HB 207-FIRE STATION GRANT PROGRAM  8:07:17 AM CO-CHAIR MEARS announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 207, "An Act relating to a matching grant program for fire station construction and renovation; and providing for an effective date." 8:07:44 AM REPRESENTATIVE CALVIN SCHRAGE, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, gave a recap of HB 207, which relates to grants for fire stations in Alaska. The bills would allow the state to create a structured program from which to fund the renovation or construction of fire halls throughout the state. He highlighted a need for this program in Ketchikan, for example, where old sewage lines are backing up into the fire station, as well as fire halls that have been damaged from prior earthquakes or have asbestos in their building materials. He reiterated that the bill would create a structured way to identify need and make long-range plans on how to fund facilities and depoliticize the process. 8:10:12 AM REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether the sponsor had considered adding this to the "community grants section" to ensure that all community capital requests are considered and prioritized. REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE said that question prompted some thought, but he opted to keep it as a standalone grant program to avoid complication. REPRESENTATIVE PRAX contended that if the program were to be depoliticized, there needs to be an evaluation prioritization procedure established ahead of time. REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE agreed and expressed his hope that [the Department of Commerce, Community & Economic Development (DCCED)] would opt to draft regulation for the program. Alternatively, the Fire Chiefs Association could be used as a secondary means to help score and prioritize these structures. REPRESENTATIVE PRAX asked whether DCCED would have the expertise to understand the needs of the fire departments. He suggested that the program should instead go through the State Fire Marshal's office within Department of Public Safety (DPS), or Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF). REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE opined that DCCED is equipped to handle the program given its experience with grants. He added that the department could coordinate and information share with other agencies to accomplish the task. CO-CHAIR MEARS pointed out that it would reinforce DCCED as a community liaison and a touchstone for projects. 8:15:31 AM REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND referenced the letter from Director Moller, Division of Community and Regional Affairs (DCRA), [included in the committee packet] and asked whether the bill language should be modified to suggest that funding for fire stations would meet the criteria for funding, or whether there's enough flexibility in the existing language. REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE said he was pleased with DCRA's response with respect to flexibility for integrated facilities because it acknowledges that fire stations are often co-located with emergency management services and dispatch services, and would fit within the proposed program, per Alaska statutes. He opined that the bill would meet the need of the grant requests. 8:18:09 AM REPRESENTATIVE HALL asked for the bill sponsor's thoughts on Ms. Moller's suggestion that if the legislature intends for multiple funding sources to be used, it would be best to outline that in statute. REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE said adding more specifics into statute would almost certainly provide further clarity, but the document also acknowledges that it could be done through regulation. He stated that the intent is to provide flexibility that allows for multiple funding streams for the construction. CO-CHAIR MEARS reiterated that the intent is to use multiple sources of funding. 8:20:38 AM The committee took a brief at-ease at 8:20 a.m. 8:21:02 AM CO-CHAIR HIMSCHOOT moved to report HB 207 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. REPRESENTATIVE PRAX objected. He opined that there's no real hurry to establish this fund and shared his belief that the program could be made better with specific instructions, integration into the community grant fund, and an established process for the grant applications. Further, he opined that the program would not depoliticize the process and shared an example. CO-CHAIR MEARS pointed out that the way projects are funded is changing, and this would be a way to identify statewide needs. For that reason, she opined that it would accomplish the goal of depoliticization. 8:24:32 AM A roll call vote was taken. Representatives Hall, Holland, Himschoot, and Mears voted in favor of reporting HB 207 out of committee. Representative Prax voted against it. Therefore, HB 207 was reported out of the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee by a vote of 4-1.