Legislature(2021 - 2022)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/24/2022 01:30 PM Senate TRANSPORTATION
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s) | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE TRANSPORTATION STANDING COMMITTEE
February 24, 2022
1:32 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Robert Myers, Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Click Bishop
Senator Jesse Kiehl
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Mike Shower, Vice Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
Board of Marine Pilots
Leslie A. Cronk - Ketchikan
Michael O'Hara - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
Commissioner, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Ryan F. Anderson, PE - Juneau
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
LESLIE A. CRONK Appointee
Board of Marine Pilots
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development
Ketchikan, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Marine Pilots.
MICHAEL O'HARA, Appointee
Board of Marine Pilots
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Marine Pilots.
RYAN ANDERSON, PE; Commissioner Designee
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as commissioner designee to the
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF).
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:32:22 PM
CHAIR ROBERT MYERS called the Senate Transportation Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:32 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Kiehl, Bishop, Micciche, and Chair Myers.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S)
Board of Marine Pilots
Commissioner, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
1:32:52 PM
CHAIR MYERS announced the consideration of Governor Appointees
to boards and commissions.
1:33:23 PM
LESLIE A. CRONK Appointee, Board of Marine Pilots, Department of
Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED), Ketchikan,
Alaska, stated that he served as a port agent for the past 37
years, representing owners and operators worldwide, including
domestic and international cargo ships, containers, cruise
ships, and government vessels. He explained that port agents
assist with all requirements and regulations, including marine
pilotage, for ships entering or departing from Alaskan waters,
whether delivering or picking up cargo. As Vice-President of
Southeast Stevedoring, he oversees all their offices statewide
and works closely with all three regional pilot groups in
Alaska. He understands the system and the unique logistics of
operating in Alaska's ports and waters. He said that is why he
applied for an agent seat on the Board of Marine Pilots.
1:34:39 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked why he applied for the agent position.
MR. CRONK responded that the board is comprised of two marine
pilots, two registered agents, two public members, and the
Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Community and
Economic Development or designee chairs the board. As an agent,
he represents the owners and facilitates Alaska's safe,
efficient, economically viable marine transportation system or
the commerce side of marine piloting. He explained that marine
pilots must adhere to safety regulations. He noted he is not a
marine pilot, but he complements the marine pilots. He
characterized it as a balanced board.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked whether he had always served in the agent
seat.
1:35:50 PM
MR. CRONK answered yes.
1:36:25 PM
MICHAEL O'HARA, Appointee, Board of Marine Pilots, Department of
Commerce, Anchorage, Alaska, stated that he is a member of the
Southwest Alaska Pilots, an association based in Homer. He said
he provides pilotage service to tankers, container ships, and
cruise ships throughout the region. The state has three regions,
and he serves in Region II covering Icy Bay to Kodiak Island,
including Prince William Sound, Resurrection Bay, Kenai Fjords,
Cook Inlet, and Kodiak Island. His license covers unlimited
tonnage for his region. He echoed Mr. Cronk's comments on the
seven-member board, noting it is balanced between commerce,
pilots, and public members. He related that then-Governor Cowper
appointed him after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, and he was
reappointed by then-Governors Hickel, Parnell, and Palin, and
currently by Governor Dunleavy.
1:38:03 PM
CHAIR MYERS asked whether he has seen changes in the last 30
years.
CAPTAIN O'HARA offered his view that things are much better now.
When he began his service 30 years ago, the Exxon Valdez oil
spill had just occurred, and the pilotage situation was
tumultuous.
1:39:21 PM
SENATOR KIEHL noted that he answered that he had a prior
conviction. He asked what had occurred and what has happened
since then.
CAPTAIN O'HARA answered that he pled guilty to harassment in the
second degree.
SENATOR KIEHL asked for the date of the offense.
CAPTAIN O'HARA responded that he was not willing to discuss it.
He noted that it is all in the public record.
1:40:52 PM
CHAIR MYERS announced the consideration of the Governor
Appointee to serve as commissioner of the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF).
1:41:04 PM
RYAN ANDERSON, PE; Commissioner Designee, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF), stated that he
grew up in Minnesota and earned a bachelor's degree in
geological engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks
(UAF). He worked at Greens Creek Mine for three years, then for
the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF)
as a construction inspector. He said he went back to UAF and
earned a civil engineering degree. He has worked for DOTPF since
2000. During the last five years, he has worked as the Director
of DOTPF's Northern Region.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON said he has served as the
commissioner designee for five months, focusing on three main
areas. First, he has concentrated on DOTPF staff, in part, due
to the adverse effects of the COVID pandemic. He stated the
department must have an excellent workforce to accomplish
things.
1:42:43 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON related his second focus was on
infrastructure since the state has opportunities with the
federal infrastructure funding that it is has not had in the
past. The department needs to make sound investment decisions
for the future. He indicated his third focus has been to develop
partnerships. In order for the department to accomplish capital
projects and maintenance requires resources, and one way to do
so is by partnering with local communities and organizations. He
has gone from focusing on the frontline and operations as a
regional director to expand his scope. He noted that Alaska is a
big state with challenging geography. He acknowledged that he
thought hard about whether to serve as commissioner and
ultimately decided that to take what he learned and try to make
a difference.
1:44:22 PM
SENATOR KIEHL highlighted that the legislature created a new
Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board with an advisory
structure. He asked what he thought about the relationship
between the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) and the board.
1:44:56 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON responded that coming from
Interior Alaska, the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) was new
to him. He related that his first week on the job, he traveled
by ferry to Ketchikan to learn about AMHS. He characterized AMHS
as a unique system, which is important to Alaska. He compared
the reliance Southeast Alaskans have on AMHS to the ice road
network that northern Alaskans rely on in winter. He viewed the
Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board as a partnership. He
noted that DOTPF has a seat on the board. The board's mission is
to discuss the direction AMHS should take. The board's
recommendations will go to the legislature and the governor. As
commissioner, he will listen. He said he is open to new ideas
and does not have a predetermined view of AMHS's outcome. He
stated the challenge for AMHS is reliability, so the department
has taken measures to increase AMHS's reliability. When the
Matanuska was overhauled, the department got the Tazlina
running. The department has also tried some new things,
including supplemental contracts to bring service to the
communities. He reiterated that he wants to listen, consider the
recommendations, and move forward.
1:46:38 PM
SENATOR BISHOP noted Mr. Anderson has an excellent track record
with the department. He asked for the top three accomplishments
he would like to achieve in the next four years.
1:47:29 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON responded that DOTPF's workforce
is strong, so it attracts people, and the department has been
filling vacancies. DOTPF's culture is innovative, and its
workforce accomplishes many unique things that would impress
other states' highway departments. He emphasized that the Dalton
Highway Maintenance & Operations (M&O) crew accomplishes
impressive things. The four safety corridors providing essential
infrastructure are the Wasilla Knik-Goosebay Road (KGB), the
Parks Highway, the Sterling Highway, and the Seward Highway. He
highlighted that all four corridors were under construction,
including building a four-lane road on the Sterling Highway that
will provide a generational project for Alaska. He acknowledged
that four years would be an aggressive timeline, but he thought
the department could accomplish it. Third, the department could
establish better transportation planning organizations in each
region. The regions should first identify their priorities, and
then DOTPF could figure out the funding for those priorities.
The regional priorities and modes of transportation vary since
Alaska is immense and has vast geography. He stated that DOTPF
addresses this in ways that are fair and equitable. He offered
his view that people believe that the projects DOTPF focuses on
are the right ones.
1:50:28 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE related that the public typically views the
department unfavorably. Although the public likes the orange
trucks and snowplows, they have a distorted community view of
the department and often complain about what they think the
department is not doing right. He wondered what could be done on
social networking to inform the public better. For example,
people don't know when DOTPF is dispatched to maintain a road or
how hard its crews work. He asked whether he had plans to
address this issue to better engage with the public.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON agreed that communicating with
the public was challenging. He said DOTPF had improved its
social media efforts, and the department constantly works to
inform the public. For example, the department posted photos of
the Sterling Highway landslide so travelers could see that it
would take time to clear. He emphasized that the department
wants to continue its work on its social media. For example, the
communications director has begun working on Tik Tok since
social media venues evolve. He offered his belief that DOTPF
will always have challenges with misinformation. He suggested
that the more transparent DOTPF can be, the better it will be
for the department. He pointed out that other states have real-
time websites that show plow trucks plowing their roads. He
indicated that DOTPF has been considering using additional tools
such as those due to the improved technology. He emphasized that
transparency could also help counter the notion that crews are
sitting idle since they work hard daily.
1:53:45 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE agreed that DOTPF's crews work hard in the most
challenging and high-risk locations, including Turnagain Arm. He
expressed concern that the department has "played games" with
the maintenance stations in prioritizing road maintenance in his
district. He asked the commissioner for his philosophy in
recognizing critical transportation routes for commerce and
community connectivity. He wondered whether communities could
expect more of the same or if DOTPF leadership will work with
communities to prioritize road maintenance.
1:55:19 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON highlighted his commitment by
illustrating his problem-solving approach. A few years ago, the
Dalton Highway deteriorated due to rain. He said he rode along
with a trucker bringing a 10,000-gallon fuel tanker to Prudhoe
Bay to observe what the truckers were facing. He related the
importance of having discussions with M&O crews about ways to
operate more efficiently. The department discussed ways to
leverage borough resources to get roads cleared faster. He
remarked that he is open to new ideas. He offered his belief
that the state would see a significant investment in the freight
and primary routes. He emphasized that widening the Seward
Highway is a significant investment, but it will provide a major
improvement. The Parks Highway improvements demonstrate how
DOTPF can build its infrastructure. He suggested his overall
approach will be to constantly push to improve freight routes
and primary roads.
1:57:27 PM
CHAIR MYERS stated that he doesn't hear a lot of complaints
about DOTPF. Still, one thing people complain about is not
hearing about projects until the work begins or a news article
outlines what projects will occur during the construction
season. He stated that people would like to be involved in the
planning stage or have enough time to head off a project they
don't like. He wondered if the department plans to perform
outreach earlier in the planning process.
1:58:18 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON replied that DOTPF has new
federal Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Studies. He
described two types of planning: one type of planning considers
the traffic and road configurations, and the other considers the
environmental resources, including wetlands and cultural
resources. Although the department has good initiatives to focus
on more planning, sometimes people don't show up for the
planning meetings. The meetings are not as attractive as when
bulldozers and trucks show up. The department hopes to get media
attention during the planning phase since that's the best time
to get good input to guide the project or show the final project
corridor. He related the process, including the design phase and
robust National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process used in
more complex projects. Next, DOTPF attends the local planning
authority meetings, including borough or city assembly meetings
seeking approval for its projects. DOTPF recently held open
houses to let people know which projects are coming up during
construction. He acknowledged that the magnitude of changes
becomes less at that point. The public has the most influence to
change projects when projects are in the planning phase, and the
public has less and less ability as the process moves forward.
2:00:25 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked how often the department scrubs the
metrics for transportation needs. He said gaps exist, and one
size fits all is not the right way to evaluate projects. He
asked how the department could identify projects that don't seem
like priority projects but are essential to health, safety, and
commerce for communities. He wondered if the department could
use the primary STIP process and have a secondary list for
projects that did not rise as high in the scoring.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON highlighted one challenge for
Alaska has been its reliance on federal dollars since the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) places numerous rules on
projects. Hence, DOTPF uses state funding to achieve more
flexibility. He highlighted the importance of having more local
planning, such as the Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation
(FAST) Planning, and the Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO). When he sat on the board for several years, he was
exposed to local issues that DOTPF probably wouldn't have
considered. He pointed out that DOTPF has creative staff, so
once staff becomes aware of a problem, it's possible they will
find a solution.
2:03:24 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE related his understanding that the Cooper
Landing Bypass was delayed again. He asked for the source of the
delay and what the community could expect to see in the next
couple of years.
2:03:54 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON reported that the department had
a conflict with the contractor. He explained that the
construction manager/general contractor (CMGC) process brings in
a contractor early in the design process, and the contractor and
department negotiate a price for the project. However, DOTPF
could not resolve the price, so the department solicited another
bid. The department has another contractor on board, and the
project is moving ahead. He anticipated that the project would
be under construction this summer, but it is a large, multi-year
project with a timeframe of five years. He highlighted that the
goal is to have logical sequences year by year to get the
project done.
2:04:54 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE responded that he felt prior commissioners
politely let him talk, but he finds him to be receptive,
creative, and someone who genuinely cares what his district
thinks. He said he hopes he can maintain that positive outlook
as he moves forward.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON thanked him.
2:05:50 PM
SENATOR KIEHL said he hoped the commissioner was committed to
transportation planning not just project planning. The last
five-year update of the Southeast Area Transportation Plan was
adopted in 2008, although an effort was made in 2015 or 2016 to
finish it.
SENATOR KIEHL noted that the state should have another mainline
ferry coming online in two years, plus another one is in the
process, but most of AMHS's vessels are old.
SENATOR KIEHL echoed Senator Micciche's comments on the great
work that the maintenance station crews perform. However, the
commissioner has inherited another major issue, which is
maintenance itself. Further, many maintenance stations are in
varying stages of decay. The crews are working in buildings
where the steel does not necessarily connect to the concrete,
and culverts are in differing states of collapse. He asked how
the commissioner plans to get ahead of this colossal maintenance
problem.
2:07:53 PM
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON agreed that many camps are old.
He stated the first goal is to create an inventory of needs for
facilities and prioritize them. One challenge the department has
seen is that the federal infrastructure funding does not provide
much facility funding. The department will seek funding
opportunities. He cautioned that this is one area the department
has seen vacancies, including electricians, plumbers, and
carpenters, which can exacerbate the problem. He recapped that
the first step would be to understand the problem and then take
the following steps.
2:09:33 PM
SENATOR KIEHL suggested adding equipment mechanics to the list.
He highlighted that the starting salary for equipment mechanics
was $22 per hour, whereas Greens Creek on Admiralty Island
starts its equipment mechanics at $35 per hour. He asked about
the new facilities service's consolidation. He highlighted that
some state employees waited two weeks for keys to their offices.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON replied that the Division of
Facilities Services consolidation was fairly new, including a
capital side for building new facilities and an operational
piece, including leasing. He acknowledged that he likes to know
if people have problems obtaining keys for buildings, and he can
run those things down. He admitted that some "teething" occurs
when starting something new, but he feels optimistic. He
explained the concept was that consolidating all these
facilities into one organization will bring efficiencies and
allow the department to view all the facilities throughout the
state.
2:11:48 PM
CHAIR MYERS turned to commercial vehicle enforcement. He
acknowledged that the department enforces federal regulations.
He said that attitudes throughout the division change. He asked
whether he had a specific vision for commercial vehicle
enforcement.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE ANDERSON responded that this was an area
where he had work to do. He said he has not yet reviewed
commercial vehicle enforcement. He related that the weigh
stations might seem like an obstacle, but the goal is to protect
the highways. Overweight loads can adversely affect highways.
The department must ensure that it protects infrastructure. He
offered to hold more conversations and work through any
problems.
2:13:31 PM
CHAIR MYERS acknowledged that he received a couple of overweight
tickets over the years. He highlighted that truck drivers want
to see the department focus on safety, not on generating
revenue. He related his experience driving in the Lower 48,
where states were focused on compliance and finding violations
to generate revenue. He remarked that Alaska appeared to be more
focused on safety. He commented that he hoped that was the
culture that the department would embody.
2:14:35 PM
CHAIR MYERS opened public testimony on the confirmation hearings
for Leslie A. Cronk and Michael O'Hara, the Board of Marine
Pilots, and Ryan Anderson, Commissioner Designee for the
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF);
hearing none, he closed public testimony on the confirmation
hearings.
2:14:53 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE stated that in accordance with AS 39.05.080,
the Senate Transportation Standing Committee reviewed the
following and recommends the appointments be forwarded to a
joint session for consideration:
Board of Marine Pilots
Michael O'Hara - Anchorage
Leslie A. Cronk - Ketchikan
Commissioner, Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
Ryan F. Anderson, PE - Juneau
[Signing the reports regarding appointments to boards and
commissions in no way reflects individual members' approval or
disapproval of the appointees; the nominations are merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or
rejection.]
CHAIR MYERS heard no objection, and the confirmations were
advanced.
2:15:34 PM
At-ease
2:16:55 PM
CHAIR MYERS reconvened the meeting.
2:17:15 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Myers adjourned the Senate Transportation Standing
Committee meeting at 2:17 p.m.
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