infrastructure is failing and much of the fuel tax money is being
spent on the process. He wants to see two changes made in
federal legislation to enable a regional planning group to
accomplish their plan.
· Get fundamental changes on how money can be spent in a new
federal highway bill streamlining the process.
· Get the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)
regulations streamlined to shorten down the timeline for
projects.
TAPE 01-25, SIDE B
SENATOR WARD remarked on how he had introduced a Knik Arm
Crossing bill 20 years ago and that there was no federal funding
available at that time. He feels that now, Congressman Don
Young, US House of Representatives' Transportation Committee
Chair, and unified direction at the state level can influence how
federal dollars come to Alaska.
SENATOR BEN STEVENS asked the following questions.
· Where the funding would come from for a regional authority?
· How they would develop a plan?
· Is the concept building another layer of master plan
bureaucracy and how could that be eliminated?
· Would the regional planning authority conduct all the
surveys for the region or would each of the individual
components conduct a survey and then promote it up to the
major regional planning authority?
MR. CAMPBELL answered that that is the kind of information they
want to gather through the consultants and by networking with
other areas of the country that have port authorities.
SENATOR STEVENS asked would the local planning authority be
willing to forgo the funding to give it to the regional planning
authority? Is that what the consultants would figure out?
GENERAL GAMBLE said the current process is time consuming, very
expensive and neither productive nor effective. He felt there is
a better way and that there are cities and countries that have
been successful.
SENATOR ELTON expressed concern about how this southcentral
region's transportation plan will impact the rest of the state.
He gave examples of how priorities that are established may work
for this region, but may have huge impacts in other areas of the
state. He wanted to make sure there is some focus on how you
make decisions that work for all regions and how that
coordination would happen.
MR. FUHS spoke about port authorities to allow flexibly so groups
could get together where it made economic sense for them to
combine their operations. He gave examples including Prince of
Wales Island. There a port authority has been implemented where
several communities have gotten their own ferry service. He said
that a port authority is formed by a vote of the local people, or
by the state government.
He went on to list reasons to form port authorities.
· More stability in management makes it less political.
· The debt of the port authority, not being the debt of the
municipality, frees up bonding capacity for other
facilities.
· Each project has to make economic sense because there is no
access to the municipal taxing authority
· When smaller entities join with larger entities it increases
their bonding capacity.
· Port authorities have "clear focus" because transportation
is such an important and critical infrastructure for
communities.
CHAIRMAN COWDERY commented on port authorities being able to
coordinate projects and being independent of the political
process.
SENATOR ELTON said he was familiar with the Inter-Island Port
Authority, which was designed for the specific purpose of
providing ferry service. He asked if there were others in the
state.
MR. FUHS said Valdez, Fairbanks and the North Slope Borough
incorporated the only other port authority for the building of
the natural gas pipeline.
SENATOR ELTON stated that those port authorities were designed
around a single purpose. General authority for multiple purposes
may increase the problems of fragmentation. He asked, under port
authorities what other ways are you allowed to raise money other
than bonding?
MR. FUHS said that in Alaska's port authority law they have no
taxing authority. However, municipalities can dedicate a portion
of their taxes. Port authorities also have their own revenues,
they can receive state and federal grants and they can enter into
joint ventures with private companies to jointly operate
facilities.
SENATOR ELTON wanted to know how a member could withdraw.
MR. FUHS answered that it is set up as a board and the vote of
the board sets the policy. A municipality can withdraw subject
to the covenants of the bonds.
MR. BILL SHEFFIELD, Director of the Port of Anchorage and former
governor, explained the need for structure to deal with so many
projects. He agreed with Mr. Dillon that it takes too long to
get a project done and that about a third of the funds are spent
on nonessentials. There is a great need to get Congress to
change so that projects can be accomplished in 5 to 6 years. He
emphasized that money can be obtained from Congress but first
there has to be a plan.
MR. SHEFFIELD estimated that 80-90% of Alaskan freight goes
through a port. He thinks Congress is just starting to realize
that there are no funding methods available for infrastructure
for ports. He explained the need for the reauthorization of T21
so there is money channeled into transportation infrastructure
across this country for rail, road and ports.
MR. SHEFFIELD described the Corps of Engineers model and the
continued dredging and monies available for dredging. NOAA is
now preparing for a wave and current study in upper Cook Inlet
and will incorporate it into the Corps of Engineers model. That
wave and current data will give the ship captains and pilots real
time information on what is happening in the inlet 24 hours per
day which was not available before.
He said the Port of Anchorage's goal is to become a world class
port.
· Next spring, the first phase of new docks is to be under
construction followed by rehabilitation of the old ones.
· A road was closed to open up more land inside the port.
· It is working with the military to have the defense fuel
property transferred to the port to give it more land and
more sightings for loading military equipment.
· It is planning a road and rail behind the port to make it an
efficient intermodal facility. This could be an access
startup for the Knik Arm Crossing.
MR. SHEFFIELD said the port is growing at about 2 ½ percent per
year and in 20 years it will double its' business. New and wider
ships are going to be coming into the port. The new docks will
be 5 lanes wide to be able to service these ships. There is room
for additional expansion on tidelands that are owned by the port.
The new port will also allow them to handle cruise ships, which
are expected this decade.
He said that Anchorage is projected to run out of residential
land in 20 years so he feels the Knik Arm Crossing is important
because it can provide for residential growth. A deeper port
with better access and more availability at the dock will
increase the usage by military ships.
MR. SHEFFIELD said that the tax dollars collected from properties
that are leased from the Port Authorities are returned to the
Port Authority and that with Port Authorities, a layer of
bureaucracy is removed and then replaced with an elected or
appointed port commission.
CHAIRMAN COWDERY stated that the Port Authority Board only sets
the policies, they hire executive directors and managers to do
the real work.
SENATOR WARD discussed the Marine Highway system needing a land
base to be able to operate similarly to the Alaska Railroad. He
felt transferring state or federal land to the Port Authority
could provide them a revenue base.
MR. SHEFFIELD replied that the only way to have the Marine
Highway system be set up similar to the Alaska Railroad is if the
Marine Highway system owned some real estate to derive income.
TAPE 01-26, SIDE A
JOHN DUFFY, Matanuska-Susitna Borough Manager, said he agreed
with the comments made by previous speakers regarding regional
transportation coordination, recognizing that the Matanuska-
Susitna Borough and Anchorage shared one regional transportation
system and regional economy. Financial resources are limited so
investments must be made prudently, all of the projects should be
coordinated and programmed and that all parties be involved. He
felt the timing is right to do something now but it will take a
lot of effort.
MR. DUFFY then listed the projects across the inlet. He stressed
the need for some type of coordination now to start the
prioritizing and coordinating of these transportation projects.
He felt however that each jurisdiction is still going to have to
do their plans.
KIRK McGEE, Vice President of Real Estate with Cook Inlet Region
Incorporated (CIRI), discussed Fire Island. The island is about
4000 acres of which CIRI owns about 3000 acres. CIRI supports
transferring the 250 acres that is the likely site for any port
development from the federal government to the Municipality of
Anchorage under a legislative transfer.
He discussed a CIRI study showing that a causeway could be built
using the materials from the inlet. He wanted the Corps of
Engineers cost/benefit analysis and the tide current model to
include the water between Pt. Campbell and Fire Island. He
thinks that AMATS should look at linkages between the causeway
and other roads emphasizing that Fire Island is able to supply
the industrial land Anchorage will need as it continues to grow.
AVES THOMPSON, Director of Measurement Standards and Commercial
Vehicle Enforcement DOTPF, stressed the importance of the
commercial vehicle element, making infrastructure planning to
support these vehicles vital.
MATT ROWLES, City Manager, City of Whittier, said the City of
Whittier wants to be involved in this process. It has a deep,
ice free port and road access located only 60 miles from the
Anchorage population center.
TIM KRUG, City Planner, City of Wasilla discussed current
projects in Wasilla and how they are working with other groups to
make a master plan for that community.
CAPTAIN BOB PAWLOWSKI, Alaska Program Manager, Thales Geo
Solutions Inc., supports moving forward with a transportation
plan.
TAPE 01-26, SIDE B
GENE SARROWS, Chairman, Anchorage Port Commission, favors a
committee over a Port Authority. This would allow projects to be
presented as complete packages that have been well coordinated.
He also believes that additional areas need to be included such
as Kotzebue and Fairbanks, which are dependent on Anchorage
transportation.
JAMES ARMSTRONG, Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Study
(AMATS), said AMATS endorses the regional planning process.
Rynnieva Moss, Staff to Representative Coghill, wanted to mention
that DNR views RS 2477 corridors as recreation trails, not as
transportation corridors. They need to be using them for new
roads and railroads.
CHAIRMAN COWDERY adjourned the meeting at 11:45 pm.
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