HB 156-ALLOWING CERTAIN LANDFILL FEE WAIVERS   9:27:44 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 156, "An Act relating to municipal fees charged for disposal of waste material from the substantial rehabilitation, renovation, demolition, removal, or replacement of a structure on deteriorated property." 9:27:53 AM REPRESENTATIVE BOB LYNN, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as the sponsor of HB 161, explained that the legislation permits municipalities to waive dumping fees, tipping fees, for material taken to municipal landfills from deteriorated properties. The aforementioned doesn't cost the state anything. Furthermore, it can make it economically feasible to renovate deteriorating properties. 9:30:06 AM KATHRYN DODGE, Economic Development Specialist, Fairbanks North Star Borough; Director, Alaska Regional Development Organization (ARDOR), said that she was sure that each legislator could think of a deteriorated property in their community that they would desire to be redeveloped. She said she was equally certain that legislators recognize the value of renovating and rehabilitating the deteriorated property. Ms. Dodge pointed out that adoption of this change requires assembly approval, and therefore public comment will be taken on the value of granting waivers to deteriorated properties, presumably for each waiver considered. Therefore, Ms. Dodge encouraged the committee to support HB 156. 9:31:40 AM MARK MARLOW, Principal, Marlow Corporation, opined that HB 156 would provide local governments another tool with regard to economic development and urban renewal. Every property eligible would have to go through a local public process per AS 29.45 to identify and determine which properties meet the eligibility requirements to be designated as deteriorated. He encouraged the committee's favorable vote for HB 156. 9:32:50 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON inquired as to why HB 156 is necessary. MR. MARLOW related his understanding that without HB 156 extending the waiver to a property designated as deteriorated may raise a constitutional challenge with regard to a local government's ability to extend the benefit to address the mitigation of blight based on an equal protection clause. This legislation defines deteriorated property as a class of property rather than an individual project and provides local governments that own a landfill the authority to extend the aforementioned benefit to help with economic development and mitigation of blight. 9:34:39 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON posed an example in which there was a deteriorated 1,200 square feet home, and inquired as to how much money that would be. MR. MARLOW pointed out that a small home of 1,200 square feet wouldn't meet the eligibility requirements of AS 29.45. To be considered deteriorated the building would have to be at least an 8-plex, at least 15 years of age, or a commercial property, he recalled. He explained that the actual amount of money [in terms of waived tipping fees] would depend largely on the size of the property because tipping fees are a function of weight. 9:35:48 AM REPRESENTATIVE LYNN, in closing, characterized HB 156 as good public policy, and therefore he requested the committee's favorable consideration. 9:35:54 AM CO-CHAIR HERRON, upon determining no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony. 9:36:03 AM REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report HB 156 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, it was so ordered.